Conversation : WITH ANTI-CRIME ACTIVIST MINDY LAKE EINHORN : Neighborhoods Guarding One Another

COPP grew out of a violent mugging that occurred across the street from me at 11 o’clock one night. When the police didn’t pursue it, I took it on myself to canvass the neighborhood, got the mugger’s license number, called the sergeant, raked him over the coals and gave him the number. Within six hours the mugger was in custody and was later convicted.

It showed me that one person can make a difference. I also realized that community participation was essential to combat our growing crime problem.

So I started a two-block Neighborhood Watch.

I held a meeting at my house and invited the police to speak. Forty-five people came. The police told us to keep a roster of people’s phone numbers, have regular meetings and keep people informed about neighborhood crime. Neighborhood Watches tend to start out well, then fizzle out because the person with most of the responsibility gets burnout. I wanted to keep that from happening. And I realized there was potential for a bigger organization here. So I got together with a friend, Greg Piccionelli, who ran a nearby Neighborhood Watch. We found we could create an organization that would support Neighborhood Watch within a large, defined area, in this case, 36 blocks.

It’s a three-level plan--block-long Neighborhood Watch groups, street associations and the overseeing body, the executive board, which is made up of representatives from each street. The board disperses crime information for the neighborhood and the sheer numbers [of members] are enough to overcome the criminals. It’s the work of a few, putting in minimal effort, that makes the neighborhood safe. We felt this was a generic idea that could be done anywhere.

One of COPP’s strengths is our car patrols, which started in November, 1993. Our volunteer base, which is very large, goes out two to a car. They are given car reflectors, walkie-talkies, jackets and beam lights, and they patrol three hours once a month, which is really very little. We try to have two cars out each night. Plus, we have a Westec security car just for this area. If the [volunteer] patrols see something suspicious, they keep away. This is strictly a visibility thing. They don’t leave the car or put themselves in danger. They get a description and report it to a base commander who calls the police if it’s merited.

Since the patrols, crime is down 30% to 40% and Christmas break-ins this year were down 80%.

With the growth of COPP, we’ve been able to accomplish some great things. We’ve gotten financial backing from merchants surrounding our area. We opened the Farmers Market Police Corner, which keeps police in the area longer and gives people the chance to go in and meet them face to face. We gave a block party that allowed the neighborhood to meet policemen as regular people, not “us versus them.� It’s nice to see a policeman drive by and know him and wave to him. It’s a very different concept of police.

We are now a known entity with the City Council and there’s an increased number of police patrols in the vicinity. We’ve also got a couple of zealots who paint over gang graffiti as soon as it goes up. This tells gangs they won’t be tolerated here, and they go find another neighborhood.

For material on the program, call the COPP Hotline at (213) 935-7044.