By Jason Scheer
One group of Baldwin neighbors have decided to take safety into their own hands and on March 1, members of 17 households along Harvard Avenue, between Chestnut and Walnut Streets, gathered for the first meeting of the Harvard Avenue Neighborhood Watch.
Denise Levy was one of the coordinators of the meeting. She feels that, while Baldwin is a safe community, a Neighborhood Watch program is an added measure.
"I feel safe here," she said. "But I feel safer knowing we will all be watching out for each other now."
The program's purpose is to get residents to work with one another to address quality-of-life issues like vandalism and the activities of suspicious individuals, and to correct these problems while preventing crimes in their neighborhoods.
For residents to start a program and have a sign posted announcing they are a Neighborhood Watch street, 50 percent of residents on the block must actively participate. The program also requires two main components: an organizer and a block captain.
The organizer is primarily responsible for keeping in touch with the local Problem-Oriented-Policing unit, providing its officers with relevant police-related information about the neighborhood. The block captain is in charge of all other members and for relaying information on suspicious activities to the organizer. Some blocks use more than one captain, so one can substitute when the other is away.
If any member or the block captain witnesses any suspicious or criminal activities, they call 911 and provide as much information to the police as possible.
Police officer Lisa Charles, a member of the county's Community Affairs Department, was on hand to provide information about the program.
Charles said that the most important thing is to be aware of what's going on around you.
"The number one thing in order to be part of [the Neighborhood Watch] is to be observant," she said.
In order to demonstrate the importance of being aware, Charles had a participant enter the room, walk behind her, rifle through her bag, grab a bottle of water and leave. Charles continued to talk, and let a few minutes lapse before taking action.
Charles then asked the audience if they noticed anything strange. No one said anything. After she pointed out that someone had taken something from her bag, she asked the other participants in the room to describe the gentleman as she talked about the Neighborhood Watch program. The officer was testing the residents on their observational skills, which were lacking.
"Notice everything," she cautioned.
Charles said that a change in attitude is crucial to a successful Neighborhood Watch program.
"We've become very complacent and we've become very relaxed," she said. "I'd like us to get used to these exercises [taking in surroundings and working with police] before a burglary or a robbery occurs."
Charles also provided tips to those in the neighborhood. First, get to know your neighbors to promote communication. Second, keep your property well lit at all times.
"A big lure is a dark house, because no one can see them as they're working," she said of burglars.
In addition, she said that people are, for whatever reason, uncomfortable with calling 911, a resource that should be taken advantage of.
"If you see a guy sitting in his car talking on his cell for two hours, what do you do?," she asked the attendees.
"You call us!" she answered, sharply.
Town of Hempstead Councilman Anthony Santino attended the meeting. He said neighborhood watch groups are a valuable asset to communities like Baldwin.
"We have a situation where police staffing levels have been allowed to go to historic lows," he said. "...Absent that commitment, it is important that local neighbors establish these programs so they can act as the eyes and the ears of the police."
Joseph Saborido, who moved to Harvard Avenue a little more than a year ago, was encouraged by the meeting.
"I think it's good for everyone to meet their neighbors and to understand whatever is necessary to make the community safer," he said.
For more information about the Neighborhood Watch program, visit the national Web site at www.citizencorps.gov/programs/watch.shtm, or call officer Charles at (516) 573-7360.
Comments about this story? JScheer@ liherald.com or call (516) 569-4000 ext. 282.
