The term “quality of life” can mean many things. It can range from the graffiti on your apartment building, to the dog poop on your sidewalk and even the blatant drug deal in front of your children. These are the negative things that bring down property values and affect the quality of your life.

In 2009, local residents in Community Board 7, from Bronx Community College to Woodlawn Cemetery, expressed deep concerns about quality of life issues in their neighborhoods.

At local community board and precinct council meetings, the top complaints were overwhelmingly related to quality of life issues.

In June, at a Community Board 7 meeting at the Botanical Garden, everyone who spoke brought up another quality of life issue. One resident even spoke of being embarrassed to come home, things had gotten so bad.

According to city statistics based on 311 calls, quality of life complaints in Community Board 7 — which is contiguous with the 52nd Police Precinct and the Norwood News coverage area — have remained steady for the past three years.

But, in addition to concerns aired by residents at meetings, noise complaints have spiked over the past three years and the number of complaints to the community board office has increased dramatically this year, according to District Manager Fernando Tirado.

Tirado said many of the problems seem to be cropping up in and around local parks. Graffiti and littering problems led police to set up video cameras around Williamsbridge Oval Park. Prostitution is rampant on the periphery of St. James Park. Police and park officials have battled gambling problems in Devoe Park all year.

Meanwhile, traditional crime hot spots are boiling over. The area around Our Lady of Refuge Church on 196th Street and Briggs Avenue is rife with blatant drug dealing and illegal late-night parties — a perennial problem. In this paper, a debate has raged on the letters page about whether and why Norwood is headed downhill.

Compounding these issues is a significant drop in the number of police officers on patrol. The Five-Two has lost 90 cops – from a high of about 340 to the current level of about 250 — since the fall of 2008.

There is good news. Violent crime is on pace to drop again this year, with murders being almost cut in half, from 11 last year to six this year. But quality of life is suffering.

As James Alles, the recently-retired former commanding officer of the 52nd Precinct said in an interview this fall, “Not to make a slight on noise complaints, but violent crime always comes first.”