Accountibilty-we all need to share it!

Apparently, the graffiti and vandalism I wrote about a while ago is spreading. I just got an email from the east side of town stating the problem is getting worse there as well. The fact of the matter is we all need to share accountability for these happenings. If you aren't being alert, if you aren't watching out not only for your own property, but your neighbor's as well, this sort of crime will keep happening.

What can you do about it? Plenty!

First, know the right phone numbers to call. 852-COPS is the new number set up by the Suffolk County Police Department for all non-emergency calls. This means your loud parties, dogs barking, garbage dumping, and the like. 911 should ONLY be used in an emergency such as domestic violence, robberies, etc. NEVER confront the perpetrator!

Second, take pride in where you live. Be it a humble studio apartment or a mansion by the bay, how your local area is maintained sends a message. People who care about how their community looks will also care about other quality of life issues, such as lighting, litter pick up, and helping their neighbor...it kind of rubs off. Don't assume that someone else is going to pick up that piece of paper or throw away that soda can...do it yourself! If we all wait for someone else to do something, nothing gets done!

Third, GET INVOLVED! Even if you live in a rental, start a community board! Plan block parties, help an elderly person who lives alone in the yard, get to know your neighbors! Here in suburbia, the only time some of us get out in front of the house is to pick up the mail and nod at the person next door while they water their daisies! If all else fails, do some volunteer work...the Patchogue Theatre and other organizations are always looking for a helping hand. You'll meet like minded people who often live right by you! It's a great way to get to know people!

OK, now for something completely different...here's an FYI for all of you who would like to celebrate Patchogue's diversity:
Monday May 20, 7:00 pm
Raise the Curtain on Unity
Patchogue Theatre Main Stage
71 East Main Street , Patchogue , New York 11772
Cost: FREE
Free Tickets at the box office starting April 6
Limit 4 tickets per person. The Unity Coalition and The Patchogue Theatre for the Performing Arts present a FREE multi-cultural evening to bring our community together featuring Broadway Cast members of “In the Heights”; Broadway Cast members of the new “West Side Story” ; Patchogue – Medford High School’s Step Dance Team, Jazz Chorus and Latin Dance Team; Teatro Experimental Yerbabruja in a scene from "Broken Identities"; The Jay Scott Trio, original acoustic folk/blues/rock fusion; Inti Re Mi, an Ecuadorian costumed traditional dance group; Dave Revels' "Stand Up America Good Will Tour", a children's chorus; Brentwood’s Teatro Rodante, a Latin dance group; and Luis Leal, Artistic Director of The Dondines Dancers of the Americas in a rare solo performance.

Have something that should be here? Email us at westpatnw@gmail.com.

This just in!

This was just emailed in...

Small Neighborhood Problem!

A group of Vandals have been painting Graffiti every Friday and Saturday night at locations in Patchogue Village. They hit the West end of town, on the Montauk Highway, near Felices Restaurant; walking in an Easterly direction toward Four Corners.

They walked as far as the two alleys in the center of our village. They painted Graffiti in the Alleys, but did not destroy the existing Art Work!

I am very surprised that our Public Safety Officers have not been stationed in our village, waiting for the usual weekend visit of the Pseudo Art Community!

If you are returning home on any night, please drive through our village, and look for youths; possibly with Back Packs. I personally go out of my way to drive through our village whenever I am out at night! If possible also drive on Terry Street, and Oak Street!

This Village is "our turf," and we are not about to hand it over to vandals, without a fight!

Call Public Safety at 475 Christmas:

that is 475 1225

Please let our Neighborhood Watch know what has happened in our area. Please reply to this email; even if you have nothing to report, but tranquility!

Thank You

MANW

Put your car keys next to your bed!

This great idea was emailed over and it was too good not to share:

Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Doctor’s Office, the checkout girl at the market, everyone you run across. Please feel free to pass this blog post to them. However you can do it, please do. Keep them informed with this very simple tip.

Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get into your house, just press the panic button for your car, providing your car does have an alarm system and you do have the alarm remote.

The alarm will be set off and the horn will continue to sound either until you turn it off or the car battery dies.

This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: it’s a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the remote unit. It works if you park in your driveway or garage.

If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are that the burglar/rapist won’t stick around….after a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there, and sure enough the criminal won’t want that!

And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there.

This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or prevent a sexual assault.

My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn’t hear him. He can activate the car alarm and then she’ll know there’s a problem.

