LAW-ABIDERS MARCH AGAINST CRIME

On a recent weekend, members of neighborhood watch groups marched from
their environs to the Tampa Police Department headquarters downtown.
There they were greeted and thanked by Chief Bennie Holder for their
part in helping lower the city's crime rate.

According to Holder, 19 neighborhood watch groups had formed
partnerships with TPD. These coalitions are part of the growing
realization that the best strategies for fighting crime in residential
neighborhoods are those that help police to work closely with resident
organizations. More importantly, such strategies require residents to
believe that others in their neighborhood are committed to a
crime-free environment and that there is hope for the future.

The police can't be everywhere at once, but those living in the
community can greatly help. Neighborhood residents, working together
and with law enforcement, aid the investigation of ongoing problems,
not just incidents. The march let drug dealers, prostitutes and their
would-be customers know that they were being watched - and will be in
the future.

Establishing a neighborhood watch group empowers people with the
ability to change their community. Across the country, residents armed
with video cameras, telephones and plain old note pads are taping drug
transactions and writing down license plate numbers, then relaying the
information to the police. But their primary weapon is a strong
determination to improve the area where they live, and that should be
a constant regardless of crime statistics.

One member of a watch group that had successfully removed drug dealers
and prostitutes from her neighborhood expressed regret that they may
have only chased the illegal activity to another neighborhood. While
no one should wish such activity on any street or area, such a
possibility stresses the need for as many watch groups as possible.

There are far more law-abiding citizens than criminals, and there is
strength in numbers. Along with the calming effect that occurs when
people know they are not alone, neighborhood watch groups give
residents the power to change. Most important, they send a signal that
criminal activity won't be tolerated in their community, which signals
a brighter future for the city.