Warm weather brings increase
in activity, including crime

By William Kenny
Times Staff Writer

Spring brings more than baseball season to Philadelphia. In many neighborhoods, it also triggers increased interest in Operation Town Watch.
Many Town Watch groups patrol year-round because crime doesn’t hibernate in the winter. However, warm weather brings more outdoor activity and potentially more crime of all levels.
According to Chad Enos, Operation Town Watch’s trainer for Northeast Philadelphia, his organization is an important piece in the crimefighting puzzle as a monitoring and reporting entity. If managed correctly, it can be an effective information-gathering tool for police.
Speaking at the monthly meeting of the 8th Police District Advisory Council on May 2, Enos invited all residents to get involved in Town Watch by attending the organization’s annual conference and awards luncheon at the Sheraton, 17th and Race streets, on June 2.
The $8 admission includes breakfast and lunch, a series of crime-related workshops in the morning and Town Watch awards presentations in the afternoon.
"All of the Town Watch groups work very hard, and this is their day," Enos said.
From 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., participants will attend workshops on a range of topics, including avoiding identity theft and practicing "street smarts." The luncheon portion will highlight the year’s outstanding Town Watch group in each of the city’s 25 police districts.
Operation Town Watch was founded in Philadelphia in 1982, Enos said. Residents can join a so-called "eyes and ears" group with as little as one hour of training. Volunteers in those groups are asked merely to watch activity on their blocks from the safety of their own homes and report any suspected crime.
Longer training is required for patrolling groups. All training and equipment are provided to volunteers free of charge.
In more recent years, Enos added, Operation Town Watch has initiated programs in schools and communities to address adolescent violence.
"Whenever there’s a problem in the schools, we find that a lot of times it started in the community," Enos said.
"We look at the community in a holistic way. We look at the schools, and we look at the young people."
Meanwhile, Operation Town Watch actively tries to recruit young people into its ranks.
"They’re the ones who are going to have to step into our shoes eventually," Enos said. ••
For information about the Operation Town Watch conference, call 215-686-1453.
The next meeting of the 8th Police District Advisory Council will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, June 6, at the 8th Police District, Academy and Red Lion roads.
Reporter William Kenny can be reached at 215-354-3031 or bkenny@phillynews.com