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New Allen PD program emphasizes awareness
By Conner Hammett, chammett@starlocalnews.com
The Allen Police Department is launching a new initiative to teach residents how they can be their own advocates when it comes to keeping their neighborhoods safe.
Project C.L.E.A.N. -- short for "Citizens and Law Enforcement in Allen Neighborhoods" -- asks for residents' help in making Allen not only continue to be the safest city in Texas, as it has been ranked by CQ Press three out of the last four years, but the safest in the nation.
The department kicked off the program April 18 with a community meeting at the Allen Public Library auditorium. There, Chief Brian Harvey and Sgt. Jon Felty presented a small crowd of residents with Allen crime statistics and instructions on how residents can keep an eye out for and report suspicious activity in their neighborhoods.
Felty said the largest room for improvement in Allen lies with property crimes, an area which residents can help reduce by locking their doors and windows, making sure their shades and blinds are closed when they leave the house and properly setting their alarm systems.
The two biggest deterrents of potential burglars, Felty said, are big dogs that bark and nosy neighbors.
"If your neighbor's away for the weekend or they're gone on a week's vacation or whatever the case may be, look out for your neighbor, because you're going to be the first one to know if something's suspicious or not," he said.
The meeting was the first of seven that will ultimately cover all of the city's patrol districts. The initiative was originally planned to focus on the city's older neighborhoods, but was expanded in scope to better serve the city's newer residents.
"With Allen growing so dramatically over the last few years, we think that there's a large number of individuals that really don't know how to contact the police department," Harvey said. "There are more ways to talk to us than just 911."
One way to contact police, Felty said, is by calling 214-509-4321, the department's dispatch number. Whereas the city's four 911 lines need to remain open for "life or death" situations, the dispatch number can be used to report suspicious activity, persons or vehicles, Felty said.
Residents can also text message anonymous tips regarding ongoing issues or cases in which the department has asked for help from the public by texting the keyword "ALLENPD" and their tip to 847411.
"We truly want to form a partnership with you," Felty told the audience. "That's why we're here. We can do this. It's going to take some work. It's going to take some camaraderie. It's going to take some communication. But above it all, it does take the partnership."
Jon and Cris Toney, who live in the Windridge development, were among the residents attending the event. The most common crime in their neighborhood, Cris said, is motor vehicle burglaries, causing growing concern among residents.
Though past attempts by the police department to create a crime watch in the neighborhood have generated little interest, the couple hopes their own grassroots efforts can inspire more residents to take part in keeping their neighborhood safe.
"We're just trying to be more aware of what we can do to make Allen safer," Cris said.
Allen resident Bob Conner was also in attendance. He pointed to Allen PD's Citizens on Patrol program, of which he is a graduate, as an example of how residents can fight crime head-on by patrolling their neighborhoods themselves and checking in with business owners on a regular basis.
"When the shop owner knows Citizens on Patrol might stop by, it gives them a lot of comfort," he said.
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