Crothersville residents who see criminal or suspicious activity should immediately contact the local police department.

Police Chief Brent Turner said some people already do that, but he wants everyone to become more involved.

That’s his reason for starting a neighborhood watch program.

“If they just want to get out and walk their animals on a leash and they see something, I just want them to know that they can call us and let us know,” Turner said. “Getting them more involved with us and more involved in their community, that’s what we need to be at.”

Turner recently shared his plans to start the program during a Crothersville Town Council meeting.

He has set a meeting for 6 p.m. Feb. 1 at the police department, 404 Moore St., for anyone interested in getting involved.

From that point, monthly meetings would be set for people to share ideas and concerns.

“Right off, I don’t expect to have 100 people, but I would like to see at least 20, 30 people be interested,” he said. “We’ll just continue to grow with awareness and get people involved in it.”

The idea is for people from different areas of the town to be willing to keep an eye on what’s going on in their neighborhood.

“They are not getting arrest powers,” Turner said. “The only thing they are doing is they are seeing (something suspicious or criminal) and contacting their law enforcement officer.”

In the past, police chiefs in Crothersville have conducted regular meetings with the public, giving people an opportunity to talk to the chief about any issues they have and to make suggestions.

Since becoming chief this past fall, Turner said residents have talked to him about getting something similar going again.

Read the story in Thursday’s Tribune and online at tribtown.com.