November 2009 Newsletter

Regency Park Neighborhood Watch

November 09 Newsletter

Hello Neighbors! In case you missed our last meeting, here’s a recap, along with some important information you need to know.

Regency Park Update- In an effort to deter crime, the county installed barriers at one end of the parking lot. They have installed a chain to ensure the public stays out of the park at night when the park is closed. We need Regency Park Neighborhood Watch members to open and close the parking lot at dawn and dusk. Volunteers e-mail Lee Kerouac. Also- Commissioner Grover Robinson allocated funds for solar lighting in the park. We’ll let you know the details as they become available.

Graffiti – The Sheriff’s Office reviewed photos of graffiti in our neighborhood, two were possibly gang related.  If you see graffiti contact the Sheriff’s Office at 426-9620.  Then contact Roselyn Johnson so quick removal (after being documented by the SO) can be arranged.

Street Signs- The County approved placement, so the Neighborhood Watch street signs are en route.

The By-laws- They were officially approved with only one minor change. The group voted to limit how many consecutive terms an officer could serve. Each term is limited to one year. Three consecutive terms in the same office is the limit.

Congratulations are in order- Lee Kerouac is the new Vice President of RPNW. His e-mail address is

Good News- More neighbors graciously stepped forward and offered their services as Block Captains. They’re covering most of Tradewinds Dr., Yacht Harbour, Voyager, Sailboat, and Sharkhead.  We still need Block Captains for the South end of Tradewinds Dr. and Eastpointe. Please help us!

Fundraiser in the works- RPNW will have a neighborhood garage sale in early 2010. 10% of the proceeds from each member’s sales will be donated to RPNW.  Save your items, so you can help us out!

Deputy in Training?- The Sheriff’s Office invites all RPNW members to join their Citizen’s Law Enforcement Academy. This is your chance to go behind the scenes and experience what it’s like to wear a badge. RPNW member Lonnie Jones is completing the program and he gave rave reviews during our last meeting. For details e-mail Roselyn Johnson or Lonnie Jones.

Calling all Emergency Responders to be - Community Emergency Response Team training starts in January.  Ten RPNW members have indicated they were interested but we need more. Consider attending, because this training saves lives. Our entire neighborhood benefits. Should disaster strike, our neighborhood would be prepared.

Party Time- The next meeting (Tuesday, December 1st) will be like no other. We are celebrating the holidays, so each member is asked to bring some holiday goodies to share with the group. We’ll also take up a collection for Grace Lutheran Church. They’re letting us use their facility “free-of-charge” and we want to thank them for their kindness. If you would like to donate but are unable to attend, contact Roselyn Johnson before December 1st.

One Final Note- Be on the look out for vandalism, graffiti, theft, suspicious persons/cars, and any illegal activity.  If you see any of this, call the Sheriff’s Office immediately at 436-9620 or 911 in an emergency. You can remain anonymous!  If we don’t report these acts, they have no way of knowing what’s happening in our neighborhood. We want our neighborhood to be a safe place for everyone. Community involvement is key!

The RPNW is making a difference because of you. Keep up the good work.

Roselyn Johnson

President, RPNW

http://regencyparkwatch.com/

October 2009 Newsletter

REGENCY PARK NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH NEWSLETTER

OCTOBER 2009

From Roselyn Johnson, President

New members are still signing up every week!

-         I’ve received very good feedback about our Neighborhood Watch from neighbors.

-         Neighbors who work nights/evenings can still become members even if they cannot attend meetings.

Watch activities:

-         Block Captains are doing a wonderful job keeping their members informed.

• Many are patrolling on foot or by car.
• Vacation watches have been performed.
• Park is being patrolled but needs more member presence.

-         Alert the Sheriff’s Office, your Block Captain, or President when you see something suspicious. Communication is the key to our success!

Poll was taken of member activity.

-         Actively looking outside for suspicious activity – everyone

-         Stepping outside their front door and looking up and down the street – everyone

-         Letting non-members know about the Neighborhood Watch – most

-         Driving down different streets when going to/from home – everyone

-         Walking patrols – about half of the attendees

-         Driving patrols – some of the attendees

-         Keeping shades open whenever possible to keep an eye on the street – some

The level of active participation in our Neighborhood Watch is great! Every pair of eyes watching out is a benefit for everyone in our neighborhood.

Lt. Spears, Sheriff Deputy spoke on the issue of home safety and personal safety.

-         Her tips will be posted on the website under Resources, Protecting Your Property and Protecting Yourself.

Ms. Sartain from BRACE spoke about the programs that are offered by BRACE.

-         These include CERT, TEEN CERT and the Florida Citizen Corps.

• CERT is a national program used by groups including other Neighborhood Watches to prepare for emergencies.
• To prepare for the next hurricane season, the RPNW Hurricane Response Plan will be greatly enhanced if some members are willing and able to take the CERT course.
• The next classes start Oct 27 and 29 respectively and are flexible so if you can’t attend the Tuesday class you can make it up in the Thursday class.
• Please visit www.escambiaemergency.com and click on CERT for more information.

