Welcome to Introduction to Neighborhood Watch
Loudon County is approximately 247 square miles including the cities of Loudon, Lenoir City, Greenback, Philadelphia, and part of Farragut. Tellico Village is a densely populated area of Loudon County with approximately 9500 residents in an area of 8 square miles.
The Loudon County Sheriff’s Department is the law enforcement entity responsible for Tellico Village. Their resources are limited in order to cover the above-mentioned area where crime runs more rampant than Tellico Village. However, we are still fortunate to live in a community that is not crime stricken…yet.
Does Tellico Village have crime? The answer is yes. In the last 12 months, Tellico Village was responsible for over 1,800 calls for service. Approximately 400 of those calls were traffic related on Highway 444. 1,400 of those calls were incidents related to an actual address. Of those 1,400 calls, approximately 450 of them related to criminal activity. The rest were EMS or false alarms. But 450 is still too much for one year!
Don’t Live in a Bubble!! Just because our crime is low doesn’t mean it is not coming. The goal of this program is to educate and continue to keep our community a safe and wonderful place to live.
What is Neighborhood Watch? Neighborhood Watch is a crime-prevention program that brings community members together and teaches them how to make their neighborhoods safer by using basic crime prevention techniques and identifying and reporting suspicious activity.
The Tellico Village Neighborhood Watch Program has been in existence under the guidance of the HOA. In July 2021, the “new” launch of the program started in Kahite. Based on the success of that program, the HOA decided to launch a similar strategy in the Main Village.
Each Neighborhood has a Neighborhood Watch Coordinator (NWC) who is responsible for the intake of information and disseminating important crime related or safety notices via email through a created Google Group. If you are receiving this email, then you have already joined your respective Group. Crime statistics, safety bulletins and alerts will go out on the individual neighborhood Google Groups to let you know to be on the lookout or if something suspicious is going on in your neighborhood.
Your NWCs are looking for Neighborhood Watch Supporters (NWS) that assist them in looking out for their specific streets or neighborhoods. And there will be future presentations that are topic specific for the interest of those involved.
I HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE C.O.P.s PROGRAM IN THE MAIN VILLAGE SO HOW IS THAT DIFFERENT FROM NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH? With the support and training of the Loudon County Sheriff’s Department, the main village has a program that is called C.O.P.s (Citizen’s Observer Patrol) who are Village volunteers trained in security measures and are sanctioned by LCSO to patrol and assist law enforcement in limited capacities. They conduct vacation home checks randomly while you’re away based on the availability of someone working.
IS THE C.O.P.s PROGRAM THE SAME AS NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH? The answer would be NO. Although the two programs can work together, Neighborhood Watch depends on all of you for its success. You are the eyes and ears of your streets.
WHAT DO I DO IF I SEE A CRIME HAPPENING?
- Immediately Call 9-1-1
- DO NOT confront that person(s). They could be dangerous!!
- Try to remember and write down any details about the incident like descriptions, colors, license tag numbers
- Take photos or video if you can
- Write down the date and time you saw this behavior
- Be a good WITNESS!
- Reminder!! You do NOT have any police/sheriff authority to act on any crimes that occur anywhere
WHAT DO I DO IF I AM JUST WITNESSING SUSPCIOUS ACTIVITY?
- Take down all the same information
- If you feel comfortable, make yourself visible…you will likely make the other party uncomfortable and they will leave the area
- If it is dark outside, turn on your lights – let it be known someone is watching
- If you’re not sure what someone is doing and you feel comfortable enough, ask them – be nosey
- Do NOT give out personal information about yourself or your neighbors
- Report it to your Neighborhood Watch Coordinator and let them filter that information to the Sheriff’s Office
- Your observation could be relevant to something that happens later
WHAT IS CONSIDERED TO BE SUSPICIOUS?
Any action that is out of place and does not fit into the usual day-to-day activity of our community.
EXAMPLES MIGHT BE:
- A stranger loitering in your neighborhood or a vehicle cruising the streets repeatedly. After hours at a build site.
- Someone peering into cars or windows.
- A high volume of traffic going to and coming from a home on a daily basis. Sometimes at unusual hours.
- Open or broken doors and windows at a unoccupied residence.
- Someone tampering with electrical, gas, or sewer systems without an identifiable company vehicle or uniform.
- Signs of forced entry or tampering with security or safety systems.
WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH?
- Meet your Neighborhood Watch Coordinator and become a Neighborhood Watch Supporter (NWS)
- Promote / Educate Neighborhood Watch to residents that do not want to attend meetings
- Be vigilant and keep your eyes and ears open and report suspicious activities to your Neighborhood Watch Coordinators
- Volunteer to help with future Neighborhood Watch meetings, events or functions
- Know who your neighbors are and keep an eye out for them, especially the elderly so that they are not taken advantage of.
- Reminder!! You do NOT have any police/sheriff authority to act on any crimes that occur anywhere
LATEST UPDATES / NEWS
- NEW Neighborhood Watch Signs throughout the Main Village
- Vacation Check Requests – Can still be forwarded to the C.O.P.s program, however it would not hurt to let your NWC know as well.
- Remember if it is suspicious and you are not sure, you can always call the non-emergency number for the Loudon County Sheriff’s Department (865) 458-9081
- And make sure to alert your NWC of it as well so they can send out the information to your neighborhood
- Become involved in your Neighborhood…be in the know!