Rosemont Groups Fight Crime With National Night Out

Neighbors in Rosemont and around the United States spent time outside and got together Tuesday night as part of the 28th Annual National Night Out.

From jump houses to potlucks to barbecues and just sitting around getting to know one another, Rosemont residents turned out as a sign of unification in their neighborhoods.

“I’m the neighborhood coordinator for this particular block of Rosewood Drive,” said Eric Rischer, 42. “I’m just getting everybody out to celebrate National Night Out.”

With spaghetti and all the fixings, those who attended the get-together enjoyed good food and got to know one another.

“You get to see their faces and get familiar with the people who live next to you or down the street,” Rischer said. “On top of that it kind of helps you identify who’s supposed to be here, who’s supposed to be two houses down or around the corner. It goes with networking.”

Children played while adults talked about work, hobbies and whatever came to mind.

Margaret McKinley, of Rosemont, likes the idea of getting to know her neighbors.

“We get to know each other,” she said. “We all know each other–we have for many years. We are all comfortable with each other like a family.”

In the 4200 block of Leafmont Way, many neighbors came out to feast on hot dogs and hamburgers along with other goodies. In addition, kids played basketball and there was even a juggler.

“We’ve attempted to get together in neighborhood watches but the turnout hasn’t been this big. But since our neighborhood is rebuilding, we’re trying to get in touch with teenagers,“ said Sabra Thomas, 45. “Basically we do this so that we can all be connected. So if we see something going on in the neighborhood we can email each other or call each other and make everyone aware of something suspicious.”

Thomas, one of several neighbors from the block who attended the event, added it also helps when a someone is on vacation.

Neighborhood watch block coordinator Carol Arbini McFarland, 64, said about 40 neighbors came out to celebrate the event.

“It was really nice. We had about 11 families [and] lots of kids,” she said. “This is a great opportunity for the neighbors to come together and chat and get to know each other and have a good time. When neighbors know each other, the neighborhood tends to be safer because they are looking out for each other.”

She added when opened and so many people moved in and out of the neighborhood, McFarland decided to start the neighborhood watch group.

In another part of Rosemont, on Huntsman Drive, there were two parties going on. One, held by 40-year-old Tonia Moreno, was a quiet event, but for Moreno it was also an important event.

“I actually haven’t started yet,” she said. “I just got in contact about it. They sent me the paperwork so I am going to print it and get my neighborhood together. I just wanted to get to know the neighbors and let my kids' friends know that they are welcome here.”

Moreno added she figured the only way to get to know the neighbors was to go around the neighborhood and meet them.

Farther up the street, two watch groups got together for an ice creme social.

“As you know, National Night Out is a national event to bring communities together and send a message to criminals that we’re organized and we’re fighting back,” said Linda Kenner, neighborhood watch coordinator. “For the past year in Rosemont, we have started to revitalize our community and we have started to revive our neighborhood watch groups. We had about eight groups last year. We now have about 20 forming.”

She added at least 35 people showed up to the event and she hopes to see more in the coming years.

Fellow neighborhood watch coordinator Sandy Ellis, 62, said the event helps neighbors to be more aware of what is going on in their area.

“It fights isolation,” Kenner said. “There are so many people who are worried about crime. They are afraid of crime. They maybe have been touched by crime but they don’t know their neighbors and so they’re paralyzed and they’re isolated. When you begin networking with the neighbors and coming together as a group like this then you develop a confidence and it empowers you to join the fight against crime.”

She added the goal in the community is to build a reputation among criminals that the area is organized and its residents are fighting back.

The National Night Out event on Rosemont's Brian Court brought three blocks together for a barbecue, jump house, game of horseshoes and water slide.

“We had about 45 come,” said Matt Newton, coordinator. “This probably is our fourth or fifth event that we’ve done, and we’ve done a couple of front yard barbecues. We’ve done a cultural potluck. We just invite all the neighbors and we just hang out. It’s kind of an expected thing that we have these once in a while and a lot of the neighbors show up.”

He added the benefit of having get-togethers is the ability to build relationships with neighbors.

“What that brings is safety among us,” he said. “Because people know each other, there’s a lot more interaction that happens.”

Others who attended the event agree and all said they are on the lookout for strangers who enter and leave the neighborhood.

“A car goes down the street and you know the car doesn’t belong on the street and ‘I bet you he turns around and goes back out,’ because we know every car and who they are and how long they‘ve been here,” said Sam Clower, 92.

Newton added it’s all about knowing one another that keeps neighborhoods safe.