P.S…it would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can’t reach a phone.

One additional note: Did you know there is a NEW number to call in Suffolk for all non-life threatening, non-emergency situations? Call 852-COPS for issues like loud parties, dogs barking, etc...and let's save 911 for life and death situations!

Spring is right around the corner...

...and one of the things you can do to make your home a nicer place is to start your Spring cleanup! You see...Neighborhood Watch isn't just about crime and statistics, but about making our town a better place to live. When you walk around your neighborhood and see the flowers starting to bloom, everything looking fresh and tidy--it instills a sense of pride. A sense that this town is still, despite the economic crisis, on the upswing. With a vibrant arts scene and a burgeoning restaurant row, Patchogue is THE place to be.

So, you've taken the first step and decided to tackle the garage (den, attic, what have you...), the next decision should be how to get rid of the items that you don't want or need, while still doing something good for the environment and the local area. Freecycle is an online swap meet that keeps items in good condition out of landfills and puts them into the hands of people that need them.

Maybe you have the urge to get dirty and work in the garden. The Patchogue Garden Club has monthly meetings and events where you can do everything from getting gardening tips to buying plants. If you'd really like to get in depth, Cornell Cooperative Extension will be providing day long gardening seminars that will include a box lunch and raffles.

It takes all of us pulling together to make this a town we are proud to call home! Call your neighbors, call your friends. Make it a group effort, and have some fun. Grab some growlers from the Brick House or Blue Point to kick back with when you are done, and make a hometown day of it!

Let us know what your concerns are!

One of the things a Neighborhood Watch is all about is to create a sense of community...we all have issues and things we have seen that concern us--from the senseless death of an Ecuadorian immigrant, to seeing the car next to ours jacked up on bricks with the tires stolen, to the more pedestrian happenings such as the unlawful dumping of litter. What we would like to know is what concerns YOU--hate crimes? noisy parties? the sounds of possible domestic abuse in the apartment next to yours? No one's concerns are any less valid than anyone else's.

We welcome you to post your comments on this blog...after all, this is meant to be a community forum. Just please...no bashing of other people or groups...this is meant to be a place where people share information and present ideas to improve our quality of life here in Patchogue. After all, many of us live here because we love this town...its funky, artsy vibe; the restaurants; the diversity; the microbreweries; the fact that for a night out, most of us could walk to where we'd like to go!

As for this blog, information is the single most important thing that will help us deter bad things from happening. On that note, here's an update of some of the latest crime reports in our community (1/17 to 1/23):
Two incidents of harassment
Two reports of theft
One report of domestic dispute
One report of vandalism
Two reports of burglary

Do you have anything to report? Let us know at westpatnw@gmail.com, we look forward to hearing from you!

Let's make Patchogue a better place to live!

Welcome to the West Patchogue Neighborhood Watch Blog! We are attempting to get this off the ground as there has been a recent uptick in events that have threatened our quality of life here in town...from the fatal stabbing of Marcelo Lucero, to the torture and killing of a cat, to walking out to our cars in the morning and finding them vandalized. We realize that most of the issues can be minimized or even ELIMINATED by just being a good neighbor and keeping an eye out for suspicious activity. That is why we need YOU!

We are looking for a few good people who are willing to make a difference. People who are looking to make the west side of town...the side that many consider "rough"... into a family oriented neighborhood. A place where people can live without worrying about having their personal property damaged, or being harassed or attacked. A place where people can feel safe walking to the restaurants or down by the water at night.

Neighborhood Watch is a proven means of reducing crime. All you have to do is keep an eye out and make an occasional phone call or email--that's it! We are looking for a few good people who are willing to call in suspicious activity. If you would like to do more, we also need English/Spanish translators and a few people who are willing to be "area captains"--primary contacts for people in the area to call in the event of an incident. You will NEVER be asked to confront a suspect! (That is what our involvement with the local Police Department is for!)

If you don't think that crime is something that happens in your own backyard, think again. Look through the Advance any given week at the Police Blotter (this excerpt is from January 15th): Damage to property on Waverly Avenue; harassment on River Avenue; harassment on Main Street. If you think it can't happen to you, think again.

We can all make a difference, whether it's something as simple as keeping an eye out, or getting more involved as an area captain. We need you! Email us at westpatnw@gmail.com to let us know of your interest in making Patchogue a better place to live!

Welcome to the West Patchogue Neighborhood Watch Blog!

Keep checking back for info and updates!