Ready to Take a Bite Out of Crime
By ANNE HOLLIDAY
WESB/WBRR News Director
Bradford residents are sick of crime and mischief-makers, and they’re not going to take it anymore.
That was one of the themes of last night’s “interest meeting” for a Neighborhood Watch program in the city.
Issues from drug dealers and burglaries to barking dogs and loud music were discussed by Bradford City Police Chief Chris Lucco, Officer Dave Feely, Project Pride Manager Lisa Keck and Main Street Manager Anita Dolan.
Keck said as the program progresses and more people get involved “the comfort level for (the people causing trouble) to be out and doing something and getting away with it should diminish.”
She said they will be saying “We don’t want to do this – they’re obviously paying attention.”
“We’re not chasing people down the street with a club and hitting them over the head,” Keck said. “It’s coming together and being aware.”
Dolan added that people don’t know their neighbors like they used to.
This is “a process of becoming more observant and knowing who our neighbors are,” she said. She said this will made it easier to determine whether a person hanging around a vehicle actually belongs there, for example.
Resident Kathy Obermyer, who also works at a business on Main Street, asked if the focus of the program is burglary, drugs or “people behaving badly.”
“If something raises your attention to cause you enough concern to pay attention,” Lucco said, “and more people are paying attention” it should alleviate some of those problems.
He said an active crime would be handled differently than if a person thought drug deals were going on in the neighborhood. He added that he knows residents get frustrated when a report is not acted upon right away. For example, he said, police took calls for months related to the latest drug bust in the city.
“It doesn’t mean we don’t take that information as part of the puzzle, just because we don’t act on it right then,” Lucco said.
Lucco and Feely put out a scenario where three teenage boys are walking up the street and not really doing anything wrong – yet. But you call your neighbor and tell her to look out the window, another neighbor calls another neighbor, porch light after porch light goes on and the would-be miscreants move on.
“If they’re up to something, they’ll tend to leave that area,” Lucco said.
Feely added that if you get a description of them and something happens two blocks away, “We already have a suspect, which is terrific.”
The program will teach people how to call, who to call and when to call, Keck added.
Resident Fran Bottone asked about quality of life issues like ATVs riding up and down the street, barking dogs, loud music, vandalism and graffiti.
Feely said he hopes that while police are busy trying to take care of the bigger crimes, citizens will be able to take care of some of the quality of life crimes.
“I can’t be on South Avenue dealing with a domestic at the same time an ATV is going down Chestnut. Street,” Lucco said. “But you saw it, and if you know the house it went to, and three or four of your neighbors know the house it went to, I’ll cite on information received.”
“But if all I’ve got is ‘I know this is where it’s coming from but I’m not willing to testify because this guy’s going to break my windows out tomorrow,’ I can go and tell them to stop doing it. But after the third, fourth, fifth time, it’s starts to loose its’ oomph,” Lucco said.
“That’s where we’re going to have to rely on your assistance of being willing to step forward and identify the issues we need to successfully prosecute,” Lucco added. He also said he knows some people are afraid to come forward for fear of retaliation. He said he’s not saying it never happens, but that it happens much less than people think it does.
District Judge Dominic Cercone attended the meeting as a private citizen.
“As good citizens, we’re just going to be doing what we’re already doing, just be willing to share the information,” he said. “Maybe we all need to know that there’s more of us around that are enthusiastic and love the town we live in, and we’re all going to work together and we’re going to be open with each other.”
Cercone also mentioned that there’s strength in numbers and people should be more comfortable knowing other people in their neighborhood are on their side.
Bradford City Fire Chief appointee Chris Angell said he hopes to get his department involved in the program, too.
“I have a million ideas in my head and, obviously, coming into a new position I’m going to be very busy,” Angell said. “There may be a place to fit us in there in some way in the future … Not from a law enforcement thing, but a quality of life thing. Please, everybody be patient with that. Give me time. It’s overwhelming, what’s happening right now.”
Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ron Orris commended the meeting organizers and the people who attended.
“The easy thing is to go to city council and complain to the mayor,” he said “but the hard thing is to come here tonight” and get involved.
For more information, you can go to USAonwatch.org. Information will be posted on city websites soon as well. Another Neighborhood Watch meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. February 10 at the Bradford Area Public Library. Anyone interested is encouraged to attend.
Pictured, Bradford City Police Officer Dave Feely addresses a group of concerned citizens, as Anita Dolan and Lisa Keck listen.
