By Kristin Bednarski
Sun staff
The Union Township Police Department will hold a neighborhood watch presentation April 22 for individuals interested in starting a neighborhood watch program learning safety tips for their neighborhood.
Sergeant Tony Rees with the Union Township Police Department said he has hosted the program for four years to reach out to a larger group of individuals interested in starting a neighborhood watch group.
Rees said neighborhood watch groups can be very beneficial in a community.
“First and foremost it organizes the neighborhoods,” Rees said. “Neighbors get to know each other and it opens a line of communication.”
Rees said neighborhood watch groups also help with a lot of crimes that may go unreported or unnoticed.
He said residents who have a neighborhood watch group know what to look for and how to report suspicious activity.
“They may see something and they may not have realized that is an indicator,” Rees said. “We cover what to look for and what to expect when they call 911.”
Rees said neighborhood watch groups help increase communication between residents and police.
“If we have something that’s going on in the township, I will put that out to my watch group by email,” Rees said. “I am able to get valuable information out to them, and in return they can communicate back to me. It’s really the information exchange that’s valuable.”
Rees said his presentation will cover steps to start and maintain a neighborhood watch group, what to look for in a neighborhood and how to report crime.
He said neighborhood watch groups have been successful in many neighborhoods, but they key is to maintain the group.
“It takes somebody to organize it,” Rees said. “You need someone to take the bull by the horns. Not only do we want to start them, but we want to keep them.”
Rees said the presentation will also cover basic safety tips for the home, including utilizing a vacation checklist and tips to crime-proof the home.
Rees said individuals interested in learning more about neighborhood safety without starting a group are welcome to attend.
The presentation will be held at 7 p.m. April 22 in the Queen City Room at the Union Township Civic Center, 4350 Aicholtz Road.
Rees said the presentation and discussion is expected to last about an hour.
To register for the class email Rees at arees@union-township.oh.us, or leave a message on his voicemail by calling (513) 753-2335 .
For more information about the class call (513) 752-1230.