Keeping watch, getting organized
Published 9:05 pm Wednesday, July 29, 2009
MILL CREEK — David Croutworst’s neighborhood has all the typical problems.
Vandalism, a few unkempt areas, kids with nothing to do.
Instead of complaining, Croutworst decided he’d do something.
Three months after moving into the Shaunessy neighborhood east of Mill Creek, he got involved by leading a Neighborhood Watch program.
“I wanted to make people aware of how they could help each other,” Croutworst said. “It’s hard to do things alone but as a team we can make it happen.”
And in just a few short months, he has made things happen.
He led the effort to spruce up a weedy area behind a line of fences and driveways. He also coordinated an emergency plan for the neighborhood and he’s working getting a basketball court for kids.
His philosophy is to lead by example and to encourage, rather than strong-arm, his neighbors into helping.
“Volunteerism isn’t signing a form,” he said. “It’s seeing a need and trying to fill it.”
He finds it more effective to help a neighbor fix a broken fence, for instance, than call in a code violation.
Shaunessy is a relatively new neighborhood with more than 200 homes. Many of his neighbors are bilingual and communication can sometimes be a challenge. He’d like to set up a communication network in the neighborhood, so neighbors can talk about problems that might be occurring.
A neighbor lost a dog recently, and some people didn’t want to share their e-mails or phone numbers to set up a network. But what if that had been a lost child, Croutworst wondered.
Croutworst is so humble he won’t admit he’s actually serving as a Neighborhood Watch captain.
He is, said Ann Plunkett, director of the Community Partnerships Office for the sheriff.
“I call him the poster child for getting organized,” she said.
Croutworst has reached out to other neighborhood leaders for ideas, she said.
The Neighborhood Watch program provides residents with training and support. It’s ultimately up to people living in those neighborhoods to step forward.
Someone living in a neighborhood can often see things a deputy driving the street might miss.
“Citizens are powerful when they get organized,” she said.
Debra Smith: 425-339-3197, dsmith@heraldnet.com.
Get involved
To get involved in Neighborhood Watch, call 425-388-7375 or go online to sheriff.snoco.org.
