Neighborhood Watch
The Neighborhood Watch Meeting occurs every second Wednesday of the month at the West Peoria City Hall at 6:30 PM.
Residents interested in starting a "watch" on their block are invited to call Maggie Moore at 673-0535.
From Aug 2010 WP News
Deputy Briggs, accompanied by his partner Benny, of the Canine Division of the Peoria County Sheriff’s Department will be the guest speaker at the Neighborhood Watch meeting on August 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the
From Jun 2010 WP News
Along with the arrival of spring came several attempted home burglaries in West Peoria-timely reminders to residents to join with their neighbors in the efforts of the West Peoria Neighborhood Watch to help this community's fight against crime.
Take the appropriate steps to avoid becoming a victim. Begin by inspecting your home to be sure all precautions are taken to ward off prospective burglars. Check out the entry points of your residence. A security inspection begins at the front door and continues with the inspection of other doors, windows, locks, lights, and landscaping.
Working together through membership in the West Peoria Neighborhood Watch program not only benefits individuals but also provides an avenue for all to work together to keep each other safe.
To take advantage of one service this organization provides, send an e-mail to maggiemo@mtco.com to be added to the Neighborhood Watch "Alert" list. This list is used exclusively for the purpose of notifying NW Block captains and neighbors of emergencies, sightings of possible criminal activity, and meeting dates and times.
Light bulbs, compliments of Neighborhood Watch and AmerenCilco, are available at the West Peoria City Hall. "Help Stop Crime - Fight With Light." Remember that the cost of a break-in far exceeds the cost of a yard or porch light.
West Peoria residents are invited to attend the Neighborhood Watch meetings with Deputy Middlemas on the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.
BURGLARY - BREAK-INS - VANDALISM
It takes all of us to work together on this project to prevent these crimes!From Apr 2010 WP News
From Apr 2010 WP News
Neighborhood Watch block captains and residents deserve credit for being the vigilant "eyes and ears" that are helping the community police to keep the crime and drug rates down in West Peoria. An over-all decline in crime-related activity in West Peoria is shown in the year-to-date totals from the records of the Sheriff's Department.
Generally, warm weather provides the opportunity for an increase in crime, especially for con games and scams. Neighborhood Watch asks residents to be alert and to take precautions to make it tough for burglars. Improve home security by putting in place good locks, alarm systems, and effective lighting. Make sure that all interior and exterior lights are turned on at appropriate times.
Neighborhood Watch encourages all residents to join the "Light up West Peoria" campaign. The campaign's slogan, "Help stop crime-fight with light," is reminder of the importance of everyone working to keep this community safe. Anyone who needs an outside light bulb can pick one up at the West Peoria City Hall, compliments of Neighborhood Watch.
A Neighborhood Watch "Alert" list is being compiled for the purpose of notifying block captains and their neighbors of emergencies or criminal activity and of meeting changes. Anyone wishing to be on this list should send an e-mail address to maggiemo@mtco.com. E-mail address will be used exclusively for this list. All West Peoria residents are invited to attend the Neighborhood Watch meeting with Deputy Middlemas on the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall.
From Feb 2010 WP News
The success of West Peoria's Neighborhood Watch requires that all residents continue to be involved in partnership with the community police. The eyes and ears of good neighbors are needed to observe and to report suspicious or criminal activities to the police.
Our active and continuous involvement helps to make the community a better and safer place to live. Remember that winter weather does not stop crime. Follow these safety tips:
- Be alert.
- Keep doors and windows locked.
- Keep light (front and back of the home) on at night.
- Do not leave unattended a vehicle that is warming up.
The next Neighborhood Watchwill be Wednesday, February 10, at 6:30 p.m. at the West Peoria City Hall. Deputy Middlemas will give an up-date on the criminal activity in West Peoria. The Neighborhood Watch meeting is open to the public. If anyone has questions or wants further information, please contact Maggie Moore, Neighborhood Watch Coordinator, 673-0535 or maggiemo@mtco.com.
From Dec 2009 WP News
Deputy Watkins and Deputy Briggs, with his partner Bennie, stopped by the October 10 West Peoria Neighborhood Watch block party on West Ayres Avenue. Residents on Ayres gathered to meet their neighbors and to welcome four new families to the neighborhood. The cold and windy weather did not stop the neighbors from enjoying an evening of games, good food, and conversation around a cozy warm fire.
In the October issue of the West Peoria News readers were provided information regarding Nixle, a community emergency information service. Anyone who has not registered, please do so by following these simple instructions.
Go to http://www.nixle.com/ where a form will appear on the screen, asking for a user code and a password. Create a user code and password and then click on "Log In.". The next screen will ask for the preferred method of receiving Nixle information: through e-mail address, by telephone, or by text message (standard rates will be charged for text messages). Nixle will confirm your registration in accordance to your preferred method of receiving messages.
