Clarfield Block Watch

" THE LADIES GOT MAD"

You’ve heard the saying, “hell has no fury like a woman scorned.” Well, two Southside women were not only scorned but just mad after both their homes and their neighbors’ homes were burglarized over a ninety day period last fall. Thieves hit more than thirty homes in Southfield damaging property and stealing jewelry, laptops, flat screen TVs and other items.

While chatting one afternoon across the backyard fence, too ladies began expressing their anger and outrage over the number of homes burglarized and that their once quiet community was being targeted for felonious activity.  Instead of just talking about it, the ladies decided to do something about it. 

They decided to have a community meeting to communicate this information to neighbors. Not sure what would really come out of it, the ladies asked The Pastor Hezekiah Martin of the Southfield Community Baptist Church if space in the church could be used for a meeting. The Pastor not only made the church available, he also helped disseminate the information to the congregation, which many reside in the area.

Now that the ladies had a location, they created a flyer and began walking the neighborhood leaving one at nearly every home from Watkins Road to Augmont Avenue.

Approximately thirty five neighbors attended the first meeting along with Mr. Robert Patterson, President of the Marion Franklin Civic Association, along with several of its members.

During the meeting, Mr. Mr. Patterson shared why it is important to be involved in the Civic Association, someone else shared information on creating block watches, while others shared their experience with being burglarized or knowledge of other criminal activities.  The attendees were very interested in continuing to meet and planned future meetings for the fourth Saturday of each month at the church.

Immediately following the first meeting, the ladies met with Officer Brad White, a liaison for the Columbus Police Department to learn more about the process to establish block watches
and the resources made available to the neighborhood.  He agreed to work with the ladies and they decided to officially establish the Clarfield Block Watch.

The Coordinator was selected and the first Block Captian. Each month, the ladies walked the neighborhood meeting and talking with neighbors and encouraging them to attend the block
watch sessions. Each of the meetings have provided safety training, guest presenters, community updates, and networking with neighbors. The ladies worked very closely with the Marion Franklin Civic Association and now their flyers are included in the associations’ monthly mailings.

The neighborhood currently has 7 block watch captains who are responsible for sharing information with the neighbors on their block and attending block watch meetings.

Crime has declined in the neighborhood because two ladies not only got mad they got involved.