FORT SMITH, Ark. -
Almost a year after Fort Smith Police began meeting with neighborhood associations in the city to target specific crimes, people involved say the program is working and growing.
Carolyn plank lives on north 12 street, an area she says used to be rife with crimes such as prostitution.
"The women couldn't even work in their front yards because these johns would stop, actually ask the homeowners working in their yards."
But that changed after she and her neighbors in the Lutheran-Duvall neighborhood started meeting with the Fort Smith Police Department to focus crime-fighting efforts in certain areas.
Chief Kevin Lindsey says similar complaints at another neighborhood meeting even led to a recent sting operation at a local motel.
"Our street crimes unit spent quite a bit of time thereĀ and were able to make a number of arrests," he said. "At the follow-up meeting, residents reported a drastic decrease in the activity."
Police have held several meetings since October, and have trained nine officers to run them; residents tell police what their biggest complaints are, such as vandalism and graffiti, and officers rate them in order of frequency and importance to the residents. Specific complaints are investigated, while others are looked into when patrol officers aren't answering calls or in court.
The individual meetings have grown into a coalition of neighborhood groups led by Plank, who says she'd like to see it one day grow to include neighborhoods from all across Fort Smith.
"It's kind of like a domino effect, one neighbor does something to do good and clean up, the other neighbor sees it and they do good too, you know." Plank says Fort Smith residents who want to start their own group can call the Fort Smith Police Department for more information, or contact her at CPlank2@cox.net.
Carolyn plank lives on north 12 street, an area she says used to be rife with crimes such as prostitution.
"The women couldn't even work in their front yards because these johns would stop, actually ask the homeowners working in their yards."
But that changed after she and her neighbors in the Lutheran-Duvall neighborhood started meeting with the Fort Smith Police Department to focus crime-fighting efforts in certain areas.
Chief Kevin Lindsey says similar complaints at another neighborhood meeting even led to a recent sting operation at a local motel.
"Our street crimes unit spent quite a bit of time thereĀ and were able to make a number of arrests," he said. "At the follow-up meeting, residents reported a drastic decrease in the activity."
Police have held several meetings since October, and have trained nine officers to run them; residents tell police what their biggest complaints are, such as vandalism and graffiti, and officers rate them in order of frequency and importance to the residents. Specific complaints are investigated, while others are looked into when patrol officers aren't answering calls or in court.
The individual meetings have grown into a coalition of neighborhood groups led by Plank, who says she'd like to see it one day grow to include neighborhoods from all across Fort Smith.
"It's kind of like a domino effect, one neighbor does something to do good and clean up, the other neighbor sees it and they do good too, you know." Plank says Fort Smith residents who want to start their own group can call the Fort Smith Police Department for more information, or contact her at CPlank2@cox.net.
