The Jackson Police Department is hailing a northwest Jackson neighborhood-watch program as an exemplary model of community policing. Introducing the Woodhaven Homeowners Association Citizen Patrol at a command staff meeting this morning, JPD Deputy Chief for Community Relations Tyrone Lewis called the group a "spearhead for the city of Jackson."
The patrol, launched Monday, assigns pairs of volunteers to patrol specific zones in the neighborhood for multi-hour shifts. The volunteers record suspicious activity in logs and report incidents to the police department.
What makes the Woodhaven group exceptional in Jackson is its level of organization and effort, Lewis said. Based on the national model "Citizens on Patrol," the group coordinates its work with the police department. Citizen patrols alert beat officers to their presence and location, and identify themselves with uniforms and decals on their cars.
"We want to know when they're out there," Lewis said.
Woodhaven has relatively low crime compared to other parts of the city, and an organized citizen group allows the patrol officers to focus more of their efforts on areas with higher crime, Lewis said. Other similar neighborhood partnerships with JPD are in the works, he added.
Dr. Samuel McGee, president of the Woodhaven Homeowners Association, told command staff that the program aims to be an "extension of our commitment to you, to be another pair of eyes and ears."
The group currently has 18 participants, but McGee expects it to grow. The program will have its official unveiling Saturday at 10 a.m. at the intersection of Hanging Moss and Beasley roads.
"Right now, we're getting our feet wet," McGee said. "As we move forward and gain experience, we feel very optimistic that this is going to be a great asset, not only to our community, but to the police department."
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