do you really know your neighbor?

[JaxUnicorn]

Sorry if someone has already posted this - admittedly I did not read all 12 pages of this thread...  The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office has an online sexual predator service called 'Offender Watch' that even offers immediate email notifications.  I've been using it for quite some time.

http://sheriffalerts.com/cap_main.php?office=54115

OffenderWatch® is updated instantaneously throughout the day as offender addresses and other offender information is updated in our office. You may enter any address in Jacksonville and see real-time information on the publishable offenders within the specified radius of the address you enter.

Offenders move frequently, so instead of having to check the maps on a weekly basis, the best way to stay informed is to take advantage of our free email alert system. You may confidentially register as many addresses in Jacksonville as you wish, and we will continuously monitor the addresses and send you an email alert if a new offender registers an address within the specified radius of any address you register. There is no cost for this service and no limit to the number of addresses you can register - your email address and physical addresses are all confidential. Tell your friends and neighbors and be sure to register your home, school, work, gym, day care, park, soccer field, parents or children's homes - any address of interest to you!

[ChriswUfGator]

Good luck with getting some kind of coordination with the block captains in Springfield.  I, and others in the past,have tried to form some sort of bona fide citizens crime prevention unit (not just your typical neighborhood watch) and hit a brick wall at both SPAR and JSO.  "The crime is improving month after month."  "There isn't any crime in Springfield."  Yeah right!  I would be interested in helping out with something like this.  If there are a few more civilians that are interested and there is JSO officer that actually gives a crap enough to get the office work with us we could get something really awesome going.

There were like two break-ins in Riverside and within a month there was a Neighborhood Watch system in place, with volunteers and everyone assigned shifts etc.

http://www.metrojacksonville.com/forum/index.php/topic,5898.0.html

Talk to JaxNole, he was one of the organizers, he might be able to offer some insight. As an unrelated side-note, this is another perfect example of why SPAR's current top brass needs to go.

[ChriswUfGator]

A direct line, text or voice, to the officers on duty and their ability/willingness to respond without dispatch is the key component.  There are eyes all over this neighborhood.  An emergency message system has been tested by some of us in the hood.  It is something that requires the user to subscribe and then has the option of submitting/receiving alerts via text, voicemail, or email.  The JSO officers that work in this area could subscribe for the service and receive the alerts as well.  It is only effective if they respond though.  I'm sure a picture upload option could be added to enable upload a picture of the perp, etc.  A strict usage policy or user screening would have to be in place to prevent abuse.

The Riverside Neighborhood Watch has a website where you can go to report activity, and the person "on duty" then gets an immediate notification and can investigate and call police. It's a good solution.

Again, talk to JaxNole, he set up the alert system and can give you some insight.

[ChriswUfGator]

Yes I wonder how ole' R2D2 is holding up these days? Being strung up by your toenails always seemed unpleasant.