It was the last straw for Amy Reidling’s family.
Problems with residents of transitional housing in Reidling’s neighborhood peaked last year when a male resident threatened her teenage son.
“My husband was so upset he put a ‘For Sale’ sign in our yard,” she said.
But when Amy Jensen saw the sign, she convinced Reidling it wasn’t time to move out — it was time to stand up. Jensen and Reidling formed the NIMBY Neighborhood Watch group last October.
Now a group of about 15 residents gather at Inez Toone’s home on the second Sunday of each month. It’s the longest-running active neighborhood watch group in Tooele and homeowners feel more secure — and more connected to the people they live near.
“There’s so many things that separate people in communities but the common interest for good is so unifying,” Reidling said. “How could they not want to be part of something that makes all of us feel safer?”
At the meetings, members of the Neighborhood Watch discuss incidents of note in their neighborhood, suspicious behavior and ways to make their homes safer, such as external lighting and security cameras.
The latest meeting on Sunday saw a discussion on the transitional housing, which is currently empty but expected to reopen as soon as this year. The first time the housing opened, residents faced a number of uncertainties, Jensen said.
“We were left in the dark for all of this transitional housing,” she said. “We had lots of questions and a lot of concerns.”
The transitional housing is operated by Valley Behavioral Health and houses at-risk adults and families working toward independent living, according to the nonprofit’s website.
Tooele City Police Officer Tanya Turnbow, the liaison between the department and neighborhood watch, attended Sunday’s meeting. Turnbow said many of the issues homeowners were having with residents in the transitional housing weren’t being reported to police or the housing’s administration.
The troubles with some residents in the transitional housing are typical to what starts a group like the NIMBY Neighborhood Watch, Turnbow said at the meeting.
“The reason neighborhood watch programs start is because there’s some issue in the neighborhood,” she said.
Property crimes, suspected drug activity and petty vandalism were the most common complaints from residents at the meeting. Turnbow said the neighborhood watch had an opportunity to create a culture of communication and safety before the transitional housing reopens.
“When the new people come in, it’s going to be very different,” Turnbow said. “So keep communicating, keep talking to each other, keep up with the neighborhood watch because you’re really going to be able to create that neighborhood that you want to have.”
Jensen and Reidling said their efforts to keep the group active includes visiting houses in their neighborhood, which runs from 100 East to Pinehurst Avenue and Utah Avenue to Vine Street. They said they spent three hours just speaking with homeowners along one side of one street prior to Sunday’s meeting.
“It’s been so good for our community,” Jensen said.
The neighborhood watch has improved relationships between the homeowners in the community and made residents feel safer in their homes and community, Reidling said.
“It’s made me love my neighborhood more,” she said. “I’m glad I didn’t turn and run.”
Anyone interested in starting a neighborhood watch group should contact local law enforcement to discuss local crime problems and establish credibility, according to the National Crime Prevention Council.
After holding an initial meeting to gauge interest, organizers should establish a regular meeting time and place. Once the neighborhood watch is up and running, members should share contact information to stay informed of any suspicious activity or in-progress crimes.