Residents patrol helps keep neighborhoods safe

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Residents patrol helps keep neighborhoods safe INSIDE CRIME FIGHTING By JESSICA DeLE?N Star-Telegram Staff Writer Summerfields resident Larry Hayes learned a lesson about crime when he left his garage door open.A member of Citizens on Patrol, an area watchdog group, informed him that leaving the door open invites criminals to take items."So they saved me from having things stolen from my garage," he said. "I appreciated that concern."He appreciated it so much that he joined Citizens on Patrol. Other Summerfields and Park Glen residents can learn how to prevent crime in their neighborhoods. Training classes for Citizens on Patrol will be conducted from 6 to 9 p.m. Nov. 13 and 15 at Garden Gate Apartments at 6901 N. Beach St.When they are trained, participants can patrol their neighborhoods. They carry a police radio and, when they see suspicious activity, can contact another volunteer who listens at the base station. The base volunteer then determines which department to contact.Volunteers are also given a list of residents who have consented to be contacted if their garage door is seen open.As Gary Whitwell, citizens patrol coordinator for the north sector of Fort Worth, said, "We're the eyes and the ears of the Police Department. We're nonconfrontational."Volunteers can patrol for as many hours they want, but organizers said they ask them to patrol at least an hour a month.The program is popular. About 6,000 residents have participated in the program through the Fort Worth Police Department, with about 1,200 working the northern sector, Whitwell said. The northern sector stretches from downtown Fort Worth to Denton County and from Lake Worth to U.S. 377.The training class is usually offered on a Saturday, but many residents interested in the course could not make it on a weekend, organizers said. So they offered to split the eight-hour course between two nights, Whitwell said.Hayes, who has been a volunteer for five years, said volunteers may not see much crime, but their visibility deters criminals."It's a good way to give back to your community," he said.Jessica DeLe?n, (817) 685-3932 jdeleon@star-telegram.com Back to Top http://web.star-telegram.com/content/fortworth/2001/11/04/nenews/fw031513-1104-BB002-1.htm