Park lighting:

-         The Park Dept is considering turning off the lights at the park (cost saving).

-         A member recommended that members write to Commissioner Robinson against this.  His contact information is at http://myescambia.com/CountyCommissioners/

-         The Park Dept would consider additional lighting options and/or booms to close the parking lot dusk to dawn.  An letter from the RPNW President is needed..

-         The booms would be the responsibility of the RPNW members to open and close.

-         Members voted in favor of sending the official letter.

Incorporating as a non-profit:

-         Benefits are

• Ability to apply for grants,
• Ability to apply for a patrol car provided by the Sheriff’s Office,
• Legitimacy of the RPNW as a non-profit.

-         Approximate cost is $100.

-         A Vice President will be elected at the November meeting.

• The VP will play an integral role in being kept up to date on all activities of the Neighborhood Watch.  The VP will assist the President and in the President’s absence, shall function as President.

-         Members voted in favor of incorporating.

New on the Website

-         Treasurer’s Notes are available for members to view

-         Forums – the “Watch Group” forum is accessible by background checked members only.

• It’s a great way to get a walking partner or propose new ideas.
• The other forums are public.

New Block Captain for the east end of Tradewinds Dr as well as Yacht Harbor Dr.  See Block Captain information on website

AMPLIFIER NEEDED for meetings!

-         Folks had trouble hearing the speaker at the meeting due to the a/c.

-         If anyone has a karaoke machine or amplifier that we can use please contact me.

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH BENEFIT GARAGE SALE will be proposed at the next meeting.

-         To be held one Saturday next Spring.

-         RPNW will advertise the garage sale.

-         10% of proceeds from everyone participating will be requested to fund our Neighborhood Watch.

Mid-September Newsletter

Regency Park Neighborhood Watch

Mid-September Update

Watch Activity

The neighborhood has been fairly quiet.  Updates are posted on the website as they come in at http://regencyparkwatch.com/

The Sheriff’s Office has been notified about traffic problems in our neighborhood.

Walking/Driving Patrols

I have heard back from some of you that you have begun walking or driving the Neighborhood Watch area.  Others are keeping their blinds open and observing activity passing in front of their home.  That’s great and thank you!  The more folks who actively watch our neighborhood the better.

If you see suspicious activity and are uncertain whether to report it you can call your Block Captain or me if you do not have a Block Captain.

Website

The website is up and running.  When you register please use the e-mail address that I have on file for you.  If you have problems please contact me.

Welcome New Members!

We are getting new members from all corners of our Neighborhood Watch area.  It is great to see so many folks interested in keeping our neighborhood safe and crime free.

Background Checks

I am hearing back from the Sheriff’s Office regularly and will let you know by e-mail as soon as they have approved your membership.  There was some delay due to the holiday weekend this month.

Newsletter Editor

Tessa Webster has volunteered to edit the newsletter beginning with the October newsletter.  This will be of great help to me and will make the newsletters better for you.

Window Decals

Neighborhood Watch window decals have been ordered for everyone.

Next Meeting

Tuesday, October 6 at 6:30 pm at Grace Lutheran on 9th and John Carroll. .  A reminder with directions will be sent prior to the meeting.

Thank you all for being members!  Our Neighborhood Watch is stronger because of you.

Roselyn Johnson

President

August 12 Newsletter

Hello and thank you for attending the first meeting of the Regency Park Neighborhood Watch.

KEY POINTS covered below:

• Meeting attendance

• Officer election and watch activity kickoff Tues, Aug 18 6:30 pm

• Crime statistics requested

• Background checks for members

• Area covered by our neighborhood watch

We had a wonderful turnout for the first meeting. Eighty neighbors attended representing 56 households. Only a few streets, Yacht Harbour Dr., Pirates Cv., and Eastpointe Dr., had no attendees at the meeting. If you know someone living on these streets please encourage them to attend the next or future meetings. We will always need new members and more neighborhood participation to keep our neighborhood safe.

The next meeting will be Tuesday, August 18 at 6:30 pm. Once again it will be held at Regency Park rain or shine. The purpose of this meeting is to elect officers as well as to discuss and implement our first neighborhood watch activities. Please consider whether you would like to run for a position in our neighborhood watch. We will need a President for overall coordination, a Secretary to take minutes, a Treasurer should we choose to purchase signs and/or t-shirts, etc., and Block Captains to keep each area coordinated. We will also need people willing to post fliers and other occasional needed activities. Also, please come with suggestions for the neighborhood watch activities that you would like to see implemented at this meeting and in the future.

I am currently coordinating with the Escambia Sheriff’s Office Community Relations Unit to arrange a meeting date in early September. I have asked them to attend and present crime statistics for our neighborhood watch area as well as answer any further neighborhood watch questions we have by that time. They were quite impressed with the meeting turnout and are eager to assist us going forward. I will announce that meeting date as soon as it is solidified.

Please remember to send in your background check data sheet to the Escambia Sheriff’s Office Community Relations Unit. As you will note on page 3 of the Neighborhood Watch booklet, all members are required to have a background check.

