The beat goes on......

In the past couple of weeks, I have met so many of our fellow neighbors by going door to door. My intent is to continue this effort to ensure everyone, including those returning for the season, are aware of the neighborhood watch. This is not because I am bored...but it seems imperative to ensure the word is being spread about the neighborhood watch effort. Not everyone reads everything that comes in the mail and I'm no exception to that.

By now, I would hope that you've seen the yellow and black signs at the ingress and egress points alerting all who enter and leave Desert Pride that their activities are being monitored - "We are watching ~ We were watching". (After conversing with those on my outings, I am please to announce that so many of you do a great job) You know by word of mouth or reading earlier blogs that our signs were targeted by thieves and vandals and even some of our own neighbors complained about them (according to the Code Compliance Dept.) so the City had pulled them even after full notification of their existence and the intent, presentation for review and compliance with municipal code and indication of intended placement, and let's not forget authorization of the 6 property owners where they were placed. The complete background of the signs can be reviewed in earlier blogs so I won't bore you. I prefer to update you.

The effort continues with the signs as the City has now acknowledged that any private citizen(s) can place a sign on their property so long as it conforms under the provisions of the Municipal Code. The signs went back up only to be removed again by someone???? The line of thinking is that there are 3 possibilities:

a) The person who was arrested for tampering with the signs continues to do so out of spite or the friends he was visiting in Desert Pride are doing so out of sore feelings for his being caught; or

b) Other young people are doing it either en route to or from school or during the afternoon and evenings when out and about with friends. Some signs have been tagged (gang-type writing to identify property/existence) which is being analyzed by the police. The police have recognized a pattern and maybe be able to narrow down the area that this person(s) lives in the development; or

c) A resident who has been a victim of break-in(s) has decided that Neighborhood Watch can't help him/them. This may even be the person(s) who called the City or who writes negative things on the signs placed throughout the Development. This acting out against an effort like Neighborhood Watch is likened to a soldier in battle getting shot and then punching the guy next to him because he got shot. This is difficult to understand. We are all on the same team. No one wants anybody to suffer a loss anymore than they want to suffer a loss themselves. The goal is to maintain a good or better quality of life and ensure that Desert Pride continues to be a highly desirable area...plus...keep our property values as high as possible.

The yellow and black signs have been a fill-in awaiting new signs from the National Sheriff's Association. The new signs, approved by the City (in fact they will be installing them in the near futur) will replace the existing sings on the Ingress side and will be newly added to the Egress side. The new 'Blue Eye' signs will contain the non-emergency phone number for reporting issues, as everyone knows 911.

In the meantime, I have just received the newest batch of yellow and black signs so until the new 'Blue Eye' signs go up....keep your eyes and ears open and paper and pen in a convenient place............the beat goes on.....

Keep the faith!