Taylor Smith of Cedarville attaches a Neighborhood Watch sign to a post on the eastbound lane side of M-134 in Cedarville, near Les Cheneaux Community Schools. A senior at Cedarville High School, he is placing Neighborhood Watch signs around the community to earn Eagle Scout rank. His father, Roy, helped him Saturday, June 14, when he placed a few of the signs, and other Boy Scouts will assist him later this month. Clark Township Neighborhood Watch members swapped stories at their June 10 meeting about recent car thefts and petty crime, and their continued efforts to stop criminal activity. They talked about the importance of curbing crime in a community that is dependent on tourism, and explained their concerns that crime might drive tourists and families away.

The township's crime rate isn't any different from other similar communities, police say, but the Neighborhood Watch organizers here say it is too much for them.

The consensus from the meeting is that more volunteers are needed to keep an eye out for trouble and suspicious activity, and the group is seeking block captains to coordinate reports and watch designated areas. Being a block captain does not take a lot of work, members said, and involves activities as simple as being more aware of unusual sights and sounds, and keeping neighbors apprised of criminal activity in the area. Neighborhood Watch logs are sheets of paper on which the date and time of unusual, suspicious, or illegal activity, and the type of activity, can be recorded.

Neighborhood Watch members are also working on increasing awareness of the organization in the community. The organization recently received Neighborhood Watch signs to post around town to make potential criminals aware that people are watching out for suspicious activity, and that activity will be reported. Haske Cedar Post of Cedarville donated posts for the signs.

Eagle Scout candidate Taylor Smith of Cedarville is putting 15 of the signs up around Cedarville and Hessel, and has already placed several along M-134. The rest will be placed with the help of other Boy Scouts later this month. Anyone who wants a sign in their neighborhood can purchase one for $30.

Mackinac County Sheriff Scott Strait, who has been working with the fledgling group, the first Neighborhood Watch in the county, advocates reporting suspicious and criminal activity as soon as it happens.

"It's nearly impossible to investigate a crime three weeks later," Sheriff Strait said. "When you see something or hear of something that happened, you need to report it right away by calling 9-1-1."

Addressing some of the frustration expressed by citizens that crime isn't stopping fast enough, Sheriff Strait said incidents, like some of the gasoline thefts from boats in Clark Township, have not even been reported to law enforcement because victims or witnesses either shrug off the incident because they feel sorry for the suspect or plan to resolve the matter on their own, without the help of police.

"What happens when people take matters into their own hands is that there's no way we can handle the situation or prosecute the criminals," Sheriff Strait said. "You're also depriving the victim of that crime of some sort of justice. Vigilante justice, or threatening to harm people who may or may not be involved in criminal activity, is a crime in itself."

He said Clark Township is no more or less susceptible to crime than other community, and considering its population, has seen about as many criminal acts as the other Mackinac County municipalities. From January through May, Clark Township has had two break-ins, three larcenies, and three frauds reported to and investigated by the Mackinac County Sheriff's office.

By comparison, St. Ignace Township has had three breakins, three larcenies, and one fraud reported. Moran Township had four larcenies and five fraud reports. Portage Township had three break-ins and one fraud. The statistics don't include crimes investigated by other police agencies.

Mr. Strait noted that larcenies and break-ins have slowed in the Clark Township area, following the jailing of suspects, however, he added, "these suspects will not be in jail forever."

He advises citizens to continue proactive measures and report incidents as soon as they happen, and provide any information they have to police, even if they feel like they are "tattling."

"Anonymous tips are helpful, and may further the investigation," he said, "but we really need witnesses who are willing to step forward even more, as well as better evidence."

The Neighborhood Watch group has informational materials available that give tips and information about how to protect one's home, especially when leaving for an extended period of time. Criminals are usually discouraged by homes that are harder to break into, and will seek targets that are easier to enter and exit quickly, like homes without locked doors or windows.

The group also reminds residents to lock vehicles, in the wake of a recent car and boat theft in Clark Township. State Police are investigating the theft of five cars and a boat that took place in the early morning hours of Saturday, June 7. The vehicles were taken from where they were parked and driven to other places in the community and left there, reported State Police Detective Robin Sexton. The boat was taken from one location to another dock. One vehicle was seriously damaged, while the rest were found without damage and returned to their owners. Police responded to the first call about a missing vehicle at 3 a.m., June 7. No suspects have been detained, and the incident remains under investigation.

Detective Sexton advises people against leaving keys in vehicles. All the vehicles and the boat that were stolen June 7 had keys left inside, Detective Sexton said. Regarding the number of criminal incidents in Clark Township, Detective Sexton said "they are no worse than anywhere else" in Mackinac County. He estimates that between January 1 and June 1 of this year, State Police investigated five reported assaults, three breaking and entering complaints, and one incident of larceny.

By comparison, Detective Sexton estimated Moran Township had six assault incidents, six breaking and enterings, 15 larcenies, and one stolen vehicle incident investigated by state police in that same period of time.

Tip sheets about home security, what not to say on the telephone for security reasons, and confronting home intruders are also available from Neighborhood Watch members. Call Loren Dingman in Cedarville at 484-2293 for more information, or to help watch for suspicious and criminal activity in the community.

The next Clark Township Neighborhood Watch meeting is Tuesday, July 8, from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Clark Township Hall on Blind Line Road in Cedarville.