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September 2008
I hope everyone had a happy and safe Labor Day weekend.
August was a very busy month for us and September does not look like it is going to get any easier. As many of you know by now, we are focusing plenty of departmental resources towards “quality of life” issues with the noise/loud party complaints. I would have thought the first weekend with all of the publicity, things would have quieted down but we wrote additional underage drinking tickets over Labor Day weekend. I can assure you that we will not let up. Just to give you an idea, we wrote almost twice as many citations this weekend then last.
While most of the noise complaints occur around or near campus, this is a collaborative effort between Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE), Wilmington Police and UNC-W. Thank you for your calls concerning noise/party violations. Thus far we have issued approximately 25 civil noise violations and have written approximately 65 criminal citations for underage drinking. One student was charged with 18 counts of giving alcohol to minors and he was only 18 years old himself. The 17 other charges are not included in the 65 criminal citations. Please continue to call us if you are being disturbed and/or awakened during the night because of the noise. Please call me or email me with any complaints or concerns that you may have.
What’s New on the Police Front
The Police Department located at 2451 S. College Rd. will open around the first of October 2008 we hope! If any of you have had to do business with the Government, you know how cumbersome this can be! This month we will focus on District 6. The next time we will focus on District 5 when Lt. Cochran returns. If you will recall, I am filling in for her. O.M. Blanton is the Lieutenant for District 6 which is divided into 2 Beats which are 6A and 6B. The boundary line for District 6 goes North on College Road to Wrightsville Ave. From there it then goes East on Wrightsville Ave until the Draw Bridge at Wrightsville Beach.
There were some noteworthy robberies and assaults to report. We can now say that the attacks on the young lady from the Pantry and the jogger on Holly Tree Road are not related to the downtown assault at Third and Market Sts. And in case of the robberies, most of them have been solved and an arrest has been made. According to the statistics, crime has actually gone down!!!!!!!
Please use crime prevention tips and remember to look out for your neighbor. Also use the “Buddy System” so someone always knows where you are. Always call if you are going to be late. Remember to lock up your valuables and/or keep them out of sight. Remember that the criminal does not care if he has to break your car window to get your lap top computer, I-pod or anything else he sees of value in your vehicle. Please take the time to place these items in your truck or perhaps push them under the seat of your vehicle where they are not visible. If you see a suspicious vehicle/and or person in your neighborhood, please call us.
We are working with Barry Coburn, who is the crime analyst for the Department. We will be working very closely with him to check on the crime trends. One thing that Barry says is that typically when the students return for the fall semester, Crime has a tendency to go up. This is contributed in part to students leaving valuables in sight which in return creates an opportunity for a criminal to commit the crime. So again, please remember to remove all valuables to the trunk of your vehicle/and or out of sight and then make sure it is locked and all valuables are removed from sight.
Traffic Enforcement Locations for the Month of September:
We know that speeding complaints are common in our area. Therefore the officers will be working radar in the following locations this month:
Crime Prevention Tips:
Remember: Criminals gravitate to places where they feel safe and secure. They avoid neighborhoods where they are likely to get caught. When they are not wanted or welcome, they go someplace else.
Citizens protecting themselves and their property by using common sense crime prevention practices.
Neighbors getting to know each other, watching out for each other, and acting on or reporting suspicious activity.
Upcoming Events
We are looking forward to attending the College Acres Homeowners Association this month. We have already been attending meetings with the Carelton Place Homeowners Association. I think these meetings are valuable and a lot of information is shared. If you would like for us to attend your homeowners association community meeting please call or email me. We would be more than happy to attend.
Last but not least, Lt. Cochran is back at the end of the month. Please send her a warm email message and/or please stop in and meet her. She has been attending the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. I am sure she is excited about returning home and assuming her duties. I am sure she and I will be working very closely during the month of October 2008. Her email address is kathy.cochran@wilmingtonnc.gov.
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