Rogers County Begins 'Alert Neighbor' Program

NewsOn6.com

Rogers County, Oklahoma – An Alert Neighbors program is underway in Rogers County, the Rogers County Sheriff's Office said Tuesday.

According to the sheriff's office, several Rogers County deputies have already received training. Those deputies will then train citizen groups.

"We wanted to make certain that when this program launched it was something that could be sustained by the citizens and the Sheriff's Office," said Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton.

The Alert Neighbors program will get neighborhoods involved and "train volunteers to deter criminal activity."  Citizens will be taught how to make observations that witnesses often fail to do during a crime, like noting the direction of travel, clothing and physical descriptions, and vehicle descriptions.

"It can't be said enough that the biggest threat to a criminal targeting a neighborhood is the good, old fashioned nosey neighbor," Walton said.

"We don't advocate any citizen placing themselves in danger," said Carol Bush, Director of the Crime Commission. "We train the participants how to observe and collect information that law enforcement can use. Let the people with the guns and badges take the risk," she said.

Walton said Rogers County commissioners have agreed to put up Alert Neighbor signs in participating neighborhoods, free of charge to citizens.