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Cleveland church and residents fed up with alleged neighborhood drug activity

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Church leaders at St. Vitus Parish in Cleveland and residents in that neighborhood are extremely concerned with alleged drug activity and violence in the area of E. 60th Street.

Church Finance Manager Stane Kuhar told News 5 he believes consistent drug activity at a home near the church is part of the problem.

Kuhar said so far police and Cleveland city leaders have been unable solve the ongoing issues.

"It's very disheartening that you don't have follow-ups," said Kuhar.

"The first thing the city should do is crackdown on some of the housing that's allowing this to happen. 

"They should see if this house is in arrears in payments."

Neighbor Brenda Carter told News 5 she's called police numerous times about alleged violence at the home, and now she wants Cleveland Councilman Basheer Jones to take some action.

"A man came over here and tried to kick the door in, and before I could get up to look out the window, I heard shots fired out of a 40 caliber, so now I'm rolling out on the floor," explained Carter.

"Now there is gun play involved in this, and I could be laying in my bed asleep."

"I'm old, I can't move fast enough, I may be coming out of the shower and I'm going to get shot for something I don't have nothing to do with?"

News 5 tried to reach the homeowners listed in Cuyahoga County tax records for comment over the neighborhood concerns, but a visit to their Garfield Heights home and phone calls have not produced a response. 

News 5 will not list the address of the home until we get a response from the owner.

Meanwhile, Councilman Jones vowed to look into the situation, and has appointed a neighborhood safety liaison to work with Cleveland Police.