Nixle is a certified and secure communication platform that allows the sheriff's department, municipal agencies, and community groups to relay important information instantly to the residents in their communities.
There will be no Neighborhood Watch meeting in December. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, January 13, at 6:30 p.m. at the West Peoria City Hall. Lt. Hartwig will be the guest speaker at the January meeting when he will continue with part two of his talk on self-defense.
From Oct 2009 WP News
In an effort to work together to provide a community information service, the West Peoria Neighborhood Watch (WPNW) and the city of West Peoria have registered to use the Nixle program. Nixle is the first certified and secure communication platform that allows local police departments, sheriff's departments, municipal agencies, and community groups to connect instantly with residents by text message, email, and web in the most trusted, reliable, and geographically-targeted way.
This program is provided at no cost to WPNW, the city of West Peoria, or participating citizens. Because of West Peoria Neighborhood Watch's affiliation with National Night Out and the National Association of Town Watch, WPNW and the city of West Peoria were authorized to register with Nixle.
Only credible and verified information will be transmitted through this service. The information will come from our neighborhood block watch, law enforcement agencies, and other community groups that have specific information as to whether or not the reported information is about criminal activity, a missing person, or a meeting date. Citizens with specific information to report may call Gene Pratt at City Hall at 674-1993 or Maggie Moore, Neighborhood Watch Coordinator, at 673-0535. West Peoria citizens may register now at http://www.nixle.com/.
The West Peoria Neighborhood Watch is changing its meeting time to the second Wednesday of each month, starting October 14 at 6:30 p.m. at City Hall. The guest speaker will be Lt. Hartwig with the Peoria County Sheriff's Department. He will talk about self-defense.
From Jun 2009 WP News
According to West Peoria's Neighborhood Watch, the County Sheriff's Department statistics show that crime in West Peoria has been substantially lower for the past couple of years. However, this spring seven reports of theft from vehicles were reported. In each case, the vehicles were not locked.
Remember to follow these preventive measures to protect your property from crime:
- Lock vehicles even when parked in a garage.
- Keep all means of entry to homes, garages, and cars locked at all times.
- Turn on all exterior and interior lights (front and back) at the appropriate times as a safeguard against break-ins.
- Call 911 immediately if you see suspicious persons or vehicles in your neighborhood.
From Apr 2009 WP News
The West Peoria Neighborhood Watch wishes to remind residents that identity theft is a serious crime. People whose identities have been stolen can spend months or years-and thousands of dollars-clearing up their good names and credit records. Victims of identity theft may lose their jobs, be denied loans or credit, or even be arrested for crimes they didn't commit. Beware of skilled identity thieves who use a variety of ways to access personal data including:
- Stealing information from business and medical records.
- Rummaging through residential trash or public trash-known as "dumpster diving."
- Stealing wallets or purses.
- Stealing information found in residences or left in vehicles.
- Gaining access to credit or debit card numbers from information in a data storage device-known as "skimming."
- Posing as an employee of a bank, survey firm, or credit agency to obtain privileged information by "Phishing" online or "pretexting" by telephone or e-mail-often by calling victims to tell them that there is a problem with their accounts, etc.
- Identity thieves may use the stolen information to open new credit card accounts in someone else's name, establish phone or wireless service, open bank accounts, obtain counterfeit checks or credit/debit cards, or authorize electronic transfers to drain a victim's bank account. The list of crimes is endless.
If you are a victim of identity theft, take these actions immediately:
- Notify credit bureaus to establish a fraud alert.
- Close all financial accounts.
- Contact the agencies that issue drivers' licenses or any government issued identification.
Don't be a victim of identity theft. Be alert:
- Don't carry a SSN Card - keep it in a secure place.
- Carry only needed credit/debit cards.
- Don't give out information on the phone, by mail or on the internet unless you initiated the contact and feel secure dealing with that contact.
- Keep wallets or purses secure, especially at a place of business.
- Keep personal information stored in your computer safe with virus protection software and a firewall program to stop uninvited access to your computer.
For more information on identity theft go to www.ftg.gov/idtheft or contact local Senior Services at (309) 637-3905.
From Feb 2009 WP News
Neighborhood Watch-concerned citizens addressing issues of crime that concern the entire community-works because citizens assume an active role in making their neighborhood safe by working with local law enforcement to report suspicious or criminal activity. In addition to a decline in burglaries, other crime rates decline as well in areas with an active Neighborhood Watch.
West Peoria's Neighborhood Watch is a member of the National Association of Town Watch and participates in the annual National Night Out to promote involvement in crime and drug prevention activities. To-date, West Peoria Neighborhood Watch has over twenty streets and more than thirty block captains involved in block watch programs. Statistics from the Sheriff's Department with year-to-date totals for West Peoria show a substantial over-all decline in crime related activity.
To view articles published before 2009, click on this link: WP News - 2010. Then search through the WP News issues available online.