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2009-11-21

2009-11-18

2009-11-05

Agriculture

Lifestyles

Friday, September 11, 2009 11:44 PM

How can you prevent community crime?

By JENALEA MYERS, Herald Staff Writer

Fighting crime requires help from the community, Wellsville Police Chief Steve Gillespie says.

And that’s why the Wellsville and Ottawa police departments and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office are looking to get the public more involved in programs like Crimestoppers and neighborhood watch programs.

“Without community involvement, it makes our jobs even more difficult,” Gillespie said.

Beginning next week, the departments will have a series of informational meetings throughout the county to educate communities about the history and benefits of the Crimestoppers program and what citizens can do to help fight crime.

Law enforcement officials also are interested in reviving interest in neighborhood watch programs.

“We had active neighborhood watch programs years ago,” Lt. Allen Campbell, with the sheriff’s office, said.

But over the years, participation in the programs dwindled. Now, community involvement in the Crimestoppers program also has decreased, Campbell said.

“Even though a lot of people may be familiar with Crimestoppers, they may not understand the importance or involvement of it,” Gillespie said.

But that’s what the departments hope to change with the informational meetings.

“We’d like to get the participation levels rekindled,” Gillespie said.

The informational meetings will feature door prizes donated from a numerous area businesses, he said.

Meeting times, dates and locations include:

• 7 p.m. Tuesday — Wellsville High School commons area, 602 Walnut St., Wellsville.

• 7 p.m. Sept. 22 — Pomona City Hall and Community Building, 219 W. A St., Pomona.

• 7 p.m. Oct. 1 — Central Heights High School lunch room, 3521 Ellis Road, Richmond.

• 7 p.m. Oct. 6 — Ottawa High School library, 1120 S. Ash St., Ottawa.

For more information about the coming meetings or about the programs, contact Campbell at (785) 229-1200 or Gillespie at (785) 883-2691.

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How can you prevent community crime?

By JENALEA MYERS, Herald Staff Writer

E-mail this story to a friend | Print this article | Enjoy the convenience of home delivery of The Ottawa Herald.

E-mail this story to a friend | Print this article |
Enjoy the convenience of home delivery of The Ottawa Herald.