Priority of block watchers: Hands off

By ED RUNYAN

and Ashley Luthern

news@vindy.com

WARREN

The president of a neighborhood block watch that has conducted routine patrols in northwest Warren since 2006 says the group avoids problems like the fatal shooting in Sanford, Fla., by taking a hands-off approach.

“We just watch what’s going on and give the best description possible of the vehicle [or person], but under no circumstances do we challenge somebody,” said Bob Weitzel, president of the Northwest Neighborhood Association.

“As far as deliberately following someone, no,” Weitzel said.

“We are not vigilantes. We are not police officers. Our first goal is to be a good witness,” Weitzel said of the 10 to 15 people who work in teams of four or more at a time.

Watch members patrol in automobiles containing a yellow light and a sign that identifies them.

They’re not trying to sneak up on anyone because their goal is to serve as a deterrent, Weitzel said.

“We want the gangs or kids or whoever to see us and leave,” Weitzel said.

Last month in Sanford, Fla., block-watch member George Zimmerman, 28, shot and killed unarmed 17-year-old Trayvon Martin during a confrontation in a gated community.

The white and Hispanic Zimmerman killed Martin, who is black, in self-defense, his attorney said. Zimmerman suffered a broken nose and an injury to the back of his head in the scuffle, the attorney said, though a Sanford police video released after the arrest showed Zimmerman appeared to be relatively unscathed.

Reports indicate that Zimmerman became suspicious of Martin and called 911. The 911 operator told Zimmerman he could maintain a distance from the youth, but Zimmerman did not.

The state’s attorney told police not to arrest Zimmerman, claiming insufficient evidence that Zimmerman had committed a crime. The case and authorities’ handling of it have produced protests across the country. A special prosecutor has been assigned to review the case, as are the FBI and U.S.

Justice Department.

Weitzel said every Northwest Neighborhood block watch member is given a copy of the group’s rule book and learns the rules before going out the first time. New block-watch members are paired with veteran members at first, he added. “No block watch member ever patrols alone,” Weitzel said.

If a Northwest Neighborhood Association block- watch member sees a suspicious person, the procedure is to jot down a license-plate number or other descriptions and keep that information for future reference.

If a crime is committed in that area, that information can be given to police. If the block watch doesn’t learn of any crime being committed, the police are never even notified of it, Weitzel said.

There might be only a few situations in which block watch members might be tempted to physically intervene, primarily where an elderly or otherwise vulnerable person is being assaulted. Weitzel added that he doesn’t remember his organization ever having that arise.

The block-watch member would attempt to make the suspect stop with his or her voice, but if that didn’t work, he or she might have to become physical, Weitzel said.

Police Chief Tim Bowers said he uses the Northwest Neighborhood Association as a “model when I’m talking to other groups.” Bowers said members “definitely help” reduce crime in northwest Warren because they are “not afraid to call” police when they see something police should know.

“We’ve told them to take no enforcement action, to call us,” Bowers said of the Northwest Neighbors.

The Warren area, which has seen an increasing number of break-ins in recent years, has had its share of incidents involving citizens confronting suspected criminals.

On Oct. 25, 2008, weeks before the general election in which Barack Obama was elected U.S. president, Kenneth Rowles of Dover Street, Warren Township, fired a rifle at two black teens who entered his lawn to

vandalize a John McCain campaign sign. McCain was Obama’s Republican opponent. One of the teens was hit in the arm by the gunfire.

Rowles eventually was convicted of aggravated

assault and sentenced to five years’ probation and 90 days’ house arrest.

More recently, Aaron Chine, 31, who lives in an apartment in downtown Warren, made a citizens arrest near his home, putting handcuffs on a 47-year-old woman who asked him for money, then threatened to “pull out her knife and cut him.” Police arrived and took Laura K. Hall into custody.

Hall eventually pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor aggravated-menacing charge and was sentenced to five years’ probation.

Warren Law Director Greg Hicks said he doesn’t believe Chine’s actions were illegal, but he wouldn’t recommend him doing that in the future.

Youngstown Police Chief Rod Foley said he doesn’t remember any direct confrontations as a result of block-watch patrols, only occasionally self-defense or home invasion cases.

“We tell block-watch members not to confront anyone. They’re not trained, and hopefully they’re not armed. We would rather let law enforcement handle it,” Foley said.

Peggy Gurney, president of Cochran Park Neighbors on the city’s South Side, said her block watch is interested in starting formal patrols, but right now a few members walk up and down the street on their own.

“The rule is watch, look and listen and call, call, call. ...You are not the police, you are not to confront anyone. When you’re out make sure you have a cellphone or a device where you can call, and that’s what you do,” she said.

Foley said he asks residents to report anything that looks suspicious whether it’s a car or individual, because they know “who belongs and who doesn’t.”

“If someone’s walking up the street, we have no reason to stop them. But if residents call and say, ‘This is the third time someone who doesn’t live in our neighborhood has walked up and down our street, they may be casing houses,’ then we know to stop and question,” Foley said.

Christine Silvestri organized nightly patrols for the Boulevard Park Block Watch, which covers the area of Midlothian Boulevard, Euclid, Erie and Rush Boulevard.

“We never confronted anyone. If we saw anything, we didn’t think was right we called 911,” she said.

Block-watch members had a yellow strobe light and magnetic signs for their cars and patrolled about an hour each night. Silvestri remembers at least one resident offered to accompany her on patrol and bring his gun.

“I said, ‘You’re doing exactly what we’re trying to stop,’” Silvestri said.

“That’s not what the patrol was for. It was about keeping the neighborhood safe and clean and caring for your neighbors,” she said.

The block watch relied on the same people for patrols and had a difficult time

attracting new volunteers, so the number of patrols dwindled.

Silvestri said that’s been made up for by the use of various social media, such as Facebook and Twitter.