Would You Support a Neighborhood Watch in Upper Port?

Complaints range from vagrancy to drug use in Upper Port Jefferson where residents are throwing up their hands in frustration as they perceive the area to be going downhill quickly.

One resident at an August village board meeting said she locks her doors when she drives through Port Jefferson.

Peter Moloney from Moloney Funeral Home has had his business in Port Jefferson on Route 112 for four years now and he said he sees an increase in crime.

"It seems to be getting worse," he said.

His business resorted to installing surveillance cameras. Moloney said the cameras are expensive but worth it when it comes to protecting his employees. He recounted one instance where a drunk passed out on the steps of his funeral home.

The village and Suffolk County Police Department have responded. A plan is on the table to revitalize the area, Code Enforcement officers say they meet trains as they come into the station and there is an increased presence of police cars patrolling the area, yet, residents still see crime all around them.

In other areas, like in Mt. Sinai, they have established Neighborhood Watch programs.

The Neighborhood Watch programs aim to deter crime in communities
throughout Suffolk County. Once a resident "adopts a block," all they are required to do is observe and report suspicious circumstances. Participants in the program are asked to fill out a log sheet with as much detail as they can to assist the police department in their investigation. Reports can be confidential and residents should not become involved in any incidents.

Residents interested in establishing a Neighborhood Watch program in either the Sixth or Sevent Precinct can call their local C.O.P.E. Units (Sixth at 854-8670, Seventh at 852-8775.)

What do you think? Should a Neighborhood Watch be established in the Upper Port Jefferson/Port Jefferson Station area around Route 112?