As reported in recent weeks, the community of Crofton has experienced a series of break-ins and small crime, with some local businesses being broken into, and a few other reports from the Sheriff’s department of theft.
The surrounding area has also seen a spike in such activity, according to the Knox County Sheriff’s reports in recent weeks.
These events drove some Crofton citizens discuss taking matters into their own hands, perhaps by way of a Neighborhood Watch group.
Bob Evans, who is also a current City Council member took to Facebook Wednesday of last week with the a desire to hold a meeting, which was held on May 18 by those citizens that saw the post and could attend.
Among the many things discussed, one attendee, Emily Zurst, reported to the Journal that:
“Neighborhood Watch is defined as a program of systematic local vigilance by residents of a neighborhood to discourage crime, especially burglary. Bob Evans wanted to be proactive and sent out a quick message on Facebook, Wednesday May 18th, letting the community know that he was going to hold a little meeting about possibly putting together a neighborhood watch group. It was short notice for many, but the turnout was great. We have had break-ins and burglaries in vehicles parked on the street, and in locked garages, a possible home burglary, and a few businesses have been targeted as well. Everyone that showed up feels some sort of uneasiness about what's been going on the last few weeks. Keeping our town safe and our children safe is obviously important. So, what did we talk about?”
Zurst continued:
“First, we talked about the break-ins and concern for lack of local law enforcement. If you are unaware, Crofton does not have a local police officer, even though according to Nebraska Revised Statute 14-102 (25) the city has to enforce all police regulations, and do it for the general welfare and safety of the citizens. Also, according to the Constitution of the State of Nebraska article 1-3 it states that no person shall be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law, nor be denied equal protection of the laws. The fact that dangerous things are happening and we don't have local law enforcement is concerning for everyone that showed up to the meeting, and to several people who couldn't make it. So, that's where creating a neighborhood watch group is a great first step in protecting our community.”
“Many people were in agreement that creating some sort of neighborhood watch would be beneficial. Many have joined the app Nextdoor (available for Apple and Android) which lets you join your "community" and from there you are able to communicate with others that have joined as well. You can post messages, updates, and alert members of any suspicious activity. If you need help with joining, we can certainly get you help at the next neighborhood watch meeting. We also talked about putting up neighborhood watch signs all around, letting people know there are citizens watching in all areas of the town. We shortly discussed creating a schedule for those who want to take watch at night (or during the day) in different areas of town. There will be a Crofton Neighborhood Watch Facebook group that can be joined for updates, meeting times, and other activity, as well,” said Zurst in her release to the Journal.
The next meeting has been planned to be held at the Sportstop Bar in Crofton, on Wednesday, June 1st at 7 p.m. – all who are interested in helping are welcome to attend.