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Public Safety

Neighbors Hold Community Meetings Over Arson Concerns

A string of arson fires in a San Diego neighborhood has residents worried.

Over the weekend, a couple dozen University Heights residents gathered for the first in a series of meetings to address their concerns. San Diego Police investigators were also in attendance.

Kate Brinkman attended Saturday's meeting where officers updated neighbors on the cases urged them to be vigilant.

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"It's alarming, it's very alarming someone would be doing something like this," she said.

There have been six arson fires in the neighborhood over the last month, but investigators have not connected the incidents.

The most recent fire happened last week at Alice Birney Elementary. The fire burned the school auditorium where Brinkman's church holds services every Sunday.

Brinkman said Urban Church lost its home in the fire and is now looking for a new place to hold its weekly services.

Investigators say, someone intentionally set fires at two nearby apartment buildings and a second place of worship, the Jehova's Witness Kingdom Hall on Adams Avenue.

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Brinkman said her congregation is very concerned.

"For the safety of their families, their community. I'm not sure we were the target of this arson at Birney but I know it has impacted us."

The next meeting is scheduled for February 2nd. That meeting will likely address complaints of a recent uptick in vandalism in the neighborhood.

KPBS has created a public safety coverage policy to guide decisions on what stories we prioritize, as well as whose narratives we need to include to tell complete stories that best serve our audiences. This policy was shaped through months of training with the Poynter Institute and feedback from the community. You can read the full policy here.