Watch group hosts Thursday meeting
Neighbors for the Henderson-Vance Community Watch plan to gather Thursday night at the Maria Parham Medical Center auditorium to hear from law enforcement leaders and to let law enforcement leaders hear from them.
The hope is that the 7 p.m. hour at the Ruin Creek Road hospital auditorium with representatives from the Henderson Police Department and the Vance County Sheriff’s Office will sharpen watch member vision for how they can help.
Local watch association leaders Brett Marlowe, the chairman, and Gene Wood, the vice chairman, said that the hope is also for everyone to feel welcome to attend and take part in any discussion as long as courtesy is maintained and comments stay focused on neighborhood watch subjects.
“We are going to recognize each of the community watch groups in the city and county,” Marlowe said. “This is one of three general board meetings we hold each year.”
The watch association consists of 32 groups in the city and nine groups in the county — and is growing, according to Marlowe.
“We are in the process of launching some new ones,” he said.
In a joint written statement, Marlowe and Wood said that the agenda for the meeting is focused on how community watch programs can be a significant information resource for officers and deputies for solving crimes and taking criminals off the streets.
“This will be an opportunity to hear what is needed from our communities and neighborhoods and express to our leaders (the) . . . concerns you may have about crime and how to help,” wrote Marlowe and Wood.
They added that annual reports will be given by the police department and the sheriff’s office, and by police Lt. Irvin Robinson for the local Crime Stoppers organization.
On the agenda is a discussion opportunity for airing out what is really going on in represented communities where watch groups are active. There will also be a question and answer session.
The second board meeting of the association is scheduled for 7 p.m., May 23, also at the hospital auditorium.
Contact the writer at mfisher@hendersondispatch.com.