Crime & Safety

Neighborhood Watchdogs Unite

A suspicious character lurking in a park near her home prompted a Lake Forest mom to form a new Neighborhood Watch group.

When a man who looked eerily similar to one listed on Megan's Law, the site that tracks California's sex offenders, entered the park where a Lake Forest mother was playing with her year-old son, her "mom sense" kicked in.

"He was acting really suspiciously," said the woman, who asked not to be identified out of concern for her family. "As a mom, it's kind of a red flag when a man walks into a park with a camera."

After watching his erratic behavior, she called  and filed a suspicious person report.

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She applauded the Orange County Board of Supervisors for its recent vote that  from county-owned parks, harbors and beaches, and hopes local cities will follow suit.

In the meantime, she is acting on a suggestion that came out of a lengthy conversation about her safety concerns with , Lt. Patrick Higa: form a Neighborhood Watch group.

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"It takes something to strike a chord in you, and this did it for me," she said.

In the last few weeks, she's set up an email account and a Facebook page for people in the Peachwood area who are interested in learning more about the fledgling group.

There are 110 Neighborhood Watch organizations active in Lake Forest, said Melisa Cavazos, crime prevention specialist with the Lake Forest Police Services Department.

The program builds a rapport between communities and law enforcement, which is key to reducing crime, she said.

When a Lake Forest resident calls with interest in setting up a group, he or she schedules a date for Cavazos to visit the community and meet with its residents.

"I research the neighborhood, find out how many calls we have out there and see if we have a problem in that area," Cavazos said. "Then I go in there and I talk about simple things they can do to decrease crime."

Each presentation is tailored to the neighborhood's specific interests, whether it's stopping a rash of vehicle break-ins or warning away would-be vandals, she said.

For the observant mom in Peachwood, her short-term goal is to highlight the importance of paying attention to what's taking place around you.

Long-term, she hopes to bar registered sex offenders from Lake Forest parks, although she admits that is likely to be a tougher battle than encouraging her neighbors to watch out for suspicious characters.

Want to start your own Neighborhood Watch group? Follow these steps from the Lake Forest Police Services Department:

  • Form a planning committee. Keep it small and informal. Discuss the need for a Neighborhood Watch program.
  • Call the Lake Forest Police Services Crime Prevention Unit at (949) 461-3546 to set up a meeting date.
  • Invite neighbors to a meeting. Publicize the meeting through fliers and door-to-door contact. Ask neighbors to share their concerns about crime.
  • Promote group identity. Give your group a name. It can help create a sense of common purpose. You could wear special T-shirts or caps to further build group identity.
  • Hold regular meetings. Neighborhood Watch meetings can cover a wide variety of topics. Keeping participants interested and informed is one of the main goals of maintaining a healthy program.

For more information, call the Crime Prevention Unit or email Cavazos at mcavazos@ocsd.org.


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