MONTE VISTA— The latest word in Monte Vista’s Neighborhood Watch program is that citizen participation is helping to take a bite out of crime in the city, as reported by Monte Vista Police Chief John Rosecrans during Neighborhood Watch’s last meeting of the year on Monday, Dec. 3.
“For the first 11 months in 2018, we’ve seen a 15 percent reduction in burglaries with a 20 percent clearance rate [solved burglaries],” said Rosecrans. Theft is down by nine percent, with a 55 percent clearance rate, and there has been an 18 percent reduction in traffic accidents.
There are several reasons for the improvements, Rosecrans explained, like an extra $20,000 from CDOT in 2018 that has allowed more officers on the road for DUI and DUID checks and two new K-9 units for assisting with drug busts. Participation in Neighborhood Watch has also impacted the numbers. I think “Neighborhood watch is a huge part of the good statistics here in Monte Vista,” Rosecrans said. “Citizens are calling in and making the police aware of possible criminal activity, and that is helping.”
Neighborhood Watch is a national crime-prevention program involving citizen participation. Since being implemented last January in Monte Vista, the program has brought informative monthly meetings as well as the canvassing of neighborhoods by volunteers to help educate people about crime prevention, enlist participation and collect emails and phone numbers. The effort has not only connected community members, it has brought awareness to criminal activity in the area. In early August, Neighborhood Watch hosted a National Night Out event to highlight the program, talk about crime prevention and bring together the community.

The aim for 2019 is to implement “Neighborhood Watch 365,” which is drilling down the larger program into neighborhoods by developing subdistricts complete with district leaders, block captains and active community members. Each district would host its own meetings and events and disseminate information downline to neighborhood participants and upline to the larger community. Monte Vista’s city councilors have volunteered as district leaders, though their participation remains to be seen. Councilor Kathy Lorenz, with the help of Rosecrans, continues to head up city’s larger Neighborhood Watch program.  
Though statistics show declines in the number of burglaries, theft and traffic accidents in Monte Vista, drug-related crimes are relatively static, Rosecrans said. To demonstrate how community members can help police prevent and even solve these types of crimes, Rosecrans introduced Ruckus, a yellow Labrador Retriever who is the newest member of Monte Vista’s K-9 team. Since joining the police department in late May, Ruckus has been on 10 “deployments,” four of which resulted in narcotic seizures. Jake, a black lab, is also on the K-9 team.
Ruckus immediately began pulling on his leash to all the outreached, dog-friendly hands.  But his attention quickly turned as he caught a familiar scent and began sniffing a beeline toward an inconspicuous corner of the room. Everyone gasped as Ruckus’ handler— Officer Patrick Luczak— picked up a tan purse and pulled out a large bag filled with a white powdery substance.    
Not to worry, Rosecrans explained. The “drugs” were planted as an exercise to help with identification of criminal activity. The bag had been saturated with real drugs before being filled with plaster of Paris and placed in the decoy purse. Rosecrans asked if anyone had seen anything out of the ordinary. Most hadn’t.
Lorenz spoke up, saying she had noticed an unfamiliar person lurking around the coffee pots just before the meeting and had commented to several people, including Rosecrans. Another person had noticed the man leaving by the back door. Someone else described the man as slight build, around six-feet tall, bearded face and wearing a dark hoodie. Yet another person said he left in a white SUV that someone else identified as a Chevy.
Turns out the “criminal” was Monte Vista’s own code enforcement officer Shane Porter dressed in a checkered flannel shirt and dark hoodie. Porter is around six feet tall, has a goatee and is slender in build. He was also driving a white SUV that day. Everyone who noticed Porter said it was his demeanor of not looking anyone in the eye that first caught their attention.
“This was an exercise in criminal activity and to make people aware of what they might see in the field,” Rosecrans said. “Most criminals are not professionals and they act suspicious. That’s why Neighborhood Watch works.”
Because witness descriptions can change over time, it’s important to get them as quickly as possible, Rosecrans added. It’s also important to separate witnesses before getting their statements. “If things are suggested or overheard, then the description is likely to be influenced.”
Monte Vista resident Margaret Hurd took the floor after the exercise to solicit funding for the new K-9 team. Each dog-and-handler team has a startup cost of about $30,000 due to the specialized police car and training. Then there’s the ongoing cost of care and additional training.
Hurd helped set up a 501(c)3 organization to fund the K-9 program. “It’s separate from the city and can only be used for certain purchases, like things for the dog or that would help the dog and handler in combination,” Rosecrans said. Though the annual cost per dog would only be about $1,000 (barring unforeseen veterinarian bills), each dog’s tenure as a K-9 is only about six years. Money will eventually be needed for each dog’s replacement. Hurd said the Monte Vista Rotary Club recently committed $2,000 to the K-9 fund.
For more information about the K-9 Fund or Neighborhood Watch, contact Margaret Hurd at 719-850-1191. Neighborhood Watch meetings are held the first Monday of each month in the Monte Vista Chamber of Commerce/Information Center at 947 1st Ave.