Oak Ridge Today

Guest column: Holiday crime prevention, shopping tips

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By Sheriff Paul White

During the busy holiday season, many people can become victims of burglary, theft, and other crime. Protecting yourself and your home from crime is the easiest way to have a safe and happy holiday season.

In an effort to ensure everyone has safe and fun holidays, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department would like to offer the following tips for holiday crime prevention.

Shopping:

  • Park in lighted areas at night.
  • Always lock your car. Don’t try to cover items on your seats. Put shopping bags in your trunk or take your packages straight home after shopping and then go back out. [Read more…]

Neighborhood Watch hosts Applebee’s pancake breakfast on Saturday

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Neighborhood Watch Logo

The Oak Ridge Neighborhood Watch Program will host a pancake breakfast from 8-10 a.m. Saturday at Applebee’s restaurant in Oak Ridge.

Tickets are $5 per person. Tickets for the all-you-can-eat breakfast may be purchased from Neighborhood Watch district leaders in advance and at the door the day of the event.

Proceeds from the breakfast will support the Neighborhood Watch, a program that supports groups of neighbors who organize and partner with the Oak Ridge Police Department to report suspicious activity and keep watch on neighbors’ homes. The program helps police reduce crime and keep neighborhoods safe, and it helps neighbors improve the quality of life in their communities. [Read more…]

Letter: Enjoyed National Night Out, let’s advertise Oak Ridge events

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To the Editor:

I had the pleasure of attending the National Night Out event at the Oak Ridge Civic Center park earlier this month.

This was a wonderful event for Oak Ridge and surrounding communities. There were many booths with important information regarding home and neighborhood safety, with education regarding drug addiction and meth labs.The Oak Ridge firemen and police officers had such interesting activities for children including a ride in the fire truck bucket! There was free food provided by Pizza Inn, Baskin Robins, Chick-fil-a, Coca Cola, and more! There were many exciting activities for children including bucket rides in the City of Oak Ridge truck, fire trucks to tour, and bounce houses. What a delightful experience for my grandchildren! [Read more…]

Guest column: October marks Crime Prevention Month

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Crime Prevention Logo

The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department joined with the Anderson County Board of Commissioners in proclaiming October as Crime Prevention Month for 2013. Sheriff Paul White has challenged the entire community to make crime prevention a priority and wishes to thank law enforcement officers throughout Anderson County along with the many people who have taken personal responsibility for their neighborhoods as well as community organizations that work for the common good.

In 1984, the National Crime Prevention Council, the nation’s center of excellence for preventing crime, designated October as Crime Prevention Month. The month-long commemoration reflects the adage that prevention pays off. NCPC strongly believes that citizen involvement in crime prevention can and has played a vital role in helping many communities stay safe.

Crime Prevention Month recognizes successful crime prevention efforts on the local, state, and national levels to generate interest and enthusiasm for prevention efforts to continue to grow even stronger and become more widespread. [Read more…]

Sheriff’s Department has county-wide Neighborhood Watch meeting on Tuesday

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Neighborhood Watch Logo

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The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department will be holding a county-wide Neighborhood Watch meeting at the Clinton Middle School auditorium at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. The meeting will highlight the success of Neighborhood Watch and the dedicated volunteers who have contributed so much to reducing crime. A presentation will demonstrate how the department’s crime analysis and crime mapping aids citizens in keeping neighborhoods safe.

Neighborhood Watch is one of the oldest and most effective crime prevention programs in the country, bringing citizens together with law enforcement to deter crime and make communities safer. Throughout the county, there are some 30 Neighborhood Watch groups keeping a close eye on their community. [Read more…]

Proactive policing, officer visibility, Neighborhood Watch help reduce crime, chief says

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James T. Akagi

James T. Akagi

The number of reported crimes has dropped significantly in each of the past two years in Oak Ridge, and that’s good news for the community, economic development, and police officer morale, officials said Wednesday.

Reported crimes were down 9 percent in Oak Ridge in 2011, and 11.5 percent in 2012, according to Tennessee Bureau of Investigation statistics.

“That indicates to me that isn’t a blip,” Oak Ridge Police Chief Jim Akagi said. “It’s not a one-year blip.” [Read more…]

Neighborhood Watch reduces crime, celebrates ‘Night Out’

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Cas Walker Ciderville Show

Bass player Jeff Tolson, from left, guitarist and vocalist Jamey Oran, guitarist Terry “Teep” Phillips, and banjo player David West perform as the Cas Walker Ciderville Show during “National Night Out” in Oak Ridge on Tuesday.

Hundreds of residents on about 210 streets take part in the city’s crime-fighting Neighborhood Watch program, and that’s helping to cut down on illegal activity, Oak Ridge Police Officer Jeremy Upham said Tuesday.

“I think, personally, it’s making a huge impact,” said Upham, the police department’s liaison to the Neighborhood Watch program. “The neighbors are calling when they see suspicious things that don’t fit in.”

[Read more…]

County crime prevention meeting Tuesday

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The Anderson County Sheriff’s Department is having a crime prevention meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Anderson County High School cafeteria.

The meeting will feature current Neighborhood Watch groups as well as those interested in forming their own Neighborhood Watch groups.

[Read more…]