By Ruthanne Johnson
MONTE VISTA— If you’ve ever looked for the address of a house you’re visiting, you know how frustrating it is when you can’t find the house number, made even more difficult at night. Imagine how emergency responders feel when looking for a house they’ve been called to for an emergency, where someone could be in imminent danger. That’s why Jim Clare presented to folks attending the Aug. 20 Neighborhood Watch meeting the availability of reflective house identification numbers through the Monte Vista Fire Department.
Clare remembers the difficulty of trying to find some addresses during his days as assistant chief of the Monte Vista Fire Department. The time emergency responders struggle to locate someone’s house could mean the difference between life and death. “Almost every call [emergency responders] go on is associated with the house number, and it’s important to identify the location quickly,” he said. “But nobody thinks much about it until they have an emergency.”
Monte Vista firemen ordered the reflective identification numbers for their homes first to see how effective they were. Clare has had the reflective numbers on his home for several years now and they’re as easy to see as the first day he installed them, he said.  
To order the reflective home numbers, call Marshall Mathias with the Monte Vista Fire Department at 719-588-5088. The cost is $20 and $5 extra for a decorative border.
Clare also shared information about the E-911 emergency alert system program, which allows San Luis Valley residents to receive emergency alerts concerning their specific area on their cell phone, work phone, text message, email or home phone. Emergency alerts could include wildfire, flood, gas leaks, critical police activity and missing persons. Register at slv911.org or email the information to [email protected] or call 719-480-8469.
Now manager at the San Luis Valley Landfill, Clare shared the date for the landfill’s annual Make A Difference Day. On Oct. 27 from 8 a.m. to noon, folks will be able to take unlimited loads of trash to the landfill in exchange for canned goods or monetary donation for the local food bank. “This gives people a chance to clean their yard,” Clare said, “Just make sure your loads are covered and secure, as you don’t want any trash flying off your truck.”
Landfill restrictions on acceptable types of trash still applies.
Police Chief John Rosecrans discussed to some 20 people in attendance the progress of the Neighborhood Watch program since its inception last September in Monte Vista. “I would have liked the program to be further along by now, with more participation,” he said. “But the decent turnout at the recent National Night Out demonstrates that folks care about fighting crime in the community,” he added.  
The monthly Neighborhood Watch meetings highlight basic crime prevention 101, which includes locking doors, turning on outside lights at night, getting to know neighbors and tidying up yards for better line of sight. “It’s a grassroots program,” Rosecrans said. “When people get involved in reporting what they see as quickly as possible, the better the chance of the criminal getting caught.”  
Recent examples include one suspect who was caught while breaking into a house thanks to the help of an attentive neighbor who called the attempted break-in to the police. Another suspect was caught stealing $180 worth of sirloin and ribeye from Safeway by an on-scene officer. The criminal was caught on security camera. “So, two property crimes and two closed cases because of preventative measures,” Rosecrans said. Alternatively, someone who shoplifted a $170 pair of boots got away because the store employee was afraid to get the license plate number as the suspect drove away. “The camera angle outside the store also wasn’t good on the vehicle,” Rosecrans said.
The next step for building participation with the Neighborhood Watch program is to divide the city into five districts and sign on dedicated district and block captains. “We would like five district captains and five block captains in each district,” Rosecrans said. The districts could hold meetings once a month to discuss strategies for crime prevention as well as disaster preparedness. Better community relations and communication is key in preventing crime, Rosecrans said. Those meetings could include presentations by local emergency responders and neighborhood-building events like ice cream socials, potlucks and block parties. These types of get togethers can also potentially build the confidence of neighbors who are nervous about speaking up or reporting crime.
When it comes to discouraging unwanted foot traffic through neighborhoods from potentially suspect individuals, city councilmember Kathy Lorenz suggests friendly but direct contact with that person. “We were having so much foot traffic down our street, and I decided to go out to my mailbox every time I saw someone walking by who I didn’t know,” said Lorenz. “I looked that person in the eye and said ‘Hello,’ and for kids, I asked, ‘Are you having a good day?’ Then I would go back inside.”
The strategy is not to harass. “It’s just walking out, making eye contact and saying ‘Hello,’” Lorenz said. “That way the person knows that you see them.” Amicable contact can make a difference in reducing the potential for criminals feeling comfortable in a community.
Another topic Rosecrans wants Neighborhood Watch to highlight is disaster preparedness. “People need to be aware of the possible emergencies in their community,” he said.  That could mean everything from fire to water breaks, flooding, gas leaks and even blown down trees that cause damage to the home. “People need to have some sort of plan, like what they will take with them and where they will go if they can’t stay in their home.” Folks also need to have a go bag packed for themselves as well as their pets.
Neighborhood Watch’s next meeting will delve further into the newly created districts and perhaps introduce district captains to attendees. Lorenz asked everyone in attendance to again canvas their neighborhood to invite community members to Neighborhood Watch meetings and collect contact information.
For more information about Neighborhood Watch, contact Lorenz at [email protected]. Meetings are held at 6 p.m. on the third Monday of every month at the Monte Vista Chamber of Commerce Information Center.