SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Police Department is holding a meeting on the east side Wednesday evening to address recent criminal activity.
This comes after a viewer gave KENS 5 surveillance video that shows a daring, daylight drive-by shooting. In the video, the driver of a small, white sedan sticks their arm out of the car and fires a shot from a pistol.
It happened Tuesday on Polaris Street, just south of East Houston Street, on the east side. Neighbors have been fighting to rid their area of what they say is drug dealing and prostitution.
Take a look at the surveillance video below which shows the Tuesday incident:
The area is just eight blocks from the AT&T Center. Residents there have been begging San Antonio police to take action.
More than a dozen neighbors have at least 15 cameras trained on Polaris and nearby streets. They say they have hours of video of this kind of behavior and are hoping their video evidence proves their point of the danger of this area.
Elizabeth West has had a front-row seat to violent behavior for five years. She has several cameras on her home and said she's captured hours of dangerous criminal behavior unfolding just a few feet from her door.
West said that in the most recent incident, her husband was outside in the driveway when the gunman opened fire.
"Every day, every day, we're hearing it," West said. "Every day and every night."
West, who has been a vocal advocate for change at neighborhood meetings with city officials, said she's frustrated to the point of giving up.
"I'm even tired of going to meetings. What's the point if nothing is going to happen?" West said in an exasperated fashion, adding she'd like to move when her lease expires in a few months but she may not be able to afford the expense.
"It's really kind of depressing to go to another neighborhood and visit family or friends somewhere else and then you come back to this neighborhood and it's trashed with constant criminal activity."
Having given police video proof of the criminal behavior, West said she doesn't understand why they have seen so little substantive action.
"The police all know the drug houses. The police all know what's going on around here, but they feel like their hands are tied. And what can we do?" West said.
SAPD officials said an officer did respond to the shooting incident and they looked for the car caught on video, but to no avail.
KENS 5 has reported on crime in this area several times before.
Wednesday's meeting begins at 6 p.m. and will be held at SAPD's east-side substation, located at 3635 East Houston. A police spokesman said anyone who lives in the east patrol area is welcome to attend and express their concerns.