Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Robin Hood residents form Crime Watch program

Ironically, Robin Hood asked the Sheriff of Nottingham for help in making Sherwood safe from criminals and thieves.

Well, sort of. Actually, residents of the Robin Hood Addition in Prescott had Hope Police Department officer Linda Lee over to discuss getting a Neighborhood Watch program started.

The group met in the Prescott High School auditorium where they were shown two short films about how to make themselves, their homes and their children safer. Most of the information was based on common sense.

Lee encouraged the residents to get together, have meetings and put up signs designating where the Neighborhood Watch program is, and to let intruders know the program is in effect. A lot of people, she said, have an initial meeting, put signs up then do nothing.

She urged those present to call the Prescott Police Department when a stranger is lurking about the neighborhood. Lee reminded them this is part of the PPDs job.

In Texarkana, she said, people have a National Night Out to celebrate their crime watch neighborhoods. Something like this could be done in Prescott, Lee added, with residents having a potluck dinner outside or a block party.

The important thing, she said, is to name block captains and make sure they have the names, addresses and phone numbers of the people in their watch area. A relay should be set up so the captains can call one another if theres a problem, and make sure people in the area are also alerted.

Lee suggested the group have regular meetings, at least once a month, so everyone can get to know their neighbors.

In discussing the signs, Lee said the City of Hope allows crime watch neighborhoods to mount them on existing stop signs. She suggested checking with Prescott officials to see if this could be done locally as well. They need to be mounted high enough so they cant be torn off, and small enough so they wont be blown off by high winds.

Exterior motion lights, she said, make an excellent deterrent to crime. These lights need to be mounted where a person cant simply remove the bulb.

In addition, Lee said when a street light goes out call the city officials and report it. If necessary, she added, keep calling until the light is repaired.

Valuables should be marked and a list kept of them. The list should be kept somewhere safe as well. When it comes to marking the items, Lee said, do not use a social security number. This is an invitation for someone to steal an identity. Instead, use a birth date or drivers license number.

People, she said, shouldnt carry identification tags on their key chains. If lost, such tags let potential robbers know where someone lives and who they are.

You dont have to spend a fortune on home security, Lee said. You can do a lot with a drill and some nails. These items, she added, can be used to secure windows and sliding glass doors. Of course, in the case of sliding doors, extra precautions need to be taken so the door cant be lifted out of the track and the track should be blocked to keep it from being opened.

Morris Irvin, assistant chief with the PPD, said the PPD is working on getting a hotline put in. He urged the group if anyone calls 9-1-1 to be patient and give as much information as possible. Their individual names, he said, can be withheld from being broadcast if requested.

Jennie Woods, one of the organizers of the Neighborhood Watch program, said a block party is being planned for October at the Friar Tuck cul-de-sac. No specific date or time has been set yet.