LIMA — The first meeting for the Citizen Block Patrol drew 30 attendees, and Program Coordinator Autumn Swanson is looking for even more to come out for its upcoming training session scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 24, from 8 a.m. to noon, at the LACNIP Resource Center, 1440 W. Spring St.
The Citizen Block Patrol gives community members the tools they need to police their own neighborhoods. Developed late last year in conjunction with the the city’s Community Development department, the program was created to reduce crime and foster safer communities.
But before local citizens can patrol the streets, they need 12 hours of training to understand how they should react in case they run across a criminal act. The 12 hours of training include four hours of classroom instruction and eight hours of ride-alongs with Lima police officers — four hours at night and four during the day.
Training will help patrollers decide when to call 9-1-1 and when to make note of something suspicious. Outside of criminal actions, patrollers will also be on the lookout for housing code violations, such as overgrown lawns or uncleared sidewalks.
Patrol teams will move throughout the neighborhoods in teams of four and be equipped with cell phones, flashlights, first-aid kits and vests to identify them.
In the pilot phase of the program, the Citizen Block Patrol will be established in five neighborhoods. Community-Oriented Policing (COP) stations — New Life Assembly on East Kibby Street, St. Mark’s United Methodist Church on North Metcalf Street, the Bradfield Community Center on Collett Street, Maplewood Northwood Apartments on Brower Road and Waterford Townhomes at the corner of Hope and Nova Streets —will act as patrol starting locations.
Volunteers for the program must be at least 18-years-old and a legal resident of Lima. Volunteers who wish to take part in the program will not have needed to attend the earlier orientation, but they are encouraged to fill out an application available on the City of Lima’s website. For more information, interested volunteers can contact Swanson at 419-221-5177.
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