Roscoe Village Community Watch Formed, First Meeting Scheduled

Neighbors in Roscoe Village are joining together to fight crime as a community by forming an area neighborhood watch program.

Residents are invited to the organization’s first meet on April 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Audubon Elementary School’s auditorium. The new program, facilitated by the Roscoe Village Neighbors, will teach neighbors how to coordinate to battle crime.

“Many residents have expressed concerns about an increase in crime in Roscoe Village since the 19th District police headquarters has moved from Belmont and Western to Addison and Halsted,” the group’s website reads.

“A Roscoe Village Community Watch Program is being established to better assist in the reversing of this trend. Please come be an active part of keeping our community safe and being informed about crime issues in Roscoe Village.”

Police Sgt. Jason Clark is slated to attend the first meeting to give tips and pointers to neighbors regarding property crime like burglaries.

Patch’s recent heat map of burglary trends in Roscoe Village and North Center revealed the most popular places in town for burglars are around Lincoln Avenue and Irving Park Road, Damen Avenue and Addison Street and Belmont and Wolcott avenues.

And the new program comes at the perfect time. Clark recently said there would soon be a big push to bring back block clubs like the new Roscoe Village Neighborhood Watch where neighbors keep an eye out for each other.

“Block clubs were big back in the day,” Clark said. “Just like you know your neighborhood group, get to know your neighbors on your street and look out for each other. That’s why the area is so targeted. Someone can break a window and nobody might care enough to call the police when they hear it.”

The meeting will focus on current crime issues affecting Roscoe Village and ways the new watch program can curb the crimes. 

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