Sheriff Rekindles Neighborhood Watches

Written by Brian Shane, Staff Writer

Posted October 26, 2011 on the DelmarvaNOW.com

SNOW HILL -- Sheriff Reggie Mason is fulfilling a campaign promise by reviving Worcester County's Neighborhood Crime Watch program.

The sheriff and his deputies, along with Worcester County State's Attorney Beau Oglesby, have met with residents of Stockton, Girdletree, Bishopville and Newark about the initiative. Next, the Sheriff's Office will meet with neighbors in Oyster Harbor, Friendship, Germantown, South Point and Whaleyville, according to Detective Dale Trotter, who heads up the crime watch under the department's Community Policing Division.

Mason said he's "tickled" the program will return under his tenure as sheriff.

"I'm very happy. I always liked this program, and I wanted to get it back," he said. "It's all about neighbor looking after neighbor. Hopefully, we'll get some of these smaller parts of the county covered before the year is out. This is one thing I wanted to get back in the communities."

He hopes Crime Watch can help build stronger relationships between the community and the deputies on patrol.

Trotter said people sometimes are afraid to call police and report unusual activity at a neighbor's home or to report a crime in progress, based on a fear of retaliation or having to go to court. It's a mindset he's trying to turn around.

"We're trying to get people to look out, keep their eyes open for suspicious activity, for anything that's out of the ordinary," he said. "Don't be afraid to call the police -- you can call and be anonymous. Breathe life into your community so you know your neighbor, and you take care of each other."

One of the problems, according to Trotter, is people sometimes believe if nothing is happening in their neighborhood, they don't think they need a Crime Watch.

"However, I think that's when you need a Crime Watch the most," he said. "Generally speaking, if nothing's going on, it's out of your mind. You don't think about it."

The concept of a neighborhood watch emerged in the late 1970s, Mason said. Worcester had an active Neighborhood Crime Watch program that was developed in the early 1990s under Sheriff Chuck Martin. But the deputy sheriff in charge at that time retired, Trotter said, and the department shifted its manpower to other projects.

Pocomoke City, Berlin and Snow Hill already have their own version of a neighborhood watch, Trotter said. The Ocean City police have established eight individual neighborhood watch groups throughout the resort, from Boardwalk business owners downtown to the north Ocean City residents of the Caine Woods development, according to spokesman Pfc. Mike Levy.

Now that Sheriff Mason is pushing to revitalize the department's community policing efforts, there are other duties deputies will take on. Trotter said he'll personally come out to a person's home for a security evaluation, to see if a person's property is unkempt and a target for thieves.

For kids, he also dresses up as the police mascot character Safety Pup.

"That's been like a big joke, between my friends," Trotter said. "They laugh at me when I dress up like a dog. It's a cartoon character that goes out, talks to the kids, talks about safety. It's a big hit, really."

Ultimately, Trotter said the top priority of the Community Policing Division is to get the word out that "the Sheriff's Office is available for your organization, for your meeting," he said. "We'd like to come out and introduce ourselves, let people know that we put our pants on the same way you do, and we really care about the community."

So far, police efforts already have worked to address one nuisance issue in Stockton.

In meeting with residents, law enforcement found there was a residence that had been vacant for more than a year. Neighbors were reporting the lights were on, and they suspected squatters.

An investigation found that while the home was still empty, and in some disrepair, the owners had left the electricity on because the basement would often flood in a rainstorm and they needed to maintain power to the sump pump. The home has since been cleaned up "and it's not an eyesore anymore to the community," Trotter said.

Reggie Hancock, 81, of Stockton attended the first meeting between neighbors and law enforcement. He said there were about eight people at the meeting, and blamed the low turnout on Hurricane Irene, which passed Delmarva that week.

"They showed real interest in helping our community," said Hancock, a retired state trooper and former Worcester County Commissioner. "As time goes on, perhaps interest (from residents) will grow... Overall, I really think the Sheriff's Office is trying to make an effort to help small communities. We're just encouraged they're paying some attention to us and trying to correct some of these problems."

Hancock said his Crime Watch group will meet quarterly, and suspects the next meeting will fall around the holiday season. He remembers how the last version of the neighborhood watch died out.

"This time, there appears to be more determination and concern, so I trust this one will be more successful," he said.

bshane@dmg.gannett.com

410-213-9442, ext. 17

Neighborhood Watch Empowers Residents

Written by Helen Niemiec, Correspondent

Posted October 23, 2011 in the Observer & Eccentric

It was shortly after 4 a.m. when a Redford Township resident peered out his window and saw two people walking down the sidewalk. Then they seemed to disappear.

Knowing that there were vacant houses nearby, he got suspicious and called 9-1-1.

