Oct 7, 2015 2 min read

A group of Canonsburg residents has taken a step toward reducing serious crime in their community.

More than 115 members have joined a community watch group since it began in August, said Kim Campbell, one of the founders.

Campbell lives on Giffin Avenue in Canonsburg’s East End, an area that has seen an increase in drug-related crimes.

Canonsburg Mayor David Rhome praised the crime watch’s efforts, and said it is an opportunity for the police department to form relationships with the community and to strengthen communication.

“Any time the community wants to form a crime watch group, I’m all in favor,” Rhome said. “What I’m more in favor of is encouraging every member of the community to be a part of the watch. If it doesn’t look right or smell right, people should reach out to the authorities or dial 911.”

Canonsburg Crime Watch meets monthly to discuss strategies and tips for improving safety.

Campbell said the group plans to organize walks through communities, and is ordering T-shirts to increase awareness of the organization.

“We want to work with the mayor and police, and we want to be informative and to let people know what’s going on in their neighborhood. If the police don’t know what’s going on, it’s really hard for them to get help out to where it’s needed. We want to let drug dealers and criminals know that we’re not putting up with it,” said Campbell.

Residents can leave information about crimes anonymously on the Canonsburg Crime Watch Facebook page, and Campbell encouraged people to call the Washington County Drug Task Force at 1-800-281-0070 or Canonsburg police during the day at 724-745-1800, or 911.

Campbell said the group meets on the first Tuesday of the month and is looking for a regular meeting place. She said residents who want to attend meetings can visit the Facebook page to find out the location of the next meeting.

Rhome encouraged residents to become involved, noting the epidemic of drug use, especially heroin, has spawned drug-related crimes.

“If an addict has to break into a car or a house to get money to buy that drug, they’ll do that,” Rhome said. “We always have to be vigilant in today’s society that we watch over our neighbors.”