Neighborhood Watch is one of the oldest and most effective crime prevention programs in the country, bringing citizens together with local law enforcement to deter crime and make communities safer. It is not a vigilante force working outside the normal procedures of law enforcement.

The benefits of a Neighborhood Watch program are reducing the risk of being a crime victim, being better prepared to respond to a suspicious activity, having greater access to knowledge of criminal activity, and getting to know your neighbors.

The members of the Neighborhood Watch will meet at Town Hall on Saturday, April 19, 2008, at 9:00 a.m. Officer Robert Varasconi, Winchester’s Community Relations Officer, will provide a brief presentation on first aid in the home and on the lake. He will provide information on what to do if someone is injured in a fall or suffers a head or neck injury. Among other topics will be poison control and what to do if you have a fire in the kitchen.

Recent criminal activity and vandalism around the lake make this program essential right now. We do need volunteers for Neighborhood Watch, and if you are interested, please attend one of our meetings, or call me (860.738.0167) and I will try to answer any questions you might have.