Neighborhood Watches: Effective in Dunedin?

Bicycle patrols are working in Dunedin, Pinellas County Sheriff's Deputy Spencer Gross told city leaders Thursday. 

Gross, a law enforcement fixture in Dunedin, explained how the latest patrol strategy is helping to bolster neighborhood watch efforts throughout the city during the Sheriff's quarterly report segment of the April 18 commission meeting. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri and North District Station Capt. Glenn Luben sat behind Gross along with a few other law enforcement personnel.

"People are more likely to come up and speak to us on a bicycle," Gross said. "Instead of receiving complaints, we’ll receive concerns before they become complaints," and "resolve them before they become emergencies."

"It's hard to get people to participate," especially if residents feel they are alone in their efforts, he said. Having more law enforcement presence in the neighborhoods is "a morale booster."

Watch groups work in tandem with law enforcement to get in front of neighborhood issues, explained Sgt. Denise Nestor, who coordinates educational programs for 250 crime watch groups across Pinellas.

Nestor echoed the frustration many residents feel in getting started.

"We did have two people come forward to try to start a neighborhood watch after that big meeting we had last fall," she said. "However, they were unable to gain the support of their neighbors. So the attempts were there, but we weren't able to seal the deal."

She said 42 neighborhood watch groups exist in Dunedin and encouraged more residents to get involved.

"It’s neighbors looking out for neighbors," Nestor said. "It’s not patrolling. We're not asking the neighbors to get into golf carts and patrol and walk up and down the street with flashlights and shine in neighbors' windows. We don't want any of that. We just want them to know how to report, when to report and —"

Vice Mayor Julie Ward Bujalski finished Nestor's sentence.

" ... Have a closer connection to what you guys are doing in the community," she said. 

Nestor also spoke of the importance of patience and persistence.

Some have an "unrealistic expectation" that neighborhood issues would be solved in as little as two meetings, she said. "Sometimes it’s going to take a long time."

Mayor Dave Eggers shared some budding strategies borne from discussions within the city's volunteer Public Safety Committee to create a campaign that would bring residents together and keep them active.

"It's about being preventative" and "avoiding problems that start cropping up," Eggers said.

Want to Get Involved?

• Visit Pinellas County Sheriff's Neighborhood Watch program online for ways you can make a difference in your neighborhood.

Related Coverage:

• 5 Questions with North District Sheriff Capt. Luben
• Pinellas Sheriff to Attend Dunedin City Meetings
• Sheriff Warns Dunedin: Significant Undercover Activity Underway

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