Neighborhood Watch programs in works

Residents of Cannon Air Force Base 801 Housing communities in Clovis and Portales are working to start neighborhood watch programs.

Area law enforcement, including Clovis and Portales police and fire departments, Curry and Roosevelt Sheriff’s offices and CAFB police services, have provided the residents with the support they need by hosting start-up meetings.

The meetings focus on providing them with the information they need to start the program, such as Neighborhood Watch toolkits and their knowledge as members of law enforcement.

1st Lt. Scott Lacey, a resident of Cannon Meadows, said during the Feb. 18 meeting that one of the concerns of residents in the 801 Housing community has been lighting.

“People I’ve talked to, like my wife and others (have mentioned lighting as a problem),” Lacey said. “Their perspective is of the possibility of something happening and I think that is a big issue.”

The community has some poorly lit places in and around homes and streets, Lacey said. Tech. Sgt. Ernie Revell with Cannon Security Forces, said that they are trying to get more lighting, but that is something that housing is dealing with. However, he said, the issue is one of finance.

“As housing keeps getting more money they will be making the repairs and that is something that is a priority,” said Revell.

Revell said housing is thinking about installing motion sensor lights that come on if people drive by a house. Revell said that residents in the community can also purchase and place their own lights to help.

As an example, Revell said Lowe’s sells a solar-powered light for about $22.

Revell said that Portales is pretty much a safe community. Another issue was that residents wanted to see more patrols by the Portales Police Department in their area.

“One thing other residents have been curious about is how often do patrols come by the area,” Lacey said. “Just how often does it happen and how can we get them to drive by.”

Patrol Sgt. Kane Wyatt said they patrol the area often, but a phone call from residents in the 801 Housing community could dictate how much more police patrol the area.

“You’re going to have several units sweep through a neighborhood at any given time,” Wyatt said. “Or be in close proximity to a neighborhood. I definitely see your concern for the need for more visibility of patrols through the area.”

Portales Police Chief Jeff Gill said police do patrol the area and there is a list for extra patrols, such as if a resident goes out of town. Revell said both Clovis 801 Housing and Portales 801 Housing communities are attempting to start up Neighborhood Watch programs.

“The majority of the complaints we have received have been from the Clovis and Portales areas,” Revell said. “So we are trying to give them something that will help them out so that we can bring something to the table to help.”

Lacey said he learned a lot from the meeting and he could see himself starting the community watch program in the neighborhood.

“It is interesting to hear about the programs that I didn’t know about,” Lacey said. “Like the list you can get on to have to your home checked and the different services the police and fire departments have. It definitely makes me feel that the police department, fire department and the city leaders care about us.”

Fast facts

Questions?

Contact: Tech. Sgt. Ernie Revell

Phone: 784-6115

Email: ernest.revell@cannon.af.mil.com