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Overflow crowd shows up for Neighborhood Watch meeting
By Bob Robinson

GREENVILLE – Wayman’s Corner Bed and Breakfast on Central Avenue was “overflowing” with area citizens concerned about crime in their neighborhoods. More than 30 people crowded into two small sitting areas on July 22, with the latecomers standing in the hallway.

They were there with one idea in mind: form a Neighborhood Watch group.

Many citizens had their own stories to tell… garages broken into, drug deals, crack houses. All were mentioned as being a source of concern in the neighborhood.

“I love to walk,” said one. “I don’t feel comfortable going for a walk now. I don’t like feeling that way.” There was general agreement.

Greenville Police Lt. Steve Strick made the presentation for the city, while Safety Service Director Curt Garrison, Mayor Mike Bowers and Greenville Councilman Roy Harrison offered comments and backup.

Lisa Overbay, the resident who organized the introductory meeting, was surprised at the turnout. She had figured on about 20 people.

“You probably have two or three Neighborhood Watch groups here,” Strick said. Ideally, a Neighborhood Watch is going to be eight to ten households – four or five on each side of the street.

Donna Gasper, founder of the first (and currently only) Neighborhood Watch in Greenville, listed off the basics of a Neighborhood Watch. Set up a CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch) list. If you see something or someone suspicious, call the police first. Identify to the dispatcher this is a CAD or Neighborhood Watch call, providing address, house number, phone number and cell number. Then call the next person on your list. That person will then call the next one, and on down. If someone sees the suspicious person or activity they are to call the police before calling the next person.

“Signage is Number 1,” Gasper said. “The signs are going to cost money. $25 each. Get them as soon as possible.”

Strick talked about type of neighborhood, noting that nice neighborhoods have less crime. He told the group about a test that was conducted in Kansas City.

“They left a car in a nice neighborhood for a couple of weeks. No problems. Then they broke a window. Within days the car was trashed and stripped.”

Strick told the group the best way to fight this is to keep good lighting, properties in good shape, lawns mowed and so on.

“You can see it,” he said. “Take care of your yards, crime will be low. You can actually drive around and see where crime is going to be more evident.”

Strick emphasized that a suspicious person is not necessarily going to be stopped or arrested. If they’ve done nothing wrong, there is nothing that can be done.

“I can say, ‘Good evening, sir. Can I talk to you for a few minutes?’ He can say ‘nope!’ I’ll then say, ‘Sir, have a nice night’ and leave.”

Many of the complaints had to do with zoning, which fell under the purview of Garrison.

“There’s a process we have to follow. It takes time,” Garrison said.

“We can drive an area,” Strick noted, adding that he and Garrison had driven through neighborhoods together watching for things. “This could be a fire hazard, that grass needs to be mowed… we can ‘pick’ them to death.”

Strick passed out a breakout of the 2012 crimes that had been committed in the three “grids” represented in the meeting. There were 16 burglaries, 43 thefts, 12 instances of vandalism, one sex offense and three stolen vehicles.

Bowers told the group the important piece is folks stepping forward to keep a watch over their own neighborhoods.

“You are an integral part of how we protect the community, the eyes and ears on the street for our police officers.”

Strick said there is currently only one Neighborhood Watch. It has been in effect for five or six years. Others have started but ended up dissolving. Trying again is so much harder, he added.

“Are you interested?” The answer was yes.

This was a kick-off meeting. Bowers said another meeting should be set up in a room large enough to hold everyone. He offered various meeting areas in City Hall. There would be a general discussion then small groups based upon location would move to different areas for more specifics.

Garrison requested anyone interested in forming a Neighborhood Watch in their community to contact him at 548-1819.

Published courtesy of the Early Bird