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Residents meet to protect property, build friendshipsBy Carolyn Cole Dozens of Mustang-area neighbors held flashlight walks and block parties as part of National Night Out Tuesday to show they won’t tolerate crime. Mustang police officers drove patrol cars escorting Chisholm Trails residents as they walked their neighborhood in the dark. Chisholm Trails has the most active neighborhood watch group in Mustang, and member Karen Battles said more than 400 people are involved. Each block in the Chisholm Trail, Hunter’s Glen and Hunter’s Crossing neighborhoods has about 10 volunteers and a block captain, she said. “We want to make everyone safer,” she said. “We can make a difference in our neighborhood by knowing who our neighbors are and watching out for each other and caring for each other.” Police Lt. Dennis Craig said law enforcement officers depend on residents to be their eyes and ears in the community and to report any suspicious activity or incident they witness. Events like the National Night Out allow communities to build partnerships to decrease crime, he said. “We can show mutual support and foster a degree of understanding between us and open lines of communication because the more we are able to communicate with the neighborhood associations and the more they are willing to communicate with us, we can have a better chance to curb crime in the area,” he said. Other neighborhoods held block parties. West Watch residents munched on popcorn and snow cones during their party at Canadian Hills Nazarene Church. Children played games and neighbors talked with Oklahoma City police officers and firefighters. The West Watch neighborhood includes about 1,000 homes between Mustang and Czech Hall roads south of Reno Avenue. While association members have worked for crime prevention, president Leonard Roberts said they have also lobbied their city leaders successfully for street paving projects, to close off certain roads to decrease traffic and to change a proposed development project south of their neighborhood from a multi-family plan to single-family housing. While only about 100 residents are involved in the association, member Bob Hare said volunteers have benefited by meeting their neighbors and making new friends. He said he has seen next-door neighbors meet and talk for the first time at meetings. “Things like that happen all of the time,” he said. For firefighters, Oklahoma City Fire Major Tommy Chism said the party allowed them to talk about fire safety and also to become familiar faces with the residents they protect. “We enjoy getting out and visiting with the public,” he said. In its 25th year, National Night Out involves citizens, law enforcement agencies, civic groups, businesses, neighborhood organizations and local officials from more than 10,000 communities worldwide. The event is designed to heighten crime and drug prevention awareness and build neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships. Recent IssuesSpecial Sections |
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