Local Agency Advises How To Keep Tensions Cool As Weather Heats Up
By Cherri Gregg
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - When the temperature rises, so too does the number of neighborhood disputes.
But with about a week to go before the Fourth of July weekend, and after two recent shootings at neighborhood block parties, a Philadelphia agency is here to help.
Whether it's a battle over stinky dog doo, a fallen tree, or a broken fence, tempers can flare.
"We've seen violence at block parties -- it's something that hadn't happened before. It's something that needs to stop," says Rue Landau -- executive director of the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations.
She says her agency gets an uptick in calls during the summer.
"You've got kids who are out of school, it's hot, you've got people congregating on blocks, in front of houses."
Landau says neighbors have to be mindful of one another: dispose of trash correctly, pick up after their dogs, corral their unruly kids, and keep their barbecue grills out of parking spaces.
But above all, Landau says, choose calm over chaos.
"We want people to keep cool without throwing shade," she says, using street lingo for hostile speech.
Landau says get to know your neighbors, approach them with respect when there's an issue, and ask for help from a commission mediator if you reach an impasse.
"We can help," she advises. "Don't let it explode and don't let things spiral out of control."
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