Graffiti in alley ways of the Manhattan Heights community make one neighbor KFOX 14 talked to feel unsafe.

"(The problem) it's more during the day. Because you don't know what you'll run into when you come out that door. You're not safe anywhere, but it's become worse," one neighbor who requested to stay anonymous told KFOX 14.

She said she doesn't want retaliation for speaking to the media about what she says is a problem that's getting worse since the dropout recovery program began last year.

"The graffiti has gone up. The passing of the cars driving through has gone up," she said.

She also said the students stand around on the corner, smoking cigarettes.

A spokeswoman from El Paso Independent School District denies the problems.

Reneé de Santos declined an on-camera interview with KFOX 14 and gave us this statement: "We have spoken to the El Paso Police Department regarding your viewer's concern and their preliminary research does not indicate that graffiti in the area can be attributed to a specific group; however, we will work continue to monitor the situation closely with the EPISD Police and El Paso Police Department."

De Santos also said that neighbors should speak to the administration if they have concerns about the school -- something the neighbor KFOX 14 talked to says hasn't made  difference in the past.

"We did that last year before it opened. They said that things were not going to get out of hand. And it seems that it has," she said.