Neighborhood Block Watch Training Set For Monday, February 6th, At The Old Bergen Church
By Matt Hunger • Jan 30th, 2012 • Category: Blog, News
After running into — and inadvertently stopping — two near break-ins by his home on Highland Avenue, resident John Hanussak realized just how helpful a simple neighborhood watch could be. Both times Hanussak heard a window break while he was out walking his dog, and when the would-be criminals realized someone was nearby they fled. The experience helped cement the idea that simply by being a visible and observant presence in an area a resident can be an invaluable deterrent.
And the more eyes watching, he figured, the better chance there would be to stop crime. It’s why Hanussak reached out to the Jersey City Police department about setting up a meeting between the police and residents to assist with neighborhood block watching training. The meeting will be held Monday, February 6th, in the Old Bergen Church (1 Highland Avenue) at 7 pm. While the meeting will be open to the public, Hanussak requests attendees RSVP to jhanussak@gmail.com ahead of time.
The purpose for the meeting, explains Hanussak, is to address how the community can work in “partnership” with the Jersey City Police Department, which he speaks highly of, but says the more eyes in an area the safer it’ll be.
“We’ll learn how to report suspicious activities,” said Hanussak. “There are certain things your average person might think is no big deal, and the meeting [will help] the neighborhood have a better sense of what to call in [to the police] and get ahead of game.”
Recently, very visible, very brazen crimes have caught the attention of City Hall critics, who have cited the problem as reason for change in leadership at the top. The concerns cited by the critics centered around a lack of police presence. But police can only patrol so much, says Hanussak, and residents can lend a hand. But part of the problem, he explains, is the lack of dialogue between police and the community they’re protecting.
“Few people have had direct interaction with the police department, and hopefully it’ll help with the team building concept,” said Hanussak.
The community watch meeting is the first for the neighborhood, which Hanussak organized without the benefit of a formal neighborhood association. Hanussak is currently working towards submitting the formal paperwork to put a neighborhood association together.
“We’ll help be part of the process,” finished Hanussak. “In a matter of speaking, we can [collectively as a city] be 240,000 officers.
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Matt Hunger is a staff writer for the Jersey City Independent.
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