Paris residents are keeping tabs on unfamiliar elements in their neighborhood.
PARIS – Residents of the area between the Oxford County Superior Court and Don Gouin Athletic Fields have taken action to prevent crime in their neighborhood.
Tom Morton of Tribou Street had his home burglarized in the daytime on Feb. 27. Thieves took a small amount of cash.
He said he talked to his neighbors after the incident.
“I learned from my neighbors that there have been a lot of suspicious persons and activity in the neighborhood that hasn’t been reported to the police,” Morton said.
He called Paris Police Chief David Verrier and set up a date for neighbors to gather. Then he put flyers at people’s houses.
About 25 neighbors gathered Tuesday night from Tribou Avenue and Shurtleff, Chipman, and Fredrick streets and the Western Promenade to listen to Verrier’s presentation on Neighborhood Crime Watch.
“It was awesome to have so many people in neighborhood show up,” said Terry Cole who lives on Shurtleff Street. “Officer Verrier had some good handouts and encouraged us to continue the crime watch. New information comes out all the time on how to deal with these situations.
“It was brief, but scary afterward as several people shared stories,” she said “Everyone banded together. We know it’s OK to report things quickly.”
Some of the stories included unrecognizable footprints in the snow around their homes, noticing never-before-seen cars parked and driving through the neighborhood, and seeing strangers walking around.
Morton said he and his wife have lived in the area for seven years and overall feel it’s a safe area.
“But that’s the thing,” he said. “People become complacent and let their guard down. I learned that there had been incidents going on over the past couple of months, but no one put together that they might have been targeting the area.”
Morton said Verrier told the group not to confront strangers. He said just call the Paris Police Department as soon as possible.
The department was put to the test Wednesday morning when two unknown teens were reported in the neighborhood about 8 a.m.
“It worked,” Morton said. “Police were there within minutes. We’re letting everyone know we’re on the watch.”
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