NEIGHBORHOOD BOARDS: WORKING WITH STREET CRIMES UNIT PAYS OFF

Drug deals. Break-ins. Prostitution. These crimes may occur in any
neighborhood at any time. But Owensboro's neighborhood advisory boards are
finding a new ally in ridding their communities of these unwanted
activities: the Street Crimes Unit of the Owensboro Police Department.

"We can tell a difference," said Myrna Dillow, secretary of the Southeast
Alliance, the city's newest neighborhood advisory board. "Our neighborhood
is quieter since we've been working with them."

Sgt. David Thompson and the five other men -- Scott Norris, Brock Peterson,
Mark Powers, Anthony Meadows and Jeff Burnett -- who make up the special
OPD unit have been spreading the word to the neighborhood groups that their
success depends in large part upon communication with residents.

"They're our extra eyes and ears," Thompson said in an interview last week.
"Several of their tips have paid off and resulted in drug arrests."

The street crimes unit started as a bicycle patrol about eight years ago,
but its current focus was defined about a year ago. Since then the officers
have been cracking down on illegal activities such as drug dealing,
burglary, prostitution and gambling.

Dillow said Thompson provided new information to the Southeast Alliance
board meeting in February.

"Since then neighbors have given them license plate numbers and identified
the area where suspicious activity was happening, and they have followed
up," Dillow said.

In two specific instances, Dillow said neighbors called police about
suspected criminal activity, and they received a response within an hour.

"They made arrests within a week," Dillow said.

Thompson said in a case on the east end of Owensboro, residents were
concerned about possible drug dealing in a particular house and called the
unit.

"Some of the neighbors let us sit in their house and monitor the situation,
and we were able to make an arrest for drug trafficking," Thompson said.

Other tips also have paid off, Thompson said. "In the southeast section,
neighbors had observed what appeared to be drug deals at a house and called
the police. We were able to make an arrest for trafficking in marijuana ...
the guy actually sold drugs to me."

A month or two later on a tip from the neighborhood, that same individual
was busted again, Thompson said.

"Some of these houses and residences we didn't know about," Thompson said.
"When they brought them to our attention, we were able to act quickly and
make arrests."

Community Coordinator Tracy McQueen Marksberry often serves as the
neighborhood groups' liaison to the police department. She said the boards
work with all units of OPD, especially in areas of crime prevention,
traffic, special investigations and street crimes.

Old Owensboro Neighborhood Alliance began working with police almost
immediately after its group was formed. That board identified problems with
drug dealing and prostitution in particular. In October 2000, 10 people
were arrested for drug activity in northeast Owensboro. Police said
information from the advisory board helped in getting the arrests.

"The street crimes unit is relatively new, but they have been extremely
effective and responsive to the neighborhood groups," Marksberry said.
"They have responded to issues in many neighborhoods all across the city."

The Midtown East Neighborhood Alliance also has seen results from their
collaboration with police, said Chairwoman Stacy Schultz. "We had one drug
arrest that definitely resulted from working with them."

Marksberry said in that case, the police were able to act on an anonymous
letter which contained information that led to an arrest within two days.

Dillow said Thompson told her group that crimes can occur in any community
whether residents are rich, poor, black or white.

"People mess up, and these officers are there to help," Dillow said. "It's
mostly a few people who cause problems. These guys have been in our
community, and we can tell a difference."

"Our neighborhood is a mixture of people; it's a quiet, settled area, and
that's why we can identify illegal activity," Dillow said. "Getting that
information at our alliance meeting about this police unit showed us who to
call if we see problems."

To report suspicious activity in your Owensboro neighborhood, call the
Owensboro Police Department Street Crimes Unit at 687-8848.