In the midst of all that new residential building and remodeling and the addition of The Gateway and new restaurants and retail outlets on 200 South and 300 South, there remain elements of the old west side. The railroad yards and abandoned buildings are mostly gone, but the drug traffic and homelessness linger, especially in and around Pioneer Park. And the new people are fed up.

We don't blame them. They came to revitalize a neighborhood and they're doing their part. They want to take pride in their homes and community, feel safe to walk this very walkable neighborhood and raise their children here.

But dope sellers seem determined to keep the park and its surrounding streets for themselves. They hide among the homeless, who, for the most part, are harmless.

It is surely disconcerting to be accosted by drug dealers and to read and hear stories of assaults like the stabbing and resultant shooting by police Oct. 10 in Pioneer Park. For locals, it was right in their own back yard.

We sympathize, but we also urge the new west-siders not to give up. Salt Lake City Police Chief Chris Burbank wants the downtown residents to aggressively fight back - by forming a Neighborhood Watch, reporting suspicious activity and continuing to stroll the streets and walk their dogs in the park.

We agree with Burbank that the residents are the key to changing the culture. Without becoming vigilantes, the new people on the block must stake out their turf, with their eyes and ears, not guns. But they can't do it alone. Burbank must make good on his promise of heavier police patrols on the streets and in the park, even though the downtown police presence has already doubled.

Residents want around-the-clock patrol, more undercover cops and strict enforcement of curfew in the park. Burbank should provide as much of those things as the city can afford, especially at night. There is talk of placing surveillance cameras in the park, and that's worth a try.

Pioneer Park has been a crime hub for decades. It's time to take it back.