Streator residents gather to establish Neighborhood Watch program

Streator officials hosted a special meeting Monday at City Hall to kick off the revival of the Neighborhood Watch program.

The meeting followed a meeting last month, where more than 100 residents attended to discuss potential solutions to the recent surge in gun violence. At that meeting, reviving the Neighborhood Watch program was proposed as a possible strategy.

Thirteen Streator residents were present at Monday’s meeting, which included Mayor Tara Bedei, City Manager David Plyman and Police Chief John Franklin.

Toni Pettit, a Streator resident and former Neighborhood Watch leader, also attended. She spoke about the importance of each neighborhood having a designated watch captain or “go-to” person, a role she filled for many years.

Pettit shared her wisdom with new potential watch captains and emphasized the role of in preventing crime, rather than just reporting it to police.

“It’s not just about being an extra set of eyes for the police department; it’s about being a visible presence in the community to prevent crimes from happening in the first place,” Pettit said. “What we need is an increasing number of witnesses who are willing to collaborate with law enforcement to help keep the neighborhood safe.”

The meeting also covered guidelines for the program, including identifying specific problems each group should address, establishing a form of communication among neighbors and determining the best hours for the group to patrol.

Bedei urged residents to register their home security cameras with the city at https://ci.streator.il.us/ to assist police investigations. Franklin highlighted a recent case where a resident’s home security camera footage helped the department in an investigation.

The registration page includes further details about the program.