Forest Meadows Neighborhood Association

Close Police Partol and Voice Ma

Posted in: Forest Meadows
This email went out to everyone I had on the list from the last meeting. If you did not get it please email me your email address:

http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/dallas/fmeadows is our new Forest Meadows Neighborhood Association web-site. Please check it out and become a contributor to the site (get your kids involved) and lets see if we can make it really look good! The email for the association is forestmeadowsna@yahoo.com. The voice mail system we are using is 1-800-MY-YAHOO (1-800-699-2466) Mailbox Number: 214-348-1111. Call the 800 number and follow the voice prompts to LEAVE a message. This will allow you to hear the outgoing message. You will enter our mail box number (214-348-1111) to hear the outgoing message. We would rather you not leave a message on this system. This will be used for outgoing messages and we are not planning on setting up a schedule to check for messages and return calls from this system. Please call and become familiar with the system. If you need to contact us use this email address.

We are still in contact with the Town Creek folks to see about joining them in the close police patrol. For this to work out finically as well as effectively, we need to have about 70% participation in the program. This has yet to be approved by the Town Creek Board but we must get a count to see if we have enough interest to go forward. These figures are not set in stone but an overview of the program would include a start-up fee of about $15.00. The $15.00 would cover yard signs and stickers as well as the mailing and account set up. We will have a more extensive list of services come to you via a flyer on your door. A basic explanation of the services is as follows: With the addition of our association, the patrol would be increased from a current 8 to 12 hours per day to a 12 to 16 hour per day patrol. Members that participate will have contact with the patrolling officer via cell phone. Special watches and vacation house checks will also be included.

I recommend strong support of this program. There are thousands of studies validating a reduction in crime due to police presents and as we all know to take back our neighborhood we need this service. We must also keep in mind that we must keep a sharp watch and report any problems to 911. If we get the close patrol we can also call the officer directly. The advantage to the close patrol is that we will not have to wait an hour or two or three for the police to respond. The close patrol is $30.00 per month, billed quarterly. We should have a vote from the Hunter Creek board by the second Tue. in May.

As you can see, I am a strong supporter of the close patrol and I am rambling on. It has been years since I have felt safe in my own neighborhood (and I am a police detective - armed most of the time) and I think we are in need of a change. Terri and I can empathize with both sides of the fence on this issue. We live on a COPS salary so our income is fixed and stretched to the limit. As I said at the last meeting, we also have victim written all over us. We have had our house burglarized, two cars stolen, three cars broken into, our house and cars vandalized and last summer I came upon a man in my garage trying to take the few things we have worked hard to have (boy was I pissed! and he went to jail). As your Crime Watch Chairman, I incur age you to join the close patrol and be active in the crime watch.

In fairly short order we will have a flyer out to every house asking for a commitment on the close patrol. When you receive yours please complete and return it ASAP.

I'll shut up now. Let me hear from you. Take care and keep a close watch on the hood! Chris
Past weekend

Chris,
This weekend was quiet from what I could see. I live on Meadowknoll and was pelted with shotgun pellets on my patio cover three times one night a few weekends ago. Needless to say, I am looking for some major improvement. Do you know what is going on over there? Has the attorney been back to court? Marion had me bring some more affidavits to her the other day at the request of the police. Just curious. Thanks for all you do. I also think the patrol is a must. Let's really push for that while the iron is hot. If we allow everyone to think it has gone away, it will never happen. I would suggest monthly updates, even if it is a brief meeting somewhere or email. You know the old saying ... out of sight, out of mind. I was in the association before. People stop caring when it gets quiet.
Rhonda Russell
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