FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 23, 2005

FOREST PARK RESURRECTS BLOCK WATCH PROGRAM

NORTHLAND - The Forest Park Civic Association announced that it plans to revive a Block Watch program in Forest Park East and Forest Park West in early 2006.

"People are worried about crime," said Dave Paul, Vice President of the Forest Park Civic Association. "They want something to be done." The reinvigorated Block Watch effort will start with three organizational meetings that will take place in 2006. Meetings can only be scheduled after a sufficient proportion of households have agreed to participate in the program. The Forest Park Civic Association's December issue of its newsletter, The Forester, includes a form residents can fill out and return to the civic association if they are interested in participating in the renewed Block Watch effort. Residents can also contact the civic association by e-mail at blockwatch@fpcivic.org.

The three meetings, which will be conducted by the Columbus Police Department's Strategic Response Bureau for the 18th Precinct, will explain the program and provide training for interested residents, including how to recognize, report and prevent crime. The two neighborhoods will operate their Block Watch programs independently. Each will also schedule their own organizational meetings.

"Forest Park residents need to be actively involved in and committed to this effort for it to succeed," Paul said. "The best way for us to protect our community from an increase in crime and its negative effects on property values is to be more vigilant and better informed ourselves."

The Forest Park Civic Association believes there's plenty of support for re-establishing a Block Watch program in the two neighborhoods. The civic association operates a supplementary security program, under which approximately two-thirds of the dues paid by every Forest Park Civic Association member goes toward paying off-duty city police officers to patrol the community and conduct house checks.

Precinct 18 is among the largest police precincts in Columbus, and includes eight cruiser districts. Five of these districts account for virtually all of the area south of I-270, east of Worthington, north of Morse Road and west of Westerville Road. The remaining three districts are north of I-270;one includes the rapidly growing Polaris area. Forest Park West is in the northeast corner of the 180 cruiser district, while Forest Park East accounts for approximately two thirds of the 186 cruiser district.

The FPCA's Supplementary Security program was started several years ago to help offset the trend of the Columbus Police Department having difficulty keeping up with growth and development, and a corresponding increase in crime, throughout the city, including the Northland area. The Columbus Police Department has been unable to field additional patrol officers to respond to the growth in in the Forest Park area. Response times have increased; patrol officers are spending more time responding to calls and compiling reports rather than patrolling our streets to prevent crime.

Forest Park residents are encouraged to complete a Block Watch interest form if they are interested in supporting the reviving of the Block Watch program. Residents can also send an e-mail message, including name, address and phone number, to blockwatch@fpcivic.org to indicate their support and willingness to participate.

The Forest Park Community is located in the far north portion of Columbus, Ohio, south of Ohio Route 161 (formerly Worthington - Granville Free Turnpike, east of Interstate Highway 71, and west of Cleveland Avenue. Karl Road (formerly Hess and McGuffey Free Turnpike) separates Forest Park East and West.

Since its beginning on April 7, 1962, the Forest Park Civic Association (FPCA) has performed a vital function in this community. It has sponsored and coordinated a fine array of activities for all of our citizens. The FPCA has represented all of the residents of Forest Park to city government agencies, developers, builders and local merchants. It has offered, at its general meetings, numerous distinguished speakers and informative programs.

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FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
    David Paul, Vice President, Forest Park Civic Association
    (614) 325-8217 or dwpaul@fpcivic.org
    http://www.fpcivic.org

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