We didn’t have to make a Citizen’s Arrest, like the one Gomer Pyle tries to do in the classic episode of The Andy Griffith Show, but we did our civic duty just the same.
Our neighborhood employs a volunteer neighborhood watch program. On Sunday night, it was our turn. Lisa and I pulled our shift. I am happy to report it was an uneventful night.
No Citizen’s Arrests necessary.
You are asked to do two basic things during your four hour stint. The neighborhood watch coordinators want you to circle through the neighborhood a few times. When you’re not circling, they ask that you park at a conspicuous location so as to be very visible. There’s a great spot on a side street just inside the front entrance to the subdivision. That’s where most folks park and that’s what we did as well.
Circling the neighborhood, you always get a few friendly waves from appreciative neighbors. When we parked, a nice couple who were walking their dog, dropped by to say ‘hello.’
When we first began doing this a few years ago, it seemed our shifts fell during the fall or winter. In fact, once I remember driving through the subdivision and noticing all the lovely Christmas decorations. I think we used to pay for night security on the weekends and I they must’ve dropped that from the homeowners’ association budget a few years ago.
When that happened, the shifts became more and more frequent. It seems like it is about an 11 month rotation now.
The summer date brings its own interesting sights, too. When you’re driving the streets of the subdivision this time of year, you get see all the houses for sale, the landscaping, and the construction projects (there were many more last summer when everyone did roof repairs following the infamous April 27 hail storms.
One of your summer ‘tasks’ is always to check out the pool and recreation area. I guess it is considered a potential quiet place for ‘parkers.’ We didn’t see any action, though, apart from a few families enjoying a late evening swim.
We haven’t been members at the pool for the last few years. When Holly and Paul were younger, we did join the recreation association at least three times. Paul swam on the swim team a couple times. My most vivid pool memories, though, were of a couple baseball team pool parties.
In fact, we celebrated the Choppers’ championship with a bash up at the pool.
There were no parties on this night. It was a pretty routine observation. In fact, that is true throughout our subdivision.
I can’t imagine what someone would do if they happened upon something that was NOT routine. Call 911, I guess.
One of the funnest aspects of the job is to read the logbook. Each family is supposed to record their observations from the evening. Those comments range from: “There is a pot hole in the road that needs to be fixed over on Elm Street…” to “Folks sure do speed up and down the main road.”
Some folks will add a bit of humor. One recent logee did a Star Trek-esque “Captains Log. Star Date 062012.” And he proceeded with a bit of a Sci Fi reference that basically said “It’s a quiet night.”
We weren’t that creative, but the message was still the same.
“It was a beautiful, quiet night.
JG
Originally posted 7/10/2012
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