Town Watch Reports, 2004
by Betty O'Regan, Town Watch Coordinator for the villages of Ardencroft,
Ardentown, and Arden.
October-December, 2004
October: 8 scheduled, 7 completed
November: 7 scheduled, 6 completed
December: 10 scheduled, 8 completed
- The numbers are down and it is obvious that I need to over-book in order to meet the goal of 2 patrols per week. It is becoming harder to get people to answer their phones (caller ID?), to return phone calls, or to commit to a date. During my calls this month, I will try to see if folks are interested in me continuing to try to schedule them or to remove their name from the list. Another strategy that I might try is to write an article in the Arden Page saying that I need to be notified if someone is no longer interested in serving. It wastes a lot of time to try to call over and over to no avail!
- Recruiting at the Gild Hall dinner with the offer of baked good worked pretty well, but Denis kept snitching the supply of homemade cookies so Betty had to bake 3 times to cover 7 patrols. Next time, he bakes!
- Ongoing -- We are watching a couple of vacant houses and a property that has experienced repeated vandalism.
- 10/1 -- Mailbox and fence damage on Meadow Lane
- 10/27 -- Sunset Path sign and mailbox flag on Orleans damaged
- 10/30 -11/2 -- Garden (Ryan’s End) in Ardencroft was vandalized. NCCo Police report filed.
September 2004
- 9/3,4,5 - Vandalism to picnic tables and playground at Wilmington Montessori School reported.
- 9/10 - Drinking party evidenced by beer and vodka bottles at Indian Circle
- 9/10 - 1:30 a.m neighbors dog barked. Vegetable garden (Ryan's End off Willow Way) was vandalized. Police notified.
- 9/15- 5:40 a.m., white VW Jetta parked suspiciously behind Candlelight. Driver was approached and license plate # was recorded.
- 9/26 - a concerned neighbor reported that 2 teens (a boy and a girl) were hanging around the yard of an elderly neighbor with Alzheimers. When observed, they acted suspiciously (covering their head with sweatshirt hood.) One fits the description of a local teen who lives nearby. Police notified.
July-August 2004
- All was calm in the Ardens until a loud explosion on the Mall and Millers Rd. At 9:15 Aug. 9. The Village Voyeur on duty rushed over to find that a cherry bomb had destroyed a mailbox. No suspects were present and neighbors saw nothing. Some teens were interviewed.
- Over 16 patrols were completed in July and Aug.
- 8/24 - BWVC green and playground turfed. A resident called the police. Car matching the description (with mud and grass on the sides) apprehended. Drugs, alcohol, unlicensed driver in addition to turfing. Both driver and passenger were teenage residents of the Ardens.
- 8/27 - Street sign reported down at corner of Valley Rd. And Brae RD, in Ardentown. It’s leaning against the fire hydrant.
- 8/29 - Car running with keys in ignition stolen from Gild Hall parking lot. African-American teens pursued briefly by resident. (No resolution as of today...9/12)
May-June 2004
- After a quiet winter, things are stirring around the Ardens again. In the spring, Ardentown saw the most activity with several signs uprooted and mailboxes smashed. Most serious was an unauthorized person seen trying the locked doors of Eden Rock. There also was a warning following an unlicensed solicitor in Ardentown that there have been some recent scams in North Wilmington targeting seniors.
- Recently, construction cones were stolen and placed across Harvey Road causing sudden, dangerous stops around 1:00 a.m. They were confiscated but are missing again, so beware. The Gild Hall was broken into, police were summoned and fingerprints were taken. Illegal fireworks have been a problem on several occasions.
Betty O'Regan
Town Watch Coordinator
529-1269
.