Blue Byline » Hilltop neighborhood

Hilltop neighborhood protective of their progress

Brian O'Neill — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 23:37:44 +0000

Tacoma City Council members got a rare demonstration of neighborhood activism last Tuesday: 20 people showed up to protest a single item that wasn’t even on the agenda. Those people, all residents of the Hilltop neighborhood, were there to speak out against the rumored addition of a sex offender halfway house in their neighborhood. Whether or not the possibility existed (the answer is probably not), their presence was at least a reminder that a united neighborhood, aka a community, is a power to be reckoned with.

For proof you need look no farther than the Hilltop today. Vital businesses have …

Remembering a night of violent potential

Brian O'Neill — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 18:51:59 +0000

In the current spasm of civil unrest, where angry groups trade words and projectiles with ranks of police, I am reminded of a single moment in time.

Itn the mid-90’s I was a Tacoma Police Patrol Officer assigned to the One Sector. In addition to downtown and Northeast Tacoma, this area also included the Hilltop neighborhood, which was still in the grips of gang violence and narcotics crimes. Gunfire was common and the police response often included extra officers. It was also a time when many residents harbored a strong resentment towards my former department.

Though I can’t recall the specific …