ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. - After more than three years of dormancy, the Elizabeth City Police Department is working to restore the city's Community Watch initiative.
The program puts more eyes on the streets and on people's property in an effort to prevent crime.
Chief Phil Webster, who arrived to the department last year, says something similar in North Myrtle Beach, S.C., when he led police there, but Elizabeth City's fizzled out just prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We started off just putting it out that we’re going to start having the Community Watch program over again," said Webster of the decision behind the recent restart.
Earlier this week, around 20 people showed up to the revived initiative's third meeting at Knobbs Creek Recreation Center.
At just 35 officers, Webster says his staff is about 20-30 short of where it should be. With violence among youth and young adults a major problem for the department, he tells News 3 that people living in city neighborhoods can really make a difference.
“We need to restore trust," he said. "We need to encourage people to report crime, and to be better witnesses.”
Webster says officers can teach that part, plus useful information on securing homes and property.
“That’s one good thing about community watch, we can offer tips on doing that, but also community watch spurs a lot of extra eyes.”
Eyes that can watch out for each other and watch the streets, hopefully helping solve crimes like the city's most recent homicide; the shooting death of a 22-year-old Edenton man on Maple Street.
The next Community Watch meeting is scheduled for November 28 at 6 p.m. at Knobbs Creek Recreation Center.