I received several questions as to what area is covered by our neighborhood watch.   Please see that section of the website for a complete listing of streets.

Election Meeting August 2009

REGENCY PARK NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH BRIEF

This is a brief overview of the Regency Park Neighborhood Watch election meeting which was held this past Tuesday.

The results of the elections are:

• Roselyn Johnson – President
• Jeremy Lau – Secretary
• Tamara Hurst – Treasurer

Block Captains include:

• Larry Martin - Burstaff
• Ron Hamel – Harbour Square
• Pat Sawyer - Holgate
• Nancy McWhirter – Tradewinds Cir, Tradewinds Way
• Linda Parsons – Tradewinds Cir, Tradewinds Way
• Billy Newlin – La Borde
• Lonnie Jones – Squire
• Bill and Julie Terrell – Sailboat

Quite a few folks volunteered to hand out meeting announcements.

Your block captain will be contacting you soon. Additional block captains are needed, please consider volunteering for your street.

Background check sheets can be mailed or hand delivered to 1700 W. Leonard St. or brought to the September 1^st meeting and given directly to Lt. Spears of the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office.

Thanks to all of you for your patience.

Our next monthly meeting is Tuesday, September 1^st, 6:30 pm at Regency Park. Lt. Spears will present our neighborhood’s crime statistics.

Roselyn Johnson

Mid-August Newsletter

Regency Park Neighborhood Watch

Meeting reminder – Tuesday, September 1^st at 6:30 pm. Location is at Regency Park

The Sheriff’s Office will present crime statistics for our area.

Background Checks!

The background checks have been coming back in less than two weeks. Some potential members still need to send in their background check information sheets to the Sheriff’s Office. This process is required by the Sheriff’s Office for membership. ONLY the Sheriff’s Office sees the background check.

For your convenience forms will be available at the September 1^st meeting and you can complete them there and hand them directly to the Sheriff’s Office representative for processing. You will need your drivers license number as well as your social security number to complete the form.

Website!

Jason Lau has been kind enough to create a website for us. Please be patient as information is being added and check it regularly for updates. Input from members is welcome. The web address is: http://regencyparkwatch.com/

T-shirts!

Billy Newlin has researched t-shirts for the neighborhood watch to wear. He is asking for logo design submissions. If you have a design that you would like to be considered for our t-shirts please e-mail Billy at newlinsconstruction@msn·com

Thank you, Roselyn Johnson

September Newsletter

REGENCY PARK NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH NEWSLETTER

September 2009

From the President, Roselyn Johnson

We had another great meeting with excellent attendance and quite a few new neighbors signing up.  Our neighborhood watch will be successful because of all of you participating and I appreciate it.

BLOCK CAPTAINS

Most of our watch area is now covered by Block Captains.  Your Block Captain will be introducing himself/herself to you soon if you haven’t heard from them already.

If you live on a street that is not yet represented by a Block Captain then I am your Block Captain and I encourage you to call or e-mail me.  If you don’t know who your Block Captain is or have questions please call me at 484-7048 or e-mail me at

CRIME STATISTICS

The 2009 crime statistics for our area will soon be posted to our website at http://regencyparkwatch.com/

FUN DAY

We are organizing a Neighborhood Watch Fun Day tentatively planned for mid-October.

STREET SIGN PLEDGES

We took up a collection to pay for the neighborhood watch street signs at the meeting on Tuesday and I believe we will have enough to purchase the signs.  If you were able to give cash or make a pledge Thank You

REGENCY PARK

I have requested that the Park Department replace the missing rules sign at Regency Park.  Per the Sheriff’s Office the park hours are dawn to dusk.

We are looking into getting the county to increase the lighting in the park parking lot

NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION

We are working to incorporate at a non-profit.

WATCH ACTIVITIES

If everyone would actively do one or more of the following we would all benefit.

-         At night and during the day look outside your house.  Take a step outside your front door and look up and down the street.  Actively look for suspicious activity.

-         Walk around your neighborhood while actively looking at and between the homes for suspicious activity as well as for suspicious cars.  Always carry your cell phone and put the non-emergency phone number of the Sheriff’s Office in your cell phone.  The number is 436-9620.  For emergencies call 911.

-         When driving home take a different route through the neighborhood watch area.  Watch for suspicious activity.

-         Problem traffic.  In some areas there are issues with very loud car radios, speeding cars, cars spinning their tires, etc.  In order to get a traffic unit out we need to be able to give the Sheriff’s Office good information regarding the problems that are occurring.  Using that information we can request a Sheriff’s Office traffic unit to be here during the high problem times.

-          If you see suspicious activity or after hours activity at Regency Park call the Sheriff’s Office 436-9620 and report it.  The park address is 8245 Fathom Road.

-         And remember, always be safe.  We are eyes and ears for the Sheriff’s Office and it is our job to let them know when something is wrong or suspicious.  But it is the job of the Sheriff’s Office to approach or investigate suspicious activity and it is their job to enforce the law.

Thank you,

Roselyn Johnson

President

484-7048