Fairfield Council calls for coordinated effort

Coordination of individuals and organizations topped the Fairfield Village Neighborhood Council agenda at the group's monthly meeting Feb. 4, according to President Andy Ellard,

In an interview after the meeting, Ellard said coordination at various levels will be the key factor in the success of their soon-to-be-launched Fairfield Village Safety Watch Program. The program is a partnership with police, block captains and neighbors. It is founded on the principal of knowing who your neighbors are and what activity is normal in your neighborhood.

According to Ellard, the first step in the program will take place later this month with the Mott Community College Safety Patrol,

"Mott safety people will be making the initial contact with residents alerting them to our new program," Ellard said.

"The second step will be contacting all of our 231 residences giving them information they need to communicate both crime and non-crime related information with public safety personnel, block captains and their neighbors," Ellard explained.

The Watch Committee is putting together a packet of information for residents including a window sign indicating membership in the watch and a small notebook with emergency phone numbers and procedures for recording suspicious activities for block captains, Ellard added.

Representatives Craig Walcott, College Cultural Neighborhood Association, and Jerry Rule, Central Park Neighborhood Association, who attended the meeting said their groups would help the group implement the watch program.

Community activist David Caswell gave a presentation about the Red Alert system that has been successful in helping reduce crime in neighboring areas.

In other matters the group:

• Approved the creation of a newsletter with the first issued due in March.
• Initiated a subcommittee to plan a unity picnic in June.
• Rescheduled their next meeting for 1 p.m. March 12 at the Court Street Village Nonprofit Neighborhood House, 727 East St.

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