PQ Graffiti, Crime Discussed at Neighborhood Watch Session

The Rancho Peñasquitos Town Council hosted an information session about Neighborhood Watch on Wednesday.

Guest speakers included: Officer Susan Steffen, the community relations officer for the San Diego Police Department's Northeastern Division; Bob Ilko, from the Scripps Ranch Neighborhood Watch; and Robin Kaufman, from the Rancho Bernardo Neighborhood Watch.

Here are some of the key points from the meeting, which was focused on reviving the community's Neighborhood Watch program.

• What Scripps Ranch Does: Ilko, the community advisor to the watch program, said 97 percent of the burglaries in Scripps Ranch last year were on streets were there is no Neighborhood Watch block captain, an individual who coordinates volunteers on streets to keep residents informed and organize events. One of the key crime fighting methods Scripps Ranch residents have is an email alert—an e-blast—that watch program leaders send out whenever there is a residential burglary or other important situation. In April, there were 400 people on the email list but now there are 1,700, Ilko said. The e-blast has been critical in alerting residents to suspicious people in the community right away, which allows them to spot the alleged criminals while they are out there, Ilko and Steffen said.
• What Rancho Bernardo Does: RB has the largest Neighborhood Watch program in the city, with seven districts each headed by its own coordinator who oversees area coordinators. "In areas where there's active participation, there's less crime," Kaufman said. When Kaufman receives alerts from Steffen about activity in RB or nearby, she can send it out to an email list of people who can also stay alert about activities that may be happening nearby.
• What's Happening in PQ: Steffen said graffiti earlier this year—an event that intensified the push to revive Neighborhood Watch here. There are about a half-dozen or so block captains in PQ, but they are not organized and in communication like in other programs. Steffen said police department staffing, with eight to 12 officers on patrol in the NE Division on each of a day's three shifts, is at its lowest levels in about two decades. "That's why it's more important now more than ever that we get the community involved because you are our eyes and ears," Steffen said.
• What PQ Residents Can Do: The PQ Town Council is putting together an e-blast that will function like the one in Scripps Ranch, alerting the community about important crimes and activities. To sign-up or get more information about becoming a block captain or working with Neighborhood Watch, email nhw@rpcouncil.com. The program also is a discussion item on Thursday's PQ Town Council meeting agenda. (.)

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