The Oneida Daily Dispatch (Oneida, NY)
READY FOR CHANGE
Neighborhood Watch Program moves forward in Oneida
ONEIDA, N.Y. » The Oneida Neighborhood Watch Program Interest Meeting on Tuesday, July 15, was met with a mixture of positivity, skepticism, and overall, a will for change.
Around 20 residents attended the meeting in person, with another 20 or so watching in real-time via Facebook Live.
Mayor Helen Acker facilitated the meeting, serving as the guide to get the wheels turning. However, she emphasized that this program, should it get off the ground, will not be a government entity. It be will run solely by the residents and will be whatever the residents want it to be, she said.
Acker added that though there have been several complaints about conditions in Oneida, there have also been many instances of change. She praised Oneida residents and business owners Rick Rossi and Angel Vargas for organizing a community clean up event on Sunday, July 12.
Oneida City Police Lieutenant Steven Lowell joined Acker in the meeting, stating that his main objectives in being there were to “listen to concerns, and reassure the public that they’re not unheard.” The police are invested in the issues of the community, he stated, and his presence at the meeting is to show that the police are listening.
Those present raised questions about liability, communication, and program effectiveness. There was some confusion over exactly what a neighborhood watch program does, and how such a program can be connected
to the police department. A handout was given with guidance from the National Crime Prevention Council to give residents a road map on how to navigate a program of their own.
No matter the individual concerns, Lowell said that both the police and the community share a common goal: a safer Oneida.
The group reviewed the duties involved in being part of a neighborhood watch program, which varies depending on a person’s level of involvement.
Members are to be residential observers with a common goal to “make their neighborhood safer by working together and in conjunction with local law enforcement to reduce crime and improve their quality of life,” according to the guidance sheet handed out at Tuesday’s meeting.
Acker and others underlined that the neighborhood watch is not a vigilante group; it’s a group up of observers who communicate and share a common goal for safety.
The point was raised at the meeting that “neighborhood watch” is already occurring in Oneida, just not under
a formal body with a name. Banding together under the program would “create an energy through the whole city” that would be noticeable, said resident Robin Bienkowski.
She continued, “We don’t have to follow the rules. We don’t have to fill out paperwork. We don’t have red tape to cut. We just say ‘You know what I don’t like that, that’s not happening in my neighborhood,’ and we call it in.”
Residents had many opinions about the watch program and what it could or should look like to be successful. One resident argued that the outlook on crime and safety in Oneida is too reactive when it should be proactive instead.
Another resident wanted to see more government involvement, but others argued that the community needs to facilitate this program on their own in order to be effective and avoid jumping through governmental hoops.
Acker agreed, stating that she also believes this program shouldn’t be another level in government. “[Neighborhood watch] programs, from what I’ve been reading, are very, very successful. We just need people who want to be in charge of it that can coordinate and get things out,” she said.
One resident said that he hopes to see the old routines broken in the city and to see
a real change.
Such change is already occurring, Acker responded, noting that local law enforcement is already making strides. The Oneida Police Department announced Tuesday that they have partnered with the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, the New York State Police, and the Madison County District Attorney’s Office as part of a new initiative “aimed at stopping criminal activity and cleaning up Oneida through a joint effort,” according to the Facebook announcement.
This initiative, called Operation C.E.A.S.E. (Combined Efforts And Strict Enforcement), will include members from each agency partnering up and going out on designated enforcement patrols during unannounced dates and times, in various areas of Oneida, and will take a zerotolerance approach, the police department wrote.
An increased police presence was a key issue being asked of by residents, including Rossi, who started the “Downtown Oneida - It’s time for a change” Facebook group, which now has over 2,000 followers.
Lowell admitted, “[The police] are not all-knowing,” but that’s where a community watch program can be a great asset. He and the police department are willing to listen and engage with residents to show that they are on the same page, he said.
The mayor stated, “I can’t speak about what happened in the past; I’m going to speak about what’s going to happen in the future. She continued, “Our police are out there now doing overtime, walking the streets, talking to people, going into the stores, and talking to the store owners. There is a difference out there. I had a lot of calls telling me how positive they’re looking at just this past 10 days.”
Depending on the situation, the police can and should always be contacted in some form, whether anonymously or not, Lowell stated. He referred to 911 for ongoing emergencies but also emphasized that the police department has a non-emergency number for complaints, (315) 363-2323, which can be utilized for suspicious activity, to send in tips, and even to request a follow up on a criminal situation.
Many people don’t know they can ask for that, Lowell, said, but residents are more than welcome to tell the dispatcher they speak with that they would like a follow up on the tip they provided. Simply leave your name and number, and someone will get back to you, he said.
The Oneida Police Facebook page is also a connection point between residents and the department, Lowell said, adding that residents can message the page with non-emergent concerns. The police department can also be reached at (315) 363-9111.
According to the Department of Public Safety and Bureau of Police page on the Oneida City website, the police department responds to approximately 9,000 calls a year.
Additionally, Lowell noted that there are several things that can be done to decrease crime, including more lighting at night, signage, and overall presence of the law, whether from a neighborhood watch program or law enforcement themselves. Many of these things are already being accomplished, but with the strength of the neighborhood watch program, they may continue more effectively.
After over an hour of discussion, it was time for the interest-group to decide their next step. Bienkowski, who spoke up earlier in the meeting, agreed to organize a planning committee meeting. “I’ve never led,” Bienkowski shared anxiously. But she said that she would because something needs to be done.
The planning committee will determine what the group’s goals are and what roles will be fulfilled by whom. In a Facebook update shared by Bienkowski, she said that 15 people will be meeting next week as part of the planning committee, including a few managers from businesses with frequent issues, an officer from the OPD, and hopefully a representative from Liberty Resources.
After living in Oneida for over 14 years, Bienkowski said she’s seen a lot of issues that have been occurring for a long time. Drug use, domestic violence, and fights in the streets were a few major problems she hopes to see addressed.
The neighborhood leader said she’s become much more comfortable with calling the police non-emergency line for issues that may not even be issues at all.
“I think this will make people feel more comfortable calling,” she said. Some may think that the police are annoyed with such calls, but she assured that’s just not the case, and she hopes to see more residents utilize the non-emergency number as a result of this meeting.
Some at the meeting suggested including the Department of Mental Health in on their neighborhood watch program, perhaps utilizing some of their many resources on the subject.
Many residents, though all frustrated with situations in their home city, were hopeful for the change that’s coming. “That’s why we’re all here,” one meeting member stated. “We’re here for the change.”