by Susy Meyer

On January 21, the Westover Hills Merchants Association invited members of the Westover Hills and Forest Hill neighborhood associations to a joint meeting with representatives from the local police department to discuss safety in the community.

Officers Hawkins Kuper is a community environmental officer. Officer Stacey Rogers serves the community through the Forest Hill and James River parks systems and areas between the Nickel Bridge and the Lee Bridge. He is a bike officer, so if you see a tall policeman on a bike, that’s most likely Officer Rogers, using his outdoor adventure skills!

The officers noted that our community is quite safe, and any issues that have transpired have not been major or life-threatening. To keep our neighborhood safe, they both stressed that our neighbors and merchants must be the “eyes and ears” of the community. We need to be observant, and to report anything that appears to be odd or out of place. Have you seen someone walking in the alleys or neighborhood that looks out of place? Have you noticed an abandoned vehicle? Has someone unfamiliar been sitting in a car for sometime? Incidents such as these could be nothing, but it does not hurt to report them. The officers stressed that police would rather check things out, than to have something happen and wish they had been called.

The officers noted that criminals will take the path of least resistance. Leaving our cars or other doors unlocked just makes it easy for them. So be sure to lock things up! Check your cars - leave nothing in plain sight. Don’t think that you are fooling anyone by putting a jacket over a purse or valuable item. A jacket in a car –even with nothing under it—may lead someone to think there is something of value there. Moral of the story – keep your cars clean and clear of any tempting items – especially those GPS devices. Officer Rogers said they are like a “beacon” inviting intruders.

We can help the police deal with panhandling and trespassing. If you’re concerned about trespassing (and issue particularly relevant to the merchants after-hours) whether merchant or neighbor, notify officer Kuper or Rogers to express your concern. They will get you a form you can fill out so they will have it on file. This helps them with the process when they address the situation.

It was pointed out by David Hathcock from the office of City Council President Kathy Graziano that there is a partnership between the merchants and the neighbors of Westover Hills. It is important for merchants and neighbors to work together. With many neighbors at work during the day, the merchants can be aware of what is happening in the area during daytime hours. Likewise, during the evening hours, when many merchant establishments are closed, neighbors can be on the lookout on their behalf. It’s all about working together.

The January joint meeting was so successful it was decided to hold quarterly meetings with merchants and the surrounding neighborhoods. We strongly encourage Westover Hills residents to attend these meetings in the future. For your records, we include the following contact information:

Police – non emergency 646-5100, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it 646-1211, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it 972-2688