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Neighbors can work together to fight crime Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Neldon H. Ward and Lois N. Harrison patrol their street as part of their Neighborhood Watch program in the Eagle Trace area of Medford. Police say Neighborhood Watch can make a big difference in crime rates. Small amount of effort adds up to good outcome By Jill Briskey A little friendly snooping can go a long way in fighting crime, says the leader of a local Neighborhood Watch. "It�s better to have friendly snoopers than nosy snoopers," reasoned Charles Raper, a quadrant leader for his west Medford Neighborhood Watch program. "You�re going to have some kind of snooper, so why not have friendly ones?" Raper�s is one of 191 Medford Neighborhood Watch groups varying in size from 240 families to five residents. Although the scope of watch groups vary throughout Jackson County, law enforcement officers and participants all agree: The more dedicated the group, the lower the crime rate in a community, they say. Starting a watch Starting a neighborhood watch is a simple and inexpensive process, says Medford Community Service Officer Howard Pendleton. All that�s needed is for one or two residents to take the first step. Begin by visiting nearby homes and talking to neighbors about crime and disturbances in the area. Invite community members to participate. Contact a local law enforcement agency and organize the first meeting. An officer will attend to answer questions and give advice. Elect block captains and co-captains. These members will prepare a watch map, which lists participants� names, addresses, phone numbers and other important information. Certain police departments have requirements that must be met before status is granted. Once a neighborhood watch group meets these requirements, watch signs and window stickers can be displayed. Neither the sheriff�s department nor Medford police charge for the signs or stickers. Block captains and participants are then urged to plan meetings, contact new neighbors, organize auto patrols in rural areas, produce a newsletter, invite the crime prevention officer to attend meetings and address special issues and report any suspicious information. "It�s a matter of being united and having a nice place to live," said Raper. "A little amount of effort has a large, favorable outcome." The results of Neighborhood Watch programs have been overwhelmingly positive, said Medford Community Service Officer Howard Pendleton. Home burglaries are down almost 50 percent since 1994 in areas with watch programs. "Every part of Medford could use one," Pendleton said. "If you have enough of them, then the numbers (of crimes) are going to go down." In Raper�s case, a Neighborhood Watch isn�t just about eliminating drug homes � although he believes his group was able to cut down on drug use in the community, he said. It isn�t about strangers lurking in the shadows, although several arrests have been made of suspicious people roaming his neighborhood�s streets, Raper added. A watch program is also about quieting noisy neighbors and barking dogs, dealing with speeding motorists and tackling civil issues. The success of a program depends on the willingness of a community to actively participate and communicate. Just posting signs, Pendleton said, won�t do the trick. "The more that neighbors buy into the program, that take back their streets and own them, the more it works," Pendleton said. Lois N. Harrison, 70, produces a monthly newsletter for her Neighborhood Watch group in the Eagle Trace area of east Medford. Her group formed three years ago when a young girl was approached in an improper manner by a stranger in a van. Although the first thought was to provide a "safe" home for children coming to and from school, the neighborhood quickly realized that a watch program would solve a host of the community�s concerns. "When we started, we didn�t know what a Neighborhood Watch was," she said. "It was like Topsy, it just sort of grew." Not only do watch programs cut back on crime, they create a bond between neighbors, Harrison added. From neighborhood block parties to community garage sales, more than 218 participants work together to make the Eagle Trace watch program a success, she said. A Neighborhood Watch group also helps a community relate to law enforcement, said Lt. Dewey Patton, of the Jackson County Sheriff�s Department. Participants are taught how to relay information to law enforcement and how to look for details which will help police in their investigations. "Oftentimes, our contact with the community is seen as negative," he said. "With the Neighborhood Watch program, communication is much better." All it takes to start the ball rolling, Pendleton said, is to call a local law enforcement agency. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.