Bremen Police Chief Keith Pesnell is rallying new members to join the neighborhood watch program in their communities throughout Bremen.

He said the initiative was launched about four years ago, but support has fizzled in recent years. Therefore, he’s looking for dedicated watch captains and volunteers to keep an eye out for activity of all kinds happening in their neighborhood.

“We’re encouraging people to come out and support this effort. This year, we want the neighborhood watch to be more interactive, unlike the past where neighbors would sit down and just talk,” he said. “We hope to get more involvement this year.”

Resident Roger Jackson, who serves as watch captain on Clinton Street and surrounding locations, says an extra pair of eyes always come in handy. After holding his post for several years, he says volunteers have not reported many suspicious activities to him, though there have been a few isolated incidents.

“One of my neighbor’s got his weed-eater stolen, and my son’s car got egged,” he said.

Meanwhile, with help from neighbors discreetly watching Jackson’s home, he gathered tips that led to a description of the person who egged his son’s car.

“We have eyes throughout the neighborhoods looking out at different times,” Jackson added.

Jackson noted the neighborhood watch isn’t just about monitoring destructive activity, but also identifying loiters and litter bugs.

Pesnell encourages everyone to learn more and offer ideas at the next meeting for the Bremen neighborhood watch program. He also asks residents to spread the word about other initiatives going on throughout the community.

One of these programs include the Bremen Business Watch, in which the police department is partnering with Bremen Better Hometown Manager Neile Chambers and allows business owners to support each other by monitoring illegal behavior, such as check fraud.

For more information about these community initiatives, call the Bremen Police Department at 770-537-4441. Lt. Donald Stevens can provide additional information about the Neighborhood Watch Program.