WESB/WBRR News Director
Bradford residents are sick of crime and mischief-makers, and they’re not going to take it anymore.
That was one of the themes of last night’s “interest meeting” for a Neighborhood Watch program in the city.
Issues from drug dealers and burglaries to barking dogs and loud music were discussed by Bradford City Police Chief Chris Lucco, Officer Dave Feely, Project Pride Manager Lisa Keck and Main Street Manager Anita Dolan.
Keck said as the program progresses and more people get involved “the comfort level for (the people causing trouble) to be out and doing something and getting away with it should diminish.”She said they will be saying “We don’t want to do this – they’re obviously paying attention.”
“We’re not chasing people down the street with a club and hitting them over the head,” Keck said. “It’s coming together and being aware.”
Dolan added that people don’t know their neighbors like they used to.
This is “a process of becoming more observant and knowing who our neighbors are,” she said. She said this will made it easier to determine whether a person hanging around a vehicle actually belongs there, for example.
Resident Kathy Obermyer, who also works at a business on Main Street, asked if the focus of the program is burglary, drugs or “people behaving badly.”
“If something raises your attention to cause you enough concern to pay attention,” Lucco said, “and more people are paying attention” it should alleviate some of those problems.
He said an active crime would be handled differently than if a person thought drug deals were going on in the neighborhood. He added that he knows residents get frustrated when a report is not acted upon right away. For example, he said, police took calls for months related to the latest drug bust in the city.
“It doesn’t mean we don’t take that information as part of the puzzle, just because we don’t act on it right then,” Lucco said.
Lucco and Feely put out a scenario where three teenage boys are walking up the street and not really doing anything wrong – yet. But you call your neighbor and tell her to look out the window, another neighbor calls another neighbor, porch light after porch light goes on and the would-be miscreants move on.
“If they’re up to something, they’ll tend to leave that area,” Lucco said.
Feely added that if you get a description of them and something happens two blocks away, “We already have a suspect, which is terrific.”
The program will teach people how to call, who to call and when to call, Keck added.
Resident Fran Bottone asked about quality of life issues like ATVs riding up and down the street, barking dogs, loud music, vandalism and graffiti.
Feely said he hopes that while police are busy trying to take care of the bigger crimes, citizens will be able to take care of some of the quality of life crimes.
“I can’t be on South Avenue dealing with a domestic at the same time an ATV is going down Chestnut. Street,” Lucco said. “But you saw it, and if you know the house it went to, and three or four of your neighbors know the house it went to, I’ll cite on information received.”
“But if all I’ve got is ‘I know this is where it’s coming from but I’m not willing to testify because this guy’s going to break my windows out tomorrow,’ I can go and tell them to stop doing it. But after the third, fourth, fifth time, it’s starts to loose its’ oomph,” Lucco said.
“That’s where we’re going to have to rely on your assistance of being willing to step forward and identify the issues we need to successfully prosecute,” Lucco added. He also said he knows some people are afraid to come forward for fear of retaliation. He said he’s not saying it never happens, but that it happens much less than people think it does.
District Judge Dominic Cercone attended the meeting as a private citizen.
“As good citizens, we’re just going to be doing what we’re already doing, just be willing to share the information,” he said. “Maybe we all need to know that there’s more of us around that are enthusiastic and love the town we live in, and we’re all going to work together and we’re going to be open with each other.”
Cercone also mentioned that there’s strength in numbers and people should be more comfortable knowing other people in their neighborhood are on their side.
Bradford City Fire Chief appointee Chris Angell said he hopes to get his department involved in the program, too.
“I have a million ideas in my head and, obviously, coming into a new position I’m going to be very busy,” Angell said. “There may be a place to fit us in there in some way in the future … Not from a law enforcement thing, but a quality of life thing. Please, everybody be patient with that. Give me time. It’s overwhelming, what’s happening right now.”
Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Ron Orris commended the meeting organizers and the people who attended.
“The easy thing is to go to city council and complain to the mayor,” he said “but the hard thing is to come here tonight” and get involved.
For more information, you can go to USAonwatch.org. Information will be posted on city websites soon as well. Another Neighborhood Watch meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. February 10 at the Bradford Area Public Library. Anyone interested is encouraged to attend.
Pictured, Bradford City Police Officer Dave Feely addresses a group of concerned citizens, as Anita Dolan and Lisa Keck listen.
.jpg)
Comments