Neighborhood Watch Movement in Clairemont: Taking a Stand Against Crime

by Stephen Groce

Neighborhood Watch start-up meeting

Clairemont is taking a hard stand on crime by revitalizing its Neighborhood Watch Program. Modeled after the program in University City, SDPD's Northern Division, the Clairemont Town Council, and one inspired Clairemont resident joined together to coordinate a Neighborhood Watch start-up meeting. The meeting was held on Tuesday September 23, 2014 at the Live Well Senior Center in Clairemont.      

(L to R) Steph Groce, Adriana Enloe, CRO Larry Hesselgesser,
Barbara Gellman, Shirley Owen

The meeting, the first in recent years, hosted close to 40 Clairemont residents. SDPD Community Relations Officer Larry Hesselgesser, CTC Public Safety Awareness Committee Chairman Stephan Groce, and Neighborhood Watch Coordinators Adriana Enloe (Clairemont) and Barbara Gellman (University City) shared strategies for increasing crime prevention awareness, for securing a home or neighborhood, and the resources to start a Neighborhood Watch program.

The key to kicking off the campaign will be to increase visibility of high alert neighborhoods by posting new signs and starting a Nextdoor.com Community group. Also in attendance was Shirley Owen representing the office of District 6 City Councilwoman Lorie Zapf, District 6 Candidate Chris Cate, and California OES Sr. Emergency Services Coordinator Joanne Phillips. Phillips also volunteers as a member of the Clairemont Town Council's Public Safety Awareness Committee.