They're serious about fighting crime

One Mooresville neighborhood is making every effort it can to boost crime prevention along its streets.

Linwood Farms, off Linwood Road, will host its own Safety Day for residents on Sept. 13, at the pool parking lot, from 2 to 4 p.m.

This event, said organizer and resident Bernice Scott, will provide a "perfect follow up" to the town-wide National Night Out held in early August.

"It's not just a child safety day, but we've coordinated it more as a community safety day," she said.

The Sunday event, organized by the Linwood Farms Community Watch Team and Social Committee, is being held in partnership with several local law enforcement agencies, such as the Mooresville Fire Department, Iredell County Sheriff's Department and the Mooresville Police Department.

Mooresville Police Chief Carl Robbins said he's "all for" neighborhood programs that promote safety and crime awareness.

"I think when communities and neighborhoods have their own family events, it gives neighbors a chance to meet one another and kind of establish a bond to look out for one another," he said.

"It really does come down to the community, working together and watching out for one another."

In light of several recent automobile break-ins throughout Mooresville, Robbins said events such as the one planned for Linwood Farms can help keep potential crime away.

"People that do crimes like that, they are looking for the opportunity and if they know a neighborhood is committed to having a safe neighborhood, I would think they would be less likely" to commit an act in an active part of town, he added.

As one of the more active neighborhoods in Mooresville, Linwood Farms participated in National Night Out in years past, before the town decided to host the event on a larger scale earlier this summer.
But in the hopes of maintaining a crime-free community, Scott said her Community Watch team wanted "to present this program as a continuation of the NNO event" in order to retain their strong partnership with police and fire officials in preserving a safe neighborhood.

The Sept. 13 Safety Day at Linwood Farms will feature self-defense demonstrations, home owner information and DNA kits for parents, children's car seat education and proper installation, blood pressure screenings, information on medications from a local pharmacy and possible appearances by "McGruff" the Police Safety Dog and "Sparky" the Fire Prevention Dog.

Additionally, law enforcement officials will be on hand to provide literature and answer questions.

Said Robbins, "I think the main thing is just being there to talk with neighbors if they have concerns. If they think there's things the police department can do better, it's a point of contact for them."

Scott said Linwood Farms has been pretty lucky to not experience some of the crime other Mooresville neighborhoods have recently reported. She said she believes its her neighborhood's active Community Watch Team that helps dissuade potential trouble.

"We are visible in the neighborhood," she said, noting that members of that community walk and patrol the streets throughout the day, keeping an eye out for anything out of the ordinary.

The Community Watch Team has also begun collecting contact information for all residents within Linwood Farms, she added.

"If something happens, we have a telephone tree ready to go to notify everyone."

Little by little, she said, Linwood Farms residents have come together to protect themselves against crime, and this Safety Day is just one of those steps they hope to maintain in years to come.

"The more that the public is aware that we do have a strong Community Watch, that's what helps keep them out beyond our boundaries here."

For more information on Linwood Farms' Safety Day, contact Scott at 704-664-2047.