During the citizens’ comments portion of Tuesday morning’s Brownwood City Council meeting, Dean Clements, who lives at 1502 Waco Street, addressed the Council, Mayor Stephen Haynes and City Manager Emily Crawford regarding numerous threats to the well being of himself and his wife that have come from neighbors a few houses down.

Clements referenced a recent incident in which, “The guy was burning a brush pile in the yard and putting rubbish on it. I called dispatch and asked about the open flame and the fire department showed up. They took the small hose out and put it out and took no telling what kind of cussing. My wife and I are then outside cleaning and mowing and we start getting it – sexual things he’s going to do to my wife and me, threatened to kill us, burn our house down and kill our dogs. Officers showed up, he was in the house and wouldn’t come out. They visited with him through the window and came over to me and told me there was nothing they could do because they couldn’t get him outside. I asked what I was supposed to do all day and night? I’ve had it, I can’t do it anymore. It’s been going on for a year.”

Clements spoke about alleged meth issues and “drug houses” in the area and how “some of that has been cleaned up.”

Clements continued saying, “Me and my wife do not feel safe on the north side. My family has lived there since 1942. My grandfather built that house out of an old barrack from Camp Bowie. He raised four kids there, I was raised there. I am not going to be run out of the north side of Brownwood. You can’t get rid of me. I operate a business here, I operate a construction company here, I farm and ranch here. I just bought 28 acres on the north side of Brownwood, and I need some help. I’m not going to be run out because of the meth and the threats.”

Clements stated while writing his speech the night prior a call of a robbery in progress came in at 2:52 a.m. one house down and across the street. The suspects were eventually caught, but released as the police were unable to contact the owners of the property.

“They told me there was nothing they could do,” Clements said. “They didn’t have the name and number of the owner, dispatch didn’t have the name and number and they asked if I had it. We’ve tried to talk to them and get a phone number so we can voice our opinions. It’s been a slum house, a flophouse for the last month and a half. There’s traffic every night between 9 and 3 in the morning. There’s petty theft, I put locks on all my hitches because they just come and take them out of the back of my pickup. I can’t keep a gas can. But the officers say there’s nothing they can do and I don’t understand it. I understand we have rights, I get it, but I don’t understand when our police are not proactive and just reactive, in my opinion.”

Clements also spoke about three dogs on the neighbor in question’s property that bit another man who lives in the area. The man later walking back to the property with a bow and arrow and a machete before Clements intervened.

“I told him that we can’t do that,” Clements said. “I called animal control and the police department was coming. I told him he couldn’t go down there like that.”

Clements continued, “This is what we deal with it, but y’all don’t see it. You can’t. But I’m not going to live in fear. That’s why I’m here. All I get from the officers is Mr. Clements, you have the right to protect yourself and protect your property. That’s an opinion if we feel threatened or attacked, we know that, but there has to be another option. There has to be something in between. Y’all don’t want the alternative. None of us do. There’s got to be another way. Please help. I won’t be back in here, but I won’t be run out of the north side of Brownwood.”

The City Council is not allowed to offer feedback or voice any opinions during the citizens comments portion of a meeting.