Letter from BCSO Deputy Doug Gay; very encouraging folks we've got friends out there :-)
Your email to Sheriff Ferguson was forwarded to me as I?’m tasked with ?“Crime Prevention?” as the offices Deputy that deals with such matters, as well as many other duties the Sheriff directs me to.
First let me say we are glad that you and your neighbors have recognized the need for a community based neighborhood watch organization. The more eyes that can be brought to bear in the community will go along way towards winning our streets back from crime. Due to budgetary constraints Law Enforcement have, are, and probably always will have to deal with under staffing which means reactive, rather than proactive, police work. Concerned citizens like you and your neighbors can make a positive impact in their community through organizations like ?“Neighborhood Watch?”. Through high visibility, such as signs, organized patrols and neighbors watching out for neighbors, communities can rid themselves of the opportunities that criminals thrive on.
Sheriff Ferguson and I have helped organized groups through out the county and he is your number one fan of just such a strategy. Anything we can do to help you get started with such a program we will be more than happy to provide.
As far as gangs are concerned we do have such activity in and around the area that we are attacking from a number of different angles. One such program you have heard about in the media is the 287(g) program which is targeting crime specifically and undocumented immigrants generally. When Sheriff Ferguson started looking at the gang issue in and around Benton County several years he asked me to survey the very large cities around the country with significant gang populations and find out what they would do differently if they could go back in time and start over. Every department indicated that would start with education as that is where gangs recruit new members. We started looking at different programs that offered educational opportunities and the different targeted ages that they were directed towards. Again going back to the large city?’s we found that most recommended and were participating in a program known as GREAT (Gang Resistance Education And Training). This program was made up of four components starting with the Elementary students then we move to the Middle School (6-7 graders) followed by and after school component (Boys & Girls clubs) and lastly there is a family component. The family component will be a court ordered condition of sentencing out of Judge Finch?’s court. We hope to have that in place by the end of the summer. Currently we have two (2) GREAT certified Deputies that will be presenting the program this semester at Old High Middle School. Sheriff Ferguson is in the process of having up to two more Deputies certified to present this program by the beginning of the next school year. We are hoping that the program will expand to schools throughout the county as time goes on. The Sheriff see it as a proactive measure that will teach kids conflict resolution, anger management, dealing with peer pressure, as well as a whole host of additional life lessons that will better prepare students for what lays ahead.
Once again thank you for your community activism and support of programs Sheriff Ferguson has implemented. Anything we can do here to help you in your endeavors towards your neighborhood watch program please don?’t hesitate to ask.
Sincerely,
Deputy Doug Gay
Benton County Sheriff's Office
Bentonville, Arkansas 72712
479-271-1008
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Your email to Sheriff Ferguson was forwarded to me as I?’m tasked with ?“Crime Prevention?” as the offices Deputy that deals with such matters, as well as many other duties the Sheriff directs me to.
First let me say we are glad that you and your neighbors have recognized the need for a community based neighborhood watch organization. The more eyes that can be brought to bear in the community will go along way towards winning our streets back from crime. Due to budgetary constraints Law Enforcement have, are, and probably always will have to deal with under staffing which means reactive, rather than proactive, police work. Concerned citizens like you and your neighbors can make a positive impact in their community through organizations like ?“Neighborhood Watch?”. Through high visibility, such as signs, organized patrols and neighbors watching out for neighbors, communities can rid themselves of the opportunities that criminals thrive on.
Sheriff Ferguson and I have helped organized groups through out the county and he is your number one fan of just such a strategy. Anything we can do to help you get started with such a program we will be more than happy to provide.
As far as gangs are concerned we do have such activity in and around the area that we are attacking from a number of different angles. One such program you have heard about in the media is the 287(g) program which is targeting crime specifically and undocumented immigrants generally. When Sheriff Ferguson started looking at the gang issue in and around Benton County several years he asked me to survey the very large cities around the country with significant gang populations and find out what they would do differently if they could go back in time and start over. Every department indicated that would start with education as that is where gangs recruit new members. We started looking at different programs that offered educational opportunities and the different targeted ages that they were directed towards. Again going back to the large city?’s we found that most recommended and were participating in a program known as GREAT (Gang Resistance Education And Training). This program was made up of four components starting with the Elementary students then we move to the Middle School (6-7 graders) followed by and after school component (Boys & Girls clubs) and lastly there is a family component. The family component will be a court ordered condition of sentencing out of Judge Finch?’s court. We hope to have that in place by the end of the summer. Currently we have two (2) GREAT certified Deputies that will be presenting the program this semester at Old High Middle School. Sheriff Ferguson is in the process of having up to two more Deputies certified to present this program by the beginning of the next school year. We are hoping that the program will expand to schools throughout the county as time goes on. The Sheriff see it as a proactive measure that will teach kids conflict resolution, anger management, dealing with peer pressure, as well as a whole host of additional life lessons that will better prepare students for what lays ahead.
Once again thank you for your community activism and support of programs Sheriff Ferguson has implemented. Anything we can do here to help you in your endeavors towards your neighborhood watch program please don?’t hesitate to ask.
Sincerely,
Deputy Doug Gay
Benton County Sheriff's Office
Bentonville, Arkansas 72712
479-271-1008
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