I don’t know how many times the following scenario has occurred during my 18 year career as a public safety officer here in Farmington, but once is too many. An officer is dispatched to an incident such as larceny of tires from a car or a car radio or navigation system has been stolen and as the officer is investigating the incident and taking information for their report a neighbor walks over. The neighbor then proceeds to tell the officer and the resident that he or she observed suspicious activity near their car during the night such as seeing flashlights or car doors open but they didn’t call the police. When asked why they didn’t call the police, they replied that they weren’t 100% sure that there was a crime in progress or they didn’t want to bother us.
This scenario has played out hundreds of times over the last 18 years right here in Farmington. Residents of Farmington are often great witnesses but all too often are reluctant to call the police when they come across situations that may warrant it. Remember, if something doesn’t seem right to you, it probably isn’t, so call the public safety department and let our officers come out and investigate. You aren’t bothering us and we have the time to answer these type of calls. That is what we are here for. If officers come out and investigate the incident and there is no crime, officers will not belittle or think less of you. You have done your job.
For example, on November 11th an employee of a Farmington business observed some car doors open at 3:00 a.m. at a business located across the street. She noted that this was out of the ordinary and phoned our department telling dispatch of the suspicious circumstance. Officers responded immediately and found a subject hiding in one of the cars. Further investigation revealed that the subject had gone through 11 cars in the area and the subject was arrested. Success!
As the new Neighborhood Watch Coordinator I want all residents in Farmington to make not only great witnesses but also not be afraid to report crimes and suspicious circumstances when they see them occurring. A partnership between the Farmington Public Safety Department and Farmington residents is our best bet at keeping ourselves and our property safe.
Please consider attending a Neighborhood Watch meeting on the second Thursday of each month in the Farmington Council Chambers.
Cmdr. Todd Anderson
Neighborhood Watch Coordinator