Good news, friends & neighbors! Quadrant Captains are on the way!
The key person in any Neighborhood Watch group is the Block Captain. This person is an integral component to keeping the block actively involved in crime prevention efforts as well as the important process of information exchange between neighbors.
Because we are still trying to get to know who many of our neighbors and residents are, we have opted to divide the North Main Neighborhood into Quadrants instead of blocks and institute Quadrant Captains. Quadrant captains are the “go-to” person to pull together city and neighborhood resources to address neighborhood issues. The Quadrant Captains gain the respect of their neighbors and make their block a better place for all to live.
The NOMA Quadrants are:
South Q: Lafayette to Miller St. / Railroad St to Jackson St.
MidSouth Q: Miller St. to 12th St. / Railroad and Richard St. to Jackson St.
MidNorth Q: 12th St. to 14th St. / Richard St. to Jackson St.
North Q: 14th St. to 17th St. / N. Lee St. to Jackson St.
We are grateful to the following people who have volunteered to be Quadrant Captains in these areas:
South Q: Josef Medlin
MidSouth Q: Jessica Koontz
MidNorth Q: TBD (we still need a Quadrant Captain in MidNorth)
North Q: Sean Meyers
The Quadrant Captain is the person who facilitates the unity of that section of the neighborhood, distributes information, and coordinates activities. The primary duties of the Quadrant Captain are:
1. Lead by Example
• Take ownership to address issues such as cleaning up litter and others identified below
• Encourage neighbors to take ownership for their blocks
• Hold a Cleanup/Party - or the “Block of the Month” award to celebrate your successes!
• Contact new residents to get them involved and to obtain their support and participation.
2. As Needed (weekly?) Keep an eye out in the neighborhood and report problems. Call, send letters, or emails.
• Litter, high weeds & grass (more than 10 inches high), overflowing garbage cans
• Rats, roaches, and other litter-related health violations
• Abandoned cars
• Unusual traffic patterns or suspicious activity (for example, large numbers of strangers visiting)
3. Develop a Neighborhood Quadrant Communication System to distribute vital information to neighbors pertaining to criminal activity and other concerns that develop in the area. This can be an email system, telephone tree, and/or a one-page flyer that can be quickly distributed.
4. Monthly
Quadrant Captains should take a walk up and down around their quadrant and keep a tally of:
• Vacant Buildings
• Building and Property maintenance issues and fire code violations
• Street maintenance issues (broken curbs, sink holes, dead animals)
• Street lighting issues
5. Quadrant Captains Should Encourage Neighbors to advise them concerning criminal activity. It is the victim's responsibility to contact the police. However, the Quadrant Captain can keep a record of break-ins, vandalism, or any activity that becomes a concern for our neighbors. This information can be provided to NOMA to post on the website or to take up with local support agencies.
Remember: Our recommendation to all citizens who see a crime in progress or notice suspicious activity is to observe and report from a place of safety. We strongly suggest that you not confront an offender unless you are in immediate danger. This applies to you and your neighbors. We do not want anyone to get hurt or injured trying to apprehend an offender or interfering with an incident other than to report the activity to the police. If you or your neighbors witness a crime in progress or observe suspicious behavior, always call 911.
Your Quadrant Captain's contact information will be distributed through our email list, so if you have not let us know your contact information, please email this to themainneighborhood@gmail.com.
Thanks to All!
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