“It was great,” said Police Officer Jennifer Mansfield, the officer in charge of Neighborhood Watch. “Officers were able to catch the criminals inside the house, while they were cutting up copper to steal. These criminals later confessed to a total of six burglaries in the area.”

The three pieces of Neighborhood Watch, Mansfield said, are commitment to the community, familiarity with your neighbors and education.

The police can arrest and the police can investigate, but it is the people who live in a neighborhood who are the best “eyes and ears” for police, since officers can't be everywhere.

The sour economy has produced an increased number of break-ins, thefts and other “crimes of opportunity” throughout the region, including Redford. Another fact of a bad economy is the vacant homes and an influx of new residents because house prices or rent becomes more affordable.

The combination of those economic realities plus neighbors not knowing each other can create a cauldron of more criminal opportunities.

Redford had a strong watch program 15 years ago but with a strong economy at the time, there were fewer incidences of thefts so the interest waned. Redford is combating the crime rate battle by pushing for more blocks to get involved in the Neighborhood Watch program. Neighbors are encouraged to get to know each other, talk about what they notice and then get updates from the police department and also training in such things as “what is a suspicious activity.”

“Some areas have very strong Neighborhood Watch groups,” Mansfield said. “They are doing a great job of making calls.”

The strongest areas include the Jefferson Neighborhood Association, Pickford and Brady. Mansfield's wish list includes strong Neighborhood Watch groups in the Five Points, where the township limits are, areas east of Beech and the very center of the township.

More help needed

Currently there are 115 block captains representing 80 blocks in the township. “It's a good number but I'd love to see 250 block captains and then we'd be covered,” she said.

“These people are taking responsibility for the safety of their neighborhood. It's also a great way to strengthen the neighborhood because everyone gets to know each other,” she explained.

Neighborhood Watch isn't a huge time commitment, with update meetings held only every four to six weeks, but more of a promise to keep one's eyes open and report suspicious activities.

Watch members have access to a special website that Mansfield maintains, with information about crime in the neighborhoods, ongoing investigations and the meeting schedule for the watch groups.

“Membership has its privileges, as they say. I don't want to make it a public website because then the bad guys know who we're looking for or when all of our homeowners are at a meeting and leaving houses unguarded,” Mansfield said.

All residents have access to the Redford Township website, where the police department updates general information and can sign up for Nixle crime alerts that are sent as text messages to phones.

“It has definitely helped,” Mansfield said of the rejuvenation of the watch program.

At the meetings, people ask questions, share information and Mansfield will present a topic about how to help the police. Her most recent presentation was on how to determine what suspicious activity is.

“The people have gotten good with this part. They're calling us more often and more regularly now with good information,” Mansfield said. “As a matter of fact, the other officers are asking me to tell them to call earlier. They are so worried about being wrong that they wait until they're absolutely certain before they call. With an earlier contact, we can check it out and if it's a bad guy, we can arrest them while in the act. If they call too late, we get a description and a license plate number.”

Often those plates have been stolen so it's a dead end for investigations.

“We're all learning so that's the good part,” Mansfield said.

Neighborhood policing

With a large turnover in neighborhoods and the current trend of people spending more hours indoors, many don't see what is going on right outside their houses. People aren't outside or in their yards as much, aren't chatting with neighbors over the fence and don't really know anyone who doesn't live within a house or two of their own home.

Mansfield and Police Chief Eric Gillman said reigniting the old way of life, getting to know the neighbors, is the critical piece in a successful Neighborhood Watch program.

“It breaks down a lot of stereotypes, when you get to know the people on your block,” Mansfield said.

Gillman said that homeowners often have looked upon renters as a transient part of their neighborhood and therefore not desirable. In this economy, he said, renting often is the best a family can do at the time.

“We have tons of regular renters who are vested in the community. They are long-term renters and they are as committed to the community as the person who owns a home,” Gillman said.

Another stereotype that is being dashed is that homeowners who have left Detroit for Redford are not going to become a part of the community.

“You have to realize that people who moved here from Detroit or any community, they came here because they want a better life. These newcomers can be our strongest support of a watch program because they don't want their new neighborhood to become what they left,” Gillman said. “The new people are like the longtime residents who want to keep the neighborhood safe and have a place our kids can walk down the street.”

Mansfield recently put together a Neighborhood Watch picnic, something she plans to do annually. Members from across the township came together for an afternoon of socializing and sharing information and thoughts.

The grassroots efforts are paying dividends, Mansfield said.

“This has been getting people to take responsibility for their neighborhood. You want your officers to catch the crooks and we need to information to get them. It's a good working arrangement,” Mansfield said.

Individuals who want more information or want to start a watch program on their block should send an e-mail to Mansfield at jmansfield2@redfordpd.org.