Neighborhood Watch Offered
Clark Twp. Eyes Prevention Plan
By Amy Polk

A recent spike in crime has Cedarville and Hessel area residents wondering what they can do to make the community safer. In a time when tight budgets mean limited police patrols, the Clark Township Board of Trustees has followed up on a resident's suggestion to look into a Neighborhood Watch program, and the Mackinac County Sheriff's Department is offering training to interested volunteers.

Sheriff Scott Strait presented information on the program at the township board's Thursday, October 18 meeting, where he introduced Deputy Ivan Wilde, who recently became qualified to teach the Neighborhood Watch program,

Neighborhood Watch is a community driven program that typically has one coordinator who schedules and leads meetings, Sheriff Strait said.

"The Sheriff's office will provide the training, but the program will be led by the citizens and the coordinator," he added.

Deputy Wilde can give citizens the 18-month training course that will empower them with the knowledge to spot and report suspicious behavior, raise awareness, and forge a stronger partnership between law enforcement and the public. A lack of cooperation and failure to report suspicious behavior are two of the preventable factors leading to criminal activity, Sheriff Strait said.

"I fully support Neighborhood Watch, catching bad guys, and putting people in jail, but it is my philosophy that this will not work without communication," Sheriff Strait said, describing a recent marijuana seizure that he attributed to good communication between the public and the department.

Police report dramatic decreases in crime in communities where Neighborhood Watch is used because citizens trained through the program learn to have heightened awareness of when things are out of place.

"What we would teach them is the tools, such as how to make the right physical and mental notes, and things like, 'What is suspicious activity? What is a suspicious package?'" Sheriff Strait said.

The nationwide trend of spending more time indoors, less time at home, and little time communicating with neighbors makes it easier for criminals to find opportunities to enter homes.

Sheriff Strait said the Neighborhood Wattch program also teaches citizens how to secure their homes and businesses. A 48- point checklist recommends action like lighting entrances, securing upstairs windows as if they are on the ground level, and ensuring each door frame is strong and tight enough to prevent forced entry.

Township board members have said at least one home invasion happened when someone was at home, indicating that criminals are getting bolder. Thieves have even robbed some Clark Township fee deposit boxes, forcing the township to consider heightened security at municipal properties.

Most Neighborhood Watch groups set up citizen patrols, sponsor home security surveys, and sponsor Operation Identification projects. "Operation I.D." is a method of permanently marking property by engraving or marking with indelible marker, which in itself can deter criminals. Identification numbers can be entered into a nationwide computer network. Other activities include scheduling escorts for elderly people and assigning safe locations for children if they are frightened or in trouble. Parents or adults with proper background checks can volunteer their homes as "safe locations" that are identified with stickers to show that children can find refuge there.

Some Neighborhood Watch groups organize a list of house-sitters for when people are away, or organize teen work opportunities to give young people opportunities to raise money for trips and activities.

Neighborhood Watch groups can also establish crime prevention education, compile and analyze crime statistics on the community, and issue neighborhood newsletters.

Sheriff Strait cautioned residents against thinking they will have any authority or police power if they participate in Neighborhood Watch. None of the participants will be allowed to carry weapons, and "there will be no vigilante activity," Sheriff Strait said.

Anyone interested in leading or participating in a Clark Township Neighborhood Watch may call Mr. Wilde's voicemail at 643-1175.