o lee ge
By Ber ice Bro
Corre polUlelll
The Benton Harbor Police
Department will receive two
grant for tbe next two years
'0 an effort to rid the city of its
high crime rate.
One of the grants is a
$75,000 grant from the federal
government through the
Michigan. Department of
Criminal Justice, to be used
. for narcotics enforcement.
The other one.is a $100.000
grant from a tate program.
COPS (Community Officers
Patrolling Streets), to be used
for a program called "Benton
Harbor Community Policing
Program."
The new crime prevention
program were presented to
the Benton Harbor City Com­
mi sions at their Monday,
September 10, commission
meeting by Detective Lt. Mil­
ton Agay and Officer Willi rd
Roddy of th Benton Harbor
Police Department.
Detective Agay told the
commission th t the new pro-
ram, "Benton Harbor Com­
munity Policing Program",
place one police officer in a
.pecific neighborhood to
ork only in that specl IC
are .
The neighborhood selected
for thi program wa the cast
rug-fi
side of town in the area bor­
dered by Highland Avenue,
Fair Avenue, Britain Avenue
and McCord Street. This
boundary includes both bo -
ing projects (Buss and Mc­
Cord) and both Jr. High
Schools, (King Preparatory
Center and McCord Renai -
ance Center).
Officer Roddy, a 1] -year
veteran with the Benton Har­
bor Police Department w.ilJ be
a' signed to work in the area
trying to organize neighbor­
hood watch programs getting
acquinted with the residents
so they will know who he is,
helping start new bloc club
in the area, showing the resi­
dents ho to secure tbei r
homes from burglars and tell­
ing them to report crimes to
their police department.
Roddy said with the block
cl ubs and neighborhood
watch, would help "put the
citizens back into control."
The Benton Harbor Hous-
ling Commi sion will supply
office space in each housing
project for Roddy' use. Right
now the hours arc et from 9
a.m. to 5 p.m., but according
to Agay, will vary.,
"The objective of the Com­
munity Policing Grant j to
put police officers back in the
neighborhood so the residents
Il-LIE'S
APPLIA
h ing gra
would now who the
policemen are," Agay said,
and "so tbe citizens can
develop pride in their police
department being in their
community again."
"Irs not just 0 tbc police
are going to be there to arrest
. everybody", Agay aid. "In
fact I would be surprised that
Officer Roddy arrested that
many people at all. His Object
i to put himself in touch with
the 'people and see what their
need are. Like going back to
the 'Cop on the Beat' thing."
�e said letters bave gon
out to all the area mini ter
and they hope to wor wj tb
them and meet with them
about the program, and have
the churches help them in pUI­
ting the program in use.
Agay said Roddy will be
making periodic trip through
the junior high chool,
whether it be to stop in the
clas and say hello. to eat
lunch with the student, -
"just come down to earth" .
rather than be a policeman
with the kids.
Agay said they Will also be
forming a police cadet pro-
. gram, along with the Benton
T � . I P r' '"'" '
own. hlp 0 ICC uepartment
and the Benton Harbor Area
Schools.
Once the cadet program
gels rolling, there is hope tbat
some of the youtb would be
wearing cadet uniform al­
ing the streets with Officer
Roddy, said Agay. In tbe next
few wee s. they wi 11 be meet­
ing with interested youths at
the bigh chool.
According to Agay,
another officer is expected in
November when police
trainee graduate from the
police academy.
The second officer will b
responsible for establishing
bloc cl ub . throughout the
remainder of the city and be
involved in crime prevention
an rca' that Roddy doc n't
cover.
"It's got to be a joint
partnership '. between the
citizens and the police," aid
Ag y. "We can't do it by our­
serve and the citizen can't
do it by them elves."
"We are not goi ng to jut
address criminal concern in
the targeted rca," he aid.
Whatever the problem and
concerns arc wi tb the ci tizen.
They report it and the officer
will get the proper P per wor
done and make sure it get to
rne right dep�rtm,en,t i� th
tity 0 all problem Will b
dealt with.
WILUE BlctOIAM
Ower
E
(818) 926-1
D81�" R d - Benton H rbor,
nd COU SELORAT'LAW
o RISGAV
GENERAL PRAC17CE OF LAW
C II 616/92 7143
149022
LEAS. G
• PooIli • c. at ,iaa
........ inVideoGa
2819 Detroit Rd., an
616-683-5913
IIARBOR.MI
ATTOR EY
MICHIGAN CITIZEN PAG I5
Benton Harbor
b sinesses
get together
There will be an informal
gathering of fellow Benton
Harbor bu i nes owners on
Tuesday, Septemb r 25, be­
tween 7:0 -9:0 a.m. in the
Lecture Room on th 1 st floor
at Mer y Memorial Ho pital,
960 Agard, Benton Harbor.
With 0 much happening in
our City, we believe it i time
for th bu i ne wner to
for a mor
of addres ing common is u
and eeking way to continue
the pace of this succe s, or­
ganizer aid.
At The Library
"All Aboard for a Great
School Year" i the theme for
the Junior Department for fall,
nd di plays and boo ex­
hibit with a train theme will
be featured.
Pre-School StoryTime will
me t on Wednesday, S ptcm­
ber J 9, from 10-10:45 a.m.
Starting thi: week another c -
io of Story Time will be held
. wee lyon Friday afternoons
from 2-2:45 p.m. Both c-
ion' will feature the same
t me each week, 0 children
arc a cd to come to nne or th
othe of the two.
C ildren must be at least 3
old to attend
•
Come Off do .... to:
JOE'S·a.rtI_
lily 1
161 P on
For the BEST Itllir Ctft ..
Mon& Tue &6'Thur-Sat 6-6
Closed w.dnnday
ClRSPEQAl
DICKEY
REAL�
·GROUP
·Everything We Touch,
Tums to SOLD"
