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Community Corner

Hazelwood Residents Urged to Get Involved in 'Celebrate Safe Communities' 2012

Hazelwood police, firefighters and city officials are partnering with the Neighborhood Watch Commission to help make the community a safer place to live--and they need your help.

Ever want to get to know your neighbors better? Hazelwood residents are invited to get involved and participate in the city’s annual event designed to help you do just that—as well as to keep their neighborhoods safer.  

For the fifth consecutive year, the will partner with the Neighborhood Watch Commission (NCPC), , and the Fire Protection Districts of Florissant Valley and to observe ‘Celebrate Safe Communities,’ scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 25. 

“Residents are urged to host block parties or special events, and gather with neighbors for barbecues on that date to discuss ways on how to keep their neighborhoods safe from crime with local police officers,” said the city’s communications coordinator Tim Davidson.

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Davidson added that the national sponsors of “Celebrate Safe Communities” are the National Crime Prevention Council and the Bureau of Justice Assistance at the U.S. Department of Justice. 

“In partnership with the National Sheriff’s Association, this program was launched in 2008 to help promote crime prevention in local communities across the country,” he said. “The joins hundreds of other communities in observing this public safety event. “

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This year’s themes include community engagement, neighborhood and home safety, personal safety, and cyber safety, the city said in a press release.

There will also be an anti-bullying initiative sponsored by the National Crime Prevention Council called The Circle of Respect. The initiative is aimed at protecting kids from bullying and cyber-bullying.

Local police departments with strong community relationships are typically more effective in their efforts to reduce crime, according to the NCPC.

“It takes a cooperative effort between residents, business owners, school administrators, and city officials to keep the criminal element out of our community,” said Hazelwood Acting Police Chief Gregg Hall.  “By working together, we learn to trust each other and build a sense of pride in knowing we’re doing our part to make Hazelwood a better place to live, work, and play.” 

The Hazelwood Police Department’s innovative neighbor policing program is known to help reduce crime, the city said.

”We rely on the cooperation we get from residents who tell us about suspicious activities in their neighborhoods,” Hall added. “Having residents meet our officers at ‘Celebrate Safe Communities’ block parties is a good way of fostering this bond of trust and cooperation in order to keep our streets safe.”

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