Residents of North Greenwood filled the American Legion Hut on Claiborne Avenue on Saturday in a meeting designed to get a handle on crimes that have occurred in the neighborhood over recent months.
The crimes referenced were, for the most part, property crimes involving thefts of items left in cars, carports and garages. No actual home invasions were mentioned, though drug activity was raised briefly.
Organizers Gary McDonald and Anita Batman told those gathered that they were merely the convenors and hoped neighbors who wanted to organize a Neighborhood Watch would emerge from the meeting.
Batman said that crime prevention was the goal and that the hope was to identify ways to make the neighborhood “not hospitable” to criminals.
Police Chief Ray Moore addressed the crowd, as did Ward 1 City Councilman Johnny Jennings, a North Greenwood resident.
Moore told homeowners and residents that he’d heard about their online Google group several months ago and thought it “a fantastic idea.”
Many of those at the meeting participate in the online forum, discussing crime and other infractions in the neighborhood. The group requires registering by email at greenwoodMS@googlegroups.com.
Moore said what is needed for deterrence is vigilance and neighbors watching out for neighbors. He said if neighbors observe a car moving slowly through the neighborhood, for example, they should write down identifying factors such as color, make and tag numbers and then watch for the vehicle and call police if it reappears or makes regular appearances.
He warned neighbors not to approach any strangers in vehicles but to keep watch and report anything suspicious.
“With y’all’s help, we can deter a lot of this,” Moore said.
Several participants asked questions about code violations such as cars parked on lawns, garbage piled in yards and too many people appearing to live in one residence together.
Batman said, “These are violations of code, but the city can’t respond until someone in the neighborhood calls to report it.”
Participants were told to report code violations to the city’s code enforcement officer, Betty Stigler, at 455-7403 or 299-2224.
Some participants wondered aloud if neighborhood covenants could be put in place to prohibit such violations, but because of the age and nature of the neighborhood, McDonald said the kind of covenants that work in planned communities couldn’t be enforced in North Greenwood.
Moore urged residents to lock their cars, saying that the majority of calls the police have fielded were regarding items stolen from unlocked cars.
He said that if neighbors believe drug dealing is going on in the neighborhood and have witnessed activity they think is drug- related, they should call the police department at 453-3311 and ask for the narcotics officer. He assured the listeners that their names would be kept confidential.
Jennings told neighbors that some items such as a pressure washer had been stolen from his garage in years past but that he had put up Nest Cams — wireless cameras that record activity and put it online — and felt they were good deterrents.
Jennings echoed Moore, urging residents to take basic precautions such as locking their cars, not leaving valuables in cars where they are visible and using security devices if possible.
Door-to-door solicitation was another issue raised, and Moore advised neighbors that local law requires registration of solicitors at City Hall, with the exception of groups such as Girl Scouts selling cookies or church fundraisers.
An audience member suggested that everyone who solicits should register with the city so that homeowners can know whether they are legitimate.
One participant asked about the possibility of the City of Greenwood placing security cameras around the city, citing Oxford and Merigold as towns that have taken that step. Moore said that Greenwood Utilities had cooperated with police several times when investigations used cameras placed on utility poles.
Another resident recommended that neighbors band together to make the area unwelcome to potential criminals by using whistles and air horns to alert neighbors of any potential threat and to scare intruders off.
Moore assured the group that anywhere from two to five patrol cars are assigned to North Greenwood at any time of day on a daily basis — and that number is higher during high crime months, such as December, when extra patrols are hired to do overtime work protecting neighborhoods from thieves.
Also in the audience was City Council President Ronnie Stevenson, who assured the crowd that the city is working with Moore to pay officers better, equip them adequately and do whatever is needed to support the efforts of the police department.
•Contact Kathryn Eastburn at 581-7235 or keastburn@gwcommonwealth.com.
