After one local community recently revived its Neighborhood Watch program, Marshall County Sheriff Eddie McGuire said he hopes to see others in the county follow suit.
After being contacted by a resident in the community of Elva, the sheriff’s office met with residents there to revive The Elva Watch Dogs. McGuire said about 40 residents of the small community met with his staff to get assistance in setting up the program.
McGuire said the program not only provides another level of security for residents of a community, but is also helpful to law enforcement officials in a number of ways.
“Having a specified point of contact is very beneficial. As the sheriff, if I can make one phone call or make a Facebook post in a Neighborhood Watch group to alert a community of some type of crime events that are occurring. It saves a great deal of time and helps to alert community members much faster to keep others from becoming victims of crimes.” said McGuire. “On the other hand, it helps organize data and complaints that come in from community members. Watch members can report suspicious activity to the watch leader and then the leader can organize information to help law enforcement focus our patrols on specific problem areas. Simply put, when the criminal element finds out a community has become a harder target area to victimize, they will move on to more vulnerable areas.”
McGuire said he is particularly interested in seeing the neighborhoods of Hardin, Old Gilbertsville, Possum Trot and Aurora form Neighborhood Watch programs, but said his office would work with any community within the county who have enough interest.
“We will set up one or two persons as a point of contact for the Sheriff’s office relating to Neighborhood Watch for their community. The sheriff, or a representative, will request a public meeting to gauge interest from community members.” he said. A local church is a common meeting place. We will request they set up a Facebook group and establish a call list so the coordinators can communicate pertinent information in a timely manner.”
McGuire said Neighborhood Watch Programs are not only an effective tool in identifying and dealing with criminal activity, but also a great way to increase a sense of community.
“Neighborhood Watch is a great tool for creating an increased sense of closeness in your community. We have several citizens that live alone. Knowing other people are watching out for our single parents, widows, and widowers brings a sense of peace to community members. Also, being able to communicate in a group setting or in Facebook groups will help inform the community members of any troubles happening in the area.” he said.
McGuire said Neighborhood Watch also opens a dialogue between members of his staff and residents of the county.
“It is imperative that we continue to improve the relationship and communication between law enforcement and the community. The police cannot be everywhere at once. We must partner with our community members.” he said.
Anyone interested in learning more about setting up a program in their community should contact McGuire at 270-527-3112.