By John Dowd 

Community watch program gains momentum

 

December 17, 2020



As the Thompson Falls Police Department (TFPD) works to better its relationship with the community and to recruit more eyes against crime, the department held its second crime watch meeting with community members. TFPD officer Roy Scott, who is spearheading the program on his time off, presented more information last week at the Thompson Falls Community Center on how residents can better protect themselves from becoming victims of a crime.

The first thing Scott mentioned was recommending the purchase of a home security system; specifically, one that includes cameras and lighting. He listed several during the meeting that are extremely effective and affordable. He and other officers and participants present, talked about several target objects for theft, including chainsaws. According to Scott, for chainsaws, it may be a good idea for residents to contact the local police department and register their equipment with law enforcement. He said that key pieces of information to report would include the make, model, serial number and bar length. He also suggested the owner keep a copy of that information on hand in case of a theft. “If you’ve given us the information already then we’ve already got it. That’s one less step for you and us,” said TFPD Chief Chris Nichols.

The main focus of the meeting was a presentation by a guest speaker from the west end of the county, Craig Nelson, a retired law enforcement officer. He also aids Bonner County, Idaho. Nelson is a neighborhood watch captain and helps local communities and peace officers set up community watch groups and a rapport between one another. According to Nelson, in Bonner County there are over 3,500 residents signed up with a block watch program. He also said that there is a definite impact from these types of programs. Nelson says that since the initiation of these programs in Bonner County, crime has dropped by 18%. He explained that the more calls that come into police, the better police can narrow out hot spots where crimes are occurring. This allows them to make a plan to combat those crimes.

Nelson included several websites that community members may find helpful. The first was Nixle.com, an online agency that gives out alerts for traffic and law enforcement activity as well as weather alerts and more. The second was cityprotect.com, which updates a vast database with live crime reports. This site gives locals an idea of the types of crimes happening in their area, and what things to watch for. It also gives weekly notices of crimes to keep community members on alert when they need to be.

The community watch group is working on getting signs and has a lead into some available funding. They have also decided, at least for the time of COVID-19, to have their meetings every two months, to lessen the strain on anyone wanting to get involved. The group hopes to keep meetings to an hour and will hold presentations and training for participants. These are meant to be informative for anyone interested in keeping their communities safe. The next meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Monday, February 8,. at the Community Center in Thompson Falls.

 

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