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| Our
current Crime Watch has been active and effective since 1992, when
current leadership reorganized the remnants of the previous efforts
from the 1980's. In 1997 and 1998 the coordinator of our group, then known as Crime Watch #1078, received three awards on behalf of our crime watch. In November, 1997, from NE Organized Neighbors (NEON); in December, 1997, from the Dallas City Council; and in August, 1998, from the Dallas Police Department (Doris Berry Award for outstanding performance). Since then, our goal has been to maintain the excellent standards that led to our recognition by businesses, officials, and police officers. Although we retained the name of Crime Watch #1078 (our police reporting area) until January, 2005, the DPD divided us into three new reporting areas back in 1995 - 9609, 9610, and 9611 - to accommodate keeping statistics for the increased number of persons living here. R.A. 9609 includes the homes, townhomes, businesses, and several apartment complexes west of Rolling Rock, as well as the odd-numbered homes on those blocks of Rolling Rock. R.A. 9610 includes the homes, businesses, and numerous apartment complexes east of Rolling Rock (also even numbered homes there) and north of McCree (also odd-numbered homes there). R.A. 9611 includes the homes, businesses, and one apartment complex east of Rolling Rock and south of McCree (also even-numbered Rolling Rock and McCree homes there). See the map below for additional detail. Our area includes 1,390 homes, fifteen apartment complexes, and approximately 56 businesses. For organizational purposes the original crime watch leadership in the 80's divided our area into ten sub-divisions, a configuration that has served us well over the years. Each of the divisions has a Section Leader and enough Block Captains to deliver newsletters and interact with neighbors on their blocks. In the event of a crisis due to crime or weather, it is believed that our existing network will be beneficial to any emergency support efforts that might be necessary. In addition to our quarterly newsletter, HMNA has a voice mail number (214-967-5081) which allows residents the opportunity to hear a weekly-updated message that details any Part I (serious) criminal activity of the past week. Callers may also leave pertinent crime information or ask questions. The phone service is available 24/7 and is monitored by the crime watch coordinator. Our Crime Watch Officer at NE Division often helps to research inquiries from neighbors. In connection with the Crime Watch Voice Mail, we have twenty-four Alert signs which are placed when a crisis exists of which residents area-wide need to be aware. After a series of phone calls, volunteers place their signs at the most-traveled entrances to our area and several locations within. During the sign placement periods, which last four days, the voice mail message is altered to explain the reason for the presence of the signs, and the callers are asked to state the location of the sign they saw. This information helps to ensure that all portions of our area are being informed. Under the umbrella of our crime watch organization, we have a Neighborhood Patrol, or VIP (Volunteers in Patrol), which came into existence in 1995. At present we have fifty-seven members, and approximately one-half of those are active at any given time. Patrol members must be at least eighteen and must pass a police background check before taking six hours of training by the DPD. We go out in pairs, as required by the police, normally for a two-hour patrol, which is the amount of time it takes to drive on every street and alley in our area. Magnetic signs that say VIP or Neighborhood Patrol are placed on their vehicles when members are on patrol. At night a flashing yellow light may be placed on the top of the vehicle. In the past we also had a Bike Patrol, and currently two members still serve on Walking Patrol. According to police regulations, patrollers carry no weapons but are "armed" with a cell phone, which is used to call 911 or, using the neighborhood census, to call neighbors who have left their garage doors up, an entry door ajar, or items in the yard. We do not call 311 about code violations but attempt to warn residents about infractions by mailing an Observation Notice, which gives people an opportunity to take measures to avoid being cited by a code officer. Another service patrol members provide is giving extra attention to your home when you are out of town. Just give us the inclusive dates, and we'll give your house a close look while you're away. Being on patrol is much like being a DPD beat officer. You may prevent a crime by your presence in the neighborhood, but you very seldom come upon a crime in progress. More often, you see the indications that a crime has already taken place. However, patrollers can call 911 about suspicious persons and/or vehicles, and that may stop an offense from happening. In fact, being observant and calling 911 when something makes you uneasy is a way in which every one of us can participate in crime watch! If you would like more information about our patrol, send an e-mail to the address listed on the Officers page. Sharon Smith will respond to your questions and/or deliver a membership application to you. The format of our weekly crime reports come are listed by areas within our neighborhood. The map below illustrates how our neighborhood is split up.  |