By Jeff Lipton
"I'm hoping to get a good turnout," said Island Park Mayor Jim Ruzicka. "Forty people would be nice." The meeting is scheduled for Nov. 13 at 7 p.m. at the Island Park Library, according to Ruzicka.
"It's something I would love to see," the mayor said of expanding the Neighborhood Watch. "It's something that will benefit the community. It will not only help with crime prevention, but it will also bring the community together. It's nice to bring neighbors together who never met before. A Neighborhood Watch promotes that kind of community."
Island Park has been considering expanding the program to the north end of the village since a 34-year-old woman was viciously beaten in her home on Ostend Road on Aug. 11, in a case that continues to puzzle investigators.
At next month's meeting, block captains will be chosen to organize their streets in the crime prevention program, which has worked well in the south end of the village, on Radcliffe and Suffolk roads. That Neighborhood Watch was organized about two years ago and is still going strong.
Participants in the program keep an eye on their neighbors' homes, especially if they are away on vacation.
For now, the mayor said, he has spoken with police officials at the 4th Precinct to discuss increasing police visibility in the community. He said that precinct officials agreed to have officers fill out their reports in a highly visible area, such as outside Village Hall, to deter crime. "It's better that they do their reports there than on a dead-end street," said Ruzicka. "They have volunteered to do that. Their presence is always a crime prevention tool."
Ruzicka said he also spoke with several members of the business district who feel that crime has been on the decline over the past three years. "We try to keep our cars in visible locations," said 4th Precinct Deputy Inspector Kenneth Hettler. "People see us and see that we're around."
Police officers are encouraged to park their patrol cars and "walk and talk" in the business area, Hettler explained, adding that when there are crimes such as the Aug. 11 incident, anti-crime officers and Bureau of Special Operations officers are assigned to supplement the precinct's regular patrols.
Hettler applauded the community's willingness to expand the Neighborhood Watch program. "It's good neighbors looking out for good neighbors," he said.
Comments about this story? JLipton@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 213.
