Newly Formed Abrams Community Watch Group

On the evening of April 24, Abrams Neighborhood Watch held their first meeting at the 2nd precinct.  About a dozen people attended. Officer John Chiquitucto who is the community liaison officer gave a presentation and overview of what forming a Neighborhood Watch group is all about.  He described the general mission of a neighborhood watch group as an organized effort by concerned residents to look out for each other’s safety.  He emphasized that residents who are part of this group should be the eyes and ears  of the community but they should not take police action or try to physically stop a crime but rather call the police.  Officer Chiquitucto spoke about his hopes for people in the community to work together toward a common goal including safer homes and neighborhoods.  He encourages individuals to get to know their neighbors.

This effort is the real deal.  It is being organized by homeowners in the community who live with the challenges around the Abrams community as part of their daily lives.  Some of those challenges included a disproportinate number of slumlord owned homes and homeless shelters.  In the immediate area surrounding the Jack Abrams school there are at least 6 homeless shelters and sober houses.  As far as we can tell there is not a single shelter near any other school in the entire town.

The organizers of this effort have invested both emotionally and monetarily in their home and they are hopeful that their community can be one they can live happily in for many years to come.  In order for this group to be successful additional block captains are needed.  The block captains role is to keep the people on their block informed and report back to the watch coordinators.  At last nights meeting, families from Tower Street, Railroad Street and Winding volunteered to be block captains.  The group is seeking volunteers to serve as block captains from Lowndes Avenue, Alison Court, Columbia Street, Academy and any of the other surrounding streets. 

There was no one is attendance from the Town Board.  There were no politicians, no one from the CDA, HHA, or the EDC.  In addition to the people who live in the surrounding community there were several people from other areas of the Huntington School District community including John LaVertu, Nancy DiGiacomo and Joe Obermaier. When asked why he attended Joe Obermaier said “although I am not from the area it is part of my school district and I want to find out how I can help”. 

The goal of this group is to work toward making the neighborhood around Jack Abrams School a safer one by being the eyes and ears of the community.  The Windings Street Watch has been registered with the USAonWatch Program and is being supported by the 2nd precinct.  Whether you live in this immediate area or not you can get involved and learn how you can do your part to help make this community safer.  If you have strong opinions about the fate of this community this is your chance to make a difference.  At future meetings discussions will include updates on what’s happening in the surrounding community from people who live there.  For more information or to get involved e-mail windingstreetwatch@gmail.com.