ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 22, 1996 TAG: 9602230020
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: E-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CHARLES STEBBINS STAFF WRITER
Concerned citizens of the Mount Pleasant area of Roanoke County are renewing their efforts to crack down on crime in their neighborhood.
Nearly 50 residents turned out Monday to voice their fears to police and community leaders. Some residents even accused police of taking too long to respond to calls in their neighborhood.
"We have a quiet and peaceful community, and when something happens, we all pull together," said Joyce Heath, a chairwoman for the Mount Pleasant Neighborhood Watch that encourages residents to keep lookouts for suspicious activity in the community.
Although she couldn't give a specific number, Marie Ham, co-coordinator, said a recent rash of car break-ins, house burglaries and attempted burglaries sparked the need for a meeting with police.
Monday's meeting, Ham said, shows an increasing awareness by residents to keep watch for criminal activity.
Several residents wanted to know how far they could go in administering their own brand of "home justice" if they came upon burglars in the act of breaking into a house or car.
A couple of residents told Roanoke County Police Detective Dave Flynn and crime prevention Officer Tom Kincaid that they would not hesitate to attack intruders in such situations.
The two officers said police response time is slow for various unavoidable reasons but that overall county police officers answer calls in no more than five or six minutes.
The officers also urged residents not to try to take justice into their own hands. It could do more harm than good, they said, especially if the homeowner shot a burglar who was unarmed. The homeowner then could face charges or civil suit.
Flynn and Kincaid advised residents to get complete descriptions, such as appearance of suspects and car license numbers and call police quickly.
Also residents should keep their houses and cars locked and valuables out of sight, especially in autos, the officers said.
Kincaid said newer model cars have removable tape decks - a popular theft item - but owners still leave them in vehicles, and they are stolen.
As preventive measures, the two officers recommended that residents use dusk-to-dawn lights, motion-sensor lights or dogs that bark when people approach in addition to their neighborhood watch.
LENGTH: Short : 49 linesby CNB