New Haven Independent

More than 40 Wooster Square area residents turned out for a recent meeting to resurrect their neighborhood block watch, as they came together to collectively push back against the spike in robberies and violent crimes.

In attendance was the latest victim of a mugging that happened in the middle of a weekday afternoon on the corner of Chapel and Court streets. Still wearing an arm brace and splint for her broken thumb she described the horrifying ordeal.

“I was thrown down on the ground like a dog; they beat and robbed me of a lousy three dollars in my pocket, what was left of an opened pack of cigarettes, and my shoes.”

The victim — who did not want to reveal her name — said that she was scared and is still living with fear, wondering how she is supposed to protect herself. “It is a horrible experience to have gone through,” she said. “I want to forget the whole thing.”

Also on hand to address the gathering at the Block Watch Group meeting was Officer Joe Avery of the New Haven Police Department’s neighborhood services division. Officer Avery has many years of experience in helping local groups form block watch groups, and he reminded those in attendance that at one time the Wooster Square Block Watch was the biggest and most active one in the entire city.

“This is a great and promising turnout for a first-time meeting,” Avery observed. “This is how it begins — with people like you.”

He explained that over time, as crime diminishes and people move out of the area, people tend to lose interest in neighborhood watch programs. But he encouraged those in the area to, as he put it, “stick with it and stick together.”

Officer Avery was peppered with questions from the audience, including inquiries about police response times. Some residents said that they have waited as long as 45 minutes for a police cruiser to show up, and other voiced concerns were over the attitude of the police dispatcher.

Officer Avery responded by assuring everyone that the police dispatchers take each call seriously, but that priorities do come into play. “If there is a shooting in Fair Haven,” he explained, “and a call comes in about a break-in on Wooster Street, we do our best. But our resources are limited and sometimes there are more serious violations occurring that can delay an officer’s response time. But we always take every call seriously.”

As far as a dispatcher being rude or uncooperative, Officer Avery agreed that should never happen and said that if it does a compliant can and should be made with the Communications Supervisor at telephone 946-6321. “All calls are recorded,” he assured everyone, “and we will get to the bottom of any legitimate complaint.”

Those who witness or report a crime can also do their part to help police apprehend the criminal. As Officer Avery recommended, witnesses should try to take note of the person’s height, sex, and facial hair. License plates of vehicles the criminal is in or near are the most useful information, of course, but if those cannot be remembered it also helps to notice special features of the vehicle like the color, make, model, or other distinctive features.

Of course the best strategy is prevention, and while crimes may not be able to be stopped if criminals are determined to do them it does help to take personal precautions. Be alert of your surroundings at all times, take off audio headsets while walking and running so that you can pay better attention, and if your gut instinct makes you feel uneasy listen to it.

Officer Avery gave everyone another interesting and insightful tip, telling them to take special note of the color and style of the shoes worn by a perpetrator. During the colder weather many wrongdoers wear extra layers of clothing, he explained, so they often do what is referred to as a “steal and peel” by grabbing a pocket book, for instance, and then fleeing the scene while peeling off outer layers of clothing to change their appearance. But as Officer Avery pointed out, most of them don’t go to the trouble to change their shoes, so those can be a telltale sign to help identify a criminal.

Also, thanks to improvements in communications technology, the use of cell phones, instant messaging, cell phone cameras, and even twitter accounts can often be used to report suspicious activity or crimes in progress.

Michael Smart, the Alderman for the 8th ward which encompasses Wooster Square, is also involved in the effort to ensure that Wooster Square is safe. He lives on Lyons Street and is working with his neighbors to help drive home the message of community participation to help make their neighborhood a more secure place.

“Public safety is a priority for me,” Smart explains. “I am glad to see this kind of engagement from people within my ward and I will do everything I can to make sure that Wooster Square’s policing and safety needs are met.”

Meanwhile Ted and Karri Brady of Court Street have taken responsibility for reviving the neighborhood watch group in light of alarming spikes in area crime.

“We are encouraged with the turnout from our first meeting and the enthusiasm and energy of our neighbors,” says Karri Brady. “Already this core group has plans to expand the network to get more Wooster Square residents connected to our Block Watch and I expect an even bigger turnout at our next meeting on October 7th.”

Brady encourages people to get involved, and she can be reached here by those who want more information.