Town Watch volunteer Carl Lingesso, Sea Isle City Police Department Lt. Thomas D’Intino, Sgt. Dennis Felsing and Sgt. Thomas McQuillen plan to hold another public meeting at 7 p.m. on Jan. 16 at the Public Safety Building to further discuss neighborhood p

A Town Watch/Town Pride (TW/TP) meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 16, in the Public Safety Building at 7 p.m. when TW/TP plans to put into action the new neighborhood patrols it has been organizing. According to Carl Lingesso, organizer, the goal of the neighborhood patrols is to complement the work that the police department is already doing.

"We really need volunteers for this program," said Lingesso. "TW/TP wants to get more citizens involved. Even though Sea Isle is already a safe place, we want to put extra eyes and ears on every street - the more the better. Volunteers will be patrolling their own neighborhoods, and we are considering patrols on foot and in vehicles."

During a fact-finding meeting held on Dec. 12, Sea Isle City’s TW/TP organizers highlighted their plan to institute a new citizens patrol program that would enlist residents in neighborhood watches. The meeting was run by Lingesso and was overseen by members of the Sea Isle City Police Department, including Crime Prevention Officer Tom McQuillen, Administrative Staff Sergeant Dennis Felsing and Lt. Thomas D’Intino, who is currently serving as the department’s second in command.

Lingesso and the policemen present agreed that volunteers should never put themselves in harm’s way. If volunteers notice something suspicious while on patrol, they will be advised to phone the police right away, give an accurate address and a description of the problem, and to "keep moving" and not to intervene beyond that.

"We’re not looking for heroes," said Lingesso. "We simply want the volunteers to report anything that seems out of place."

McQuillen, Felsing and D’Intino went on to point out many ways that residents can better secure their homes and their own personal safety now, even before the neighborhood patrols begin.

"A criminal’s biggest enemy is lighting, both indoors and outside," said McQuillen. "Also, use light-timers whenever possible to give a sense of activity in your home."

Another issue discussed was the importance of new homeowners changing their door locks because some properties were once used as rental homes. Also, many building contractors use a master key system while building new homes and the locks are never changed until the new homeowners do so themselves.

Additionally, the police department recommends that people never walk alone at night. When residents do walk after dark, it is always a good idea to have a flashlight and a cell phone with them.

Anyone needing additional information or interested in volunteering can directly phone Carl Lingesso, (856) 952-4074, or the Sea Isle City Police Department, 609-263-4311.