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Recap of Neighborhood Watch Meeting on February 24th, 2005

Beth Ryan, president of Crestview Neighborhood Association welcomed everyone and discussed the need for us to work together in response to the rash of burglaries in our area. She introduced Crestview’s Senior Lead Officer Rashad Sharif who provided an overview of crime in our area and talked about crime patterns, home security systems, patrolling in Crestview and answered questions from participants.
PSR Dierdre Bonner provided information on the 911 call system and optimal ways to report a crime or suspicious activity. Sgt. Christian Hanson spoke about the bicycle patrol unit he heads, its limitations and patrol activities in our area. Sgt Bruce Berg explained the patrol car system and discussed night patrol in our area. Senior Lead Officer Mario Gonzalez, who covers an area adjacent to ours, introduced himself as the SLO for Crestview when our SLO Rashad Sharif is away, and gave contact information.

The following pages were handed out at the meeting and participants asked questions throughout the evening. We all think it won’t happen to us...that our home or apartment is somehow better situated or better protected than those of our neighbors unfortunate enough to be burglarized. But as many of us in Crestview have come to experience in recent months, standard antitheft devices have not been enough to prevent our homes from being targeted. According to the National Sheriffs’ Association, chances are good that a burglarized home is located in a neighborhood missing today’s most effective prevention tool: an active Neighborhood Watch program.
The NSA notes that nationwide, communities with such programs show dramatic decreases in burglaries and related offenses, and states “neighborhood watch is now the most successful anticrime initiative in the country.” Why? The National Neighborhood Watch Institute reports that statistically there is only one law enforcement officer on patrol at any one time for every 4,500 residents. Police officers can’t be everywhere at once, and residents active in a neighborhood watch program greatly increase the odds that a crime will be observed and reported or prevented.