Concerned residents are invited to attend the upcoming Tyrone Neighborhood Watch meeting, which is scheduled for Tuesday, August 29 from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Tyrone Senior Center, located at 505 West 3rd St.
The meeting provides a place for friends and neighbors to join together to help keep their homes and community safe.
On the agenda for this month is guest speaker Tony Sassano of the Blair County Drug Task Force.
Neighborhood Watch programs have been popping up all over Blair County, including groups in Tipton and Bellwood. However, the Tyrone Neighborhood Watch group has been meeting for two years now.
According to spokeswoman, Maureen Adams, the Tyrone group is currently working to get more concerned citizens involved. Tyrone Police Chief Joseph Beachem said at a previous Borough meeting, he will attend the meetings in order to listen to residents’ concerns and share information with the public.
The meetings provide a safe way for community members to meet and share information regarding the safety of their neighborhood and its residents.
Everyone is invited to attend the upcoming meeting to see what it is all about, and bring a friend.
Neighborhood Watch, a growing program with Blair Senior Services was initiated with money from a Homeland Security Grant.
The purpose of the grant was to establish neighborhood watch groups throughout the county, identify volunteers to assist with emergency management and to provide educational opportunities to the people of the county.
In a Neighborhood Watch, volunteers and members of the neighborhood meet at a designated place once a month to talk about concerns they are having with the neighborhood. Guest speakers talk about issues like how to stay secure during the summer months with the windows of the house open, self defense and basic safety awareness. Also, members of law enforcement are often present at the meetings to provide information to the members of the community.
A Neighborhood Watch is established in a neighborhood when a citizen has a concern or interest in the program and approaches Blair Senior Services with the idea.
The role of the volunteers in the Neighborhood Watch Program is simple. Volunteers are asked to become more aware of their neighborhood and to report any suspicious behavior. There is an anonymous reporting system for those who might not want to report something otherwise. The purpose is through this sense of awareness, the Neighborhood Watch Program should bring a sense of community to the neighborhood.
Volunteers are never asked to become involved in an unsafe situation, but are to be aware of their surroundings and report any possible problems within the neighborhood.
For additional information about the Neighborhood Watch program, individuals are invited to contact Maureen Adams at 946-1235, extension 1040.
The Blair County Neighborhood Watch Program is sponsored by Blair Senior Services, Inc. and local police departments.
