Recently members of the Citizens Alliance for Action (CAFA) and some local Neighborhood Watch presidents gathered together to discuss a problem; suspicious activity in their neighborhoods, and the lack of a way to do anything about it. Their proposed solution; working in numbers, and establishing a good relationship with police.

The problems of those present varied greatly: One couple's biggest complaint was loud music coming from a nearby home, and their feeling that the noise ordinance was not properly enforced. Another gentleman complained that there was a house near his at which 30 or 40 cars would stop briefly each day, a sign of drug dealing. He said that when he called police he was asked to wait for them in his driveway, but when he did so, he was threatened by men outside the suspicious home, so he went back inside. It took 45 minutes for a police officer to arrive, he said, and nothing was done about the situation.

Though the people at the meeting had different problems, they all wanted the same things; someone to whom they can report non-emergency suspicious activity and feel confident that their problem will be brought to the attention of police, the feeling that they are safe in their own neighborhoods, and the feeling that people they can trust are looking out for them.

That is the purpose of Neighborhood Watch. A group of neighbors hold periodic meetings to discuss any suspicious activity they've observed and discuss ways to make their neighborhood a safer place. Ideally, a police officer is present at the meetings to hear reports and offer safety tips, and the Neighborhood Watch group's president has a close relationship with police, making it easier for him to bring problems to the attention of law enforcement.

The motto of Neighborhood Watch is "we look out for each other," and its goal is to provide neighbors with a way to help one another not only with suspicious activity, but also with everything from installing a lock on a door to removing fire hazards from homes. Neighborhood Watches can work together to do things like picking-up litter, creating a disaster preparedness plan, or organizing a trust-worthy baby-sitting program.

The speaker at the CAFA-Neighborhood Watch meeting held Tuesday was Lt. Wade Johnson, Neighborhood Watch Co-ordinator for the Meridian Police Department.

Johnson stressed to the group that Neighborhood Watch is not a method for civilians to take the law into their own hands, nor is it a replacement for calling 911, "Don't be a vigilante. Be trained, know what to look for, call us, and let us be your muscle," he said. "Use common sense (when deciding who to call). Call your Neighborhood Watch president about loud music or suspicious activity. Call 911 in an emergency. If you see someone breaking in to a house, call the police."

The lieutenant stressed the impact that Neighborhood Watch can have on the community, saying that the Meridian Police Department recently apprehended two local burglars using information from a local Neighborhood Watch group. But, he said, often the most effective Neighborhood Watch groups are those in less problematic neighborhoods. These neighborhoods, he said, are likely to have smaller problems that are easier to deal with.

"Police base our concentration areas on intelligence reports," said Johnson, so areas with high crime usually have a high concentration of police already. Quieter areas that do not have a strong police presence are more likely to benefit from Neighborhood Watch programs, he said.

Many participants in the meeting asked Johnson why they couldn't get officers to attend their Neighborhood Watch meetings more often, with one man saying, "Having officers at meetings makes people feels like the cops care."

"We're still in our growing pains part of trying to get this ironed out," Johnson said. "We send an on-duty officer to Neighborhood Watch meetings if it's possible, but doing it can be problematic."

For now, Johnson said, an officer will be present at a new group's first few meetings. After that, "the goal is to have an officer in contact with (Neighborhood Watch groups)."

"I love Neighborhood Watch," said Johnson. "I really believe in it ... You'd be surprised what remarkable things five or six people can do if you're in a concentrated area."

People interested in creating a Neighborhood Watch group can learn how to do so by visiting the National Neighborhood Watch Institute online at www.nnwi.org, or by calling 888-NNWI-USA.

WATCH OUT

Here are some tips on creating a successful Neighborhood Watch group:

• Don't form a group that is too large. Try to keep it in an area of less than 10 blocks, with a group that is small enough for members to get to know each other well.

• Meet frequently and share all your concerns with your Neighborhood Watch group.

• Start recruiting members four weeks before your first meeting, and always give two weeks notice of subsequent meetings.

• Be organized — have materials such as hand-outs and name tags ready in advance of the meeting, and devise a way to make sure everyone gets a chance to speak.

• Keep meetings interesting. Plan activities and new topics of discussion each week.

• Make sure your group has a designated person to act as a liaison between your neighborhood and local law enforcement.