Middleton Township taking steps to curb crime
By MATTHEW SCHOMER/Staff WriterNEGLEY - Crime in Middleton Township has tested the patience of some residents, but a meeting with county Drug Task Force members next week could be a stepping stone to a permanent crime prevention program.
Members of the Columbiana County Drug Task Force will be present at an assembly scheduled for 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Negley Fire Hall.
While the task force members will be talking primarily about drug-related issues, Township Trustee Nancy Micheals, who helped organize the event, is hoping there is enough interest in crime prevention for members of the township to form their own crime watch.
Micheals noted she has read a lot about other local crime watch organizations in the county in newspapers during the past year.
"With the crime here, I just think we need something in our township," she said, promoting creation of a community-run crime watch program that would meet monthly and work with the county sheriff's office to deter crime from occurring in the township.
Since January, the sheriff's office has received 351 calls pertaining to Middleton Township. While 158 of those calls are classified as miscellaneous, many detail some rather serious crimes.
Theft is at the top of the list, with 43 total calls, followed by domestic violence with 35. Burglary was third among complaints, with 33 calls; a number that Micheals feels is disturbingly high.
"I think drugs are one of the big issues with the break-ins," she said, explaining the need to invite the Drug Task Force to speak there.
The list also contains 30 calls for vandalism, 15 for fraud, nine for trespassing, six for missing persons, three for stolen vehicles and one each for sex offenses and child abuse.
The event Wednesday also will be a chance for members of the community to get together in a public place and meet neighbors they may not know well.
"Years ago, you knew who your neighbor was ... That's what we need to get back to," she said, as it's easier for someone to identify people who aren't normally in an area when he or she knows the people living there and because neighbors can watch each other's houses when one person or family is away.
