
Garfield Ridge Neighborhood watch training may mean more patrols
A sort of “Neighborhood Watch 101” course
taught last weekend may mean a safer Garfield Ridge in the weeks ahead.
“We felt a need to take out some of
our new members who have not yet patrolledÑas well as those who have patrolled
but not in a long timeÑand give them the basics of what to look for, what to
listen for and what to do when they see something that may not be right,” said
Garfield Ridge Neighborhood Watch President Al Cacciottolo, who helped lead the
effort.
The group chartered a yellow school
bus and with as many as two dozen members aboard, patrolled the west end of the
neighborhood (west of Narragansett).
“We pointed out what to look
forÑfrom the smallest things like potholes and burned-out streetlights to
things like graffiti, open garage doors and more,” Cacciottolo said. “As
always, we emphasized that we never get out of our vehicles and confront
anyoneÑbut we are quick to call 911 when something does not look right, which
is what police advise all of us to do anyway, neighborhood watch or not.”
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They also were trained what to look
for at local school playgrounds, park, railroad tracks and other hotspots that
are sometimes seen as spawning grounds for juvenile delinquency.
Those new members who sign on for
patrols will find it fits their schedules well, because the GRNW has always
tailored its patrols to meet the needs of its members. Sometimes membersÑwho
patrol in pairsÑwill be out for several hours, sometimes for as little as 60
minutes.
A number of GRNW members already
patrol regularly, at different times on different days. Some have even
patrolled on bicycles or while walking the neighborhood.
The group never discloses how many
members are on patrol or at what times, “because we want criminals to know that
no matter what they try to do or when they try to do it in Garfield Ridge,
chances are that somebody in this neighborhood is watching them,” Cacciottolo
said at a meeting last summer.
Recognized by many as possibly the
largest and most active civilian-led crime-fighting group in the Chicago area,
the Garfield Ridge Neighborhood Watch has tutored a number of people from
across the city and suburbs on the basics of starting and maintaining an
effective neighborhood watch group.
As part of that crime prevention
activity, Cacciottolo said the GRNW plans to host a roundtable meeting in
January for a number of groups interested in starting their own neighborhood
watch or perhaps reviving a stagnant one. Details will be announced in the
weeks ahead in the Southwest News-Herald.
Those interested in joining the
group are advised to send an email to [email protected]
(Editor’s Note: More
news coverage and photos in the print edition of the Southwest News-Herald,
available on local newsstands. Or better yet, call 708-496-0265 during weekday
business hours and order convenient home delivery for about 50 cents a week.)
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