Fighting Crime: Neighborhood Watch participation on rise

Published 12:00 am Sunday, September 22, 2002

Their numbers are growing.

Most come because they are concerned about the safety of their homes and neighborhoods. Some already have been victims themselves.

Now, they’re fighting back.

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In recent weeks, members of the Selma City Council have been holding a series of Neighborhood Watch meetings in their wards to help residents learn how to help police fight crime.

Councilwomen Bennie Ruth Crenshaw and Nancy Sewell report attendance as high as a hundred or more residents at their meetings.

Selma resident Cissy Hoppe called the Neighborhood Watch meetings &uot;a step in the right direction.&uot;

Selma Police Capt. Joe Harrell, chief of detectives, explained that Neighborhood Watch is a citizen’s involvement program in which citizens work together with local law enforcement to help deter crime.

Police Capt. Michael Perry said that each watch includes a block captain, who acts as a liaison between police and citizens.

He said that programs like Neighborhood Watch represent a move away from more traditional models of law enforcement.

Harrell added that a very important point for citizens to remember is that anything that looks even remotely suspicious should be immediately reported to police.

Bolting doors, adding lights to the area and installing security systems are all steps being taken by local residents to help combat crime.

A number of those attending the Neighborhood Watch programs don’t have to be told how important such steps can be. They’ve already learned the hard way that crime isn’t just something that happens to someone else. It can happen anytime, anyplace.

Joslyn Reddick, who lives on Sixth Avenue, said her house was burglarized four times in one week.

Reddick said that the first three times, the burglars only attempted to break-in. The fourth time, however, it got worse &045;&045; much worse.

Reddick, who was in the house at the time with a friend, along with her child and her friend’s niece, had an experience that still frightens her to this day.

Reddick said it all started when a man knocked on her door.

She said she went to see who was knocking and saw a man dressed in black, standing outside the doorway. After first politely asking who it was and not receiving a response, Reddick said she yelled, &uot;Who is it!&uot;

The man then proceeded to break into the house, breaking a window and then turning the deadbolt on the door and pushing the door open.

Two men then entered the house, carrying guns.

One of the men pushed Reddick’s friend to the ground and then threatened her with a gun.

Reddick ran into her bedroom with a cell phone in hand. She dialed 911.

One of the gunman chased after her. Reddick managed to escape out the front door and ran to her neighbor’s, house.

Police arrived, and the gunmen fled the scene.

The two children, said Reddick, apparently slept through the whole incident.

A similar incident is recounted by Anne Fitts, who lives on Church Street.

Fitts and husband, Alston, were doing dishes in their kitchen when two gunmen suddenly broke into their house. Anne Fitts said one of the gunman knocked her over, injuring her and stealing a wallet and a purse.

Hoppe, who also lives on Sixth Avenue, recounted her own harrowing story of why she decided to get involved in Neighborhood Watch. After hearing several loud noises one night, she peeked outside her front door. Not seeing anything, Hoppe decided to go to bed.

Later that night, Hoppe heard another noise and discovered her purse missing.

For many victims of crime, the fear never really completely disappears.