NORWAY – Police might have outnumbered residents, but Chief Robert Federico believes that can be reversed for the Neighborhood Watch membership.

By spreading the word, he hopes to have enough people to effectively cover the town to be on the lookout for crimes or suspicious activities.

Norway’s entire force of seven officers was present at Wednesday night’s Neighborhood Watch meeting at the Norway Municipal Complex. In contrast, there were three attendees.

“It’s a shame we don’t have more people here,” said one of the participants, who wished to remain anonymous. She said she often makes reports to the police, feeling it is better to be too vigilant than not vigilant enough.

The meeting, initiated by the Norway Police Department, marked the first Neighborhood Watch gathering here in more than 10 years. Federico said the idea of a new program came after he was approached by people interested in reviving a community crime watch program.

The Neighborhood Watch was created by the National Sheriffs’ Association in 1972. The association still sponsors Neighborhood Watch programs today.

Federico and Detective Gary Hill attended a training session given by the National Sheriffs Association in Portland last fall. There the officers received a Neighborhood Watch tool kit containing CDs and other resources that should provide at least one year of guidance for the program.

“The police involvement is to get the program up and running and turn it over to the citizens,” Federico said. Police will provide supervision.

Part of the purpose of the program is to assist police with crimes, such as theft from parked cars, that are more difficult to investigate without community reports.

The Neighborhood Watch also intends to increase familiarity between police and residents. To enhance that point, each member of the force introduced themselves at the meeting.

“The best days we have are the days we don’t have any calls,” said Federico, referring to the Norway Police Department’s community activities in local schools and businesses.

Hill said crime statistics for specific areas are available to the public. Federico encouraged Norway residents to report suspicious activity by calling police at 743-5303.

“You’re not troubling us,” he said. “It’s just a matter of driving from one part of town to another.”

The proceedings were recorded by Norway-Paris Community Television and will be broadcast by next weekend.

The tentative date for the next Neighborhood Watch meeting is 7 p.m. April 11 at the Norway Municipal Complex.