Neighborhood Watch is back in Mount Vernon.
Previous efforts to establish a program fizzled, but a renewed partnership between volunteers and the Mount Vernon Police Department has emerged.
The Police Department has agreed to purchase 50 custom-made signs that will be posted throughout the city. A new website had been created to provide information and training to volunteers.
"I'm excited about getting the community involved in helping us with what we do," Mount Vernon Police Chief Robert Morgan told the Mount Vernon News.
The signs, which feature a large pair of eyeglasses, state, "All suspicious activities will be reported to city police." Also included is the non-emergency phone number for the Police Department, a line that Morgan said is staffed 24/7.
The signs, produced by an Ohio signmaker at a cost of only about $800, could be posted in neighborhoods throughout the city within the next month or so, the chief said. But the real strength of the program will be involving the community in the city's efforts to spot possible crime.
Mount Vernon resident Guy W. Hager was one of the citizens who organized the rebirth of Neighborhood Watch. He started noticing that in even the nicest neighborhoods of Mount Vernon there were "pockets of problems" with crime, including houses where drugs were being sold.
He talked to the Police Department about how citizens could help.
"When I mentioned re-creating Neighborhood Watch, they were enthusiastic — very enthusiastic," Hager told the News.
At the same time, the police wanted to make sure citizens did not become "vigilantes," he said.
"It's not our job to intercede," Hager said. "It's our job to let them know."
So volunteers built a website with online training courses on the best practices for Neighborhood Watch.
"It emphasizes that our role is not to step in," Hager said. "We don't have authority to stop someone and ask, 'What are you doing here?'"
So far, about 25 volunteers have signed up for the new program, he said. Some of the volunteers have accepted the Police Department offers to go on ride-alongs with officers.
"They have said the ride-alongs were really informative, that they got the chance to see what the police are dealing with and what their abilities and restraints are," Hager said.
A common comment from citizens is, "I called the police and nothing happened," Hager noted.
The Mount Vernon Police are "very responsive," he said. It may seem that nothing has happened with a complaint, but that is because police have to build a solid case with evidence before making arrests.
"The bottom line is police may know it's a drug house, but they can't just walk in," Hager said. "They have to build a case. They have to collect evidence over a period of time in order to get a warrant and do something about it."
Mount Vernon's crime problem is about the same as in other similar-sized cities, Morgan said. With murders averaging only about one to two per year, it is much better than in many larger cities.
For more information on the Mount Vernon Neighborhood Watch, visit MountVernonNeighborhoodWatch.com.
