Crime Prevention Unit
Year End Report for 2007
The following report is for the Crime Prevention and Community Policing Activities conducted by the Crime Prevention Unit during 2007. During this time period we conducted one hundred seven (107) official meetings and/or presentations. Here is a list of those conducted during this past year.
- 32 - Neighborhood Watch Meetings
- 15 - Presentations to Civic Groups, Businesses and Schools
- 09 - Functions attended where we had a display and/or handed out information
- 08 - Current Drug Trends
- 28 - Various Events
- 15 - Organization Tours
The following are some of the highlights of the Crime Prevention and Community Policing Programs for 2007.
Safe School Programs - The Officers we have assigned to this program discuss and make suggestions to prevent certain activities from occurring in the Frontier Central School District. The Safe School Committee meets once a month and includes students, faculty, staff and parents from the Frontier School District. Each month a variety of topics are discussed which are relative issues that may or have occurred during the school year. Some of the topics discussed have been; prescription drug abuse, bullying, internet predators, alcohol use and responding to critical incidents.
Stranger Danger Program - For the sixth straight year Officer Scott Fraser conducted a very educational stranger danger presentation to both the adults and children in our community. This presentation included topics such as Megan's Law, Amber Alert and ho to protect children from stranger abductions.
Current Drug Trends - In 2007 the Town of Hamburg Detective Bureau gave several presentations to various school organizations, youth groups and local medial personnel. These presentations included the current drug trends in Hamburg and our surrounding communities. These presentations educated the public on misconceptions, preventative measures, signs and symptoms of those addicted. The feed back we received from these meetings resulted in valuable information that will assist the police department on our continued proactive approach to this issue.
National Night Out - This unique crime/drug prevention event was again held in two separate locations in 2007, one being at Fireman's Field on Lake Avenue and the other at Brook Garden's Mobile Home Park. This night out is designed to:
* Heighten crime and drug prevention awareness
* Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnership
* Send a message to criminals letting them know that neighborhoods are organized and are fighting back.
These events included presentations or discussions on the importance of knowing your neighbors and communicating with them, current issues such as drug abuse and crime in the schools, and how you can get involved by being a "good witness'.
Neighborhood Watch Program - The Town of Hamburg currently has nine active neighborhood Watch Groups located throughout the town. The Police Officers assigned to each of these groups educate community residents regarding their roles and responsibilities in the prevention of crime and to encourage them to take active measures to prevent crimes. The program calls upon residents to step forward and assist the police in organizing the community into a cohesive unit working towards the goal of building a safer, crime-free neighborhood. Each Neighborhood Watch Group discusses neighborhood problems with the objective of developing solutions to local problems. These groups generally meet once a month and the officers supply information and instruct groups on various crime prevention techniques. The watch program located in Brook Gardens Mobile Home Park implemented a "Citizen on Patrol" program in 2005 and continues today. The role of Citizens on Patrol is to simply observe, make notes and report any unusual and/or criminal activity to the police. Citizens on Patrol have neither the authority nor the mandate to make arrests not to take any action that might jeopardize their own safety or that of the public. This program helps reduce crime by keeping a "neighborly" watch over their own community.
Our Crime Prevention Unit consists of Chief John Conlon, Lt. Pete Dienes, and Officer Scott Fraser. These officers are trained in various aspects of crime prevention which allow us to present a wide variety of topics to all the residents and businesses in our Town. This unit along with those officers in our DARE program and Safety Education reach out to all members of our community both young and old. It forges bonds among area residents and businesses, helps reduce burglaries and robberies, and improves relations between police and the community we serve. These programs are the most effective and least costly ways to prevent crime, reduce fear and increase the quality of life in our neighborhoods.
