'Please Contact Office if you see Black Teens or Other Suspicious People' - HUD to Investigate Notice Posted in Houston Apt. Complex

HERE] As federal officials gear up to investigate a notice posted at a southwest Houston apartment complex asking residents to report black youths and "any other suspicious people" there, a community activist said he supports the apartment manager's contention that the complex was not behind the incendiary notice. "When I first read about this story, I was outraged by it and angry as hell," said community activist Quanell X.

The notice, which was posted on a bulletin board in a laundry room at the Rock Springs Apartments, 9000 Town Park, read: "We ask you to please contact the office immediately every time you see teenagers or adolescents of African-American race or any other suspicious people in the property." The notice, which was printed in English and Spanish, has since been removed.

Al Green seeks action

U.S. Rep. Al Green, whose district includes the complex, wrote to the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Justice on Nov. 21, requesting the agencies "take appropriate action." A HUD official Monday said the agency investigates all cases requested by congressional members.

"My position is simple," Green said Monday. "Regardless of the source of the notice, I think it's something that cannot go unnoticed. It is a form of insidious stereotyping and odious profiling. We want people to know that we are watching and the appropriate authorities are watching. We want to prevent something like this from becoming pervasive. Doing nothing is not an option."

Quanell said he supports the federal investigation that hopefully would determine the author of the notice. He said that Singh was candid and forthright in the hourlong sit-down also attended by Reginald Gordon of Operation Outreach.

But after meeting Monday with apartment manager K.K. Singh, he said, "My gut feeling is telling me, I don't believe the leasing office posted the notices. I think this was an attempt by somebody who has an ax to grind at this property attempting to pull black leadership into a fight that absolutely may not involve us."

"The meeting was productive," Quanell said. "She (Singh) did as much as she could to answer our questions, in spite of the (apartment) lawyers telling her not to have the meeting. She went ahead and did it because she needed to and wanted to."