VAN NUYS : Volunteers Sought for Watch Group
A new anti-crime surveillance group in Van Nuys is recruiting volunteers to be the eyes and ears of the Los Angeles Police Department and help catch taggers, drug dealers and other street criminals.
Called W.A.T.C.H. (We Are The Community Helpers), the group is a non-confrontational coalition of concerned residents who spy on criminal activity from rooftops, cars and other unseen locations.
Members are trained by officers in the department’s Van Nuys Division, who teach them how to report suspicious activity. Recruits are screened by the police.
In March, the group conducted its first surveillance along Sherman Way. According to Larry Hanna, president of the 40-member group, 30 members slipped into the shadows and tipped police off to two drunk drivers and two suspected graffiti taggers carrying drugs.
Future surveillance operations will target crime along Sepulveda Boulevard.
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