By Annie Rowe

SDN Staff Writer

Answers for the betterment of Snyder may not be simple, but at Monday’s town hall meeting to address crime and clean up, residents began making an effort.

The town hall meeting, which was held at the Ritz Community Theatre, gave citizens the opportunity to express ideas and voice concerns about the problems facing the community.

Vicki Shroyer, chamber of commerce executive director, along with Mayor Francene Noah, Police Chief Steve Warren, Sgt. David Holley, ministers Tom Holcomb and Buddy Payne presented facts and fielded questions about the problems dealing with drugs, criminal mischief, thefts and burglaries that have been on the increase.

Shroyer welcomed those in attendance and presented background information on the Citizens Corps of Scurry County, formed here after Sept. 11 by the Department of Homeland Security as a first response in the event of a disaster.

She explained that the organization helps drive local citizens participation by developing community action plans, assessing possible threats and identifying local resources.

Chief Warren and Sgt. Holley gave information on the formation of a Neighborhood Watch program.

Warren explained that many of the crimes committed in the city are crimes of opportunity and a neighborhood watch could be a way to encourage citizens to police themselves and report suspicious activity.

The chief said Holley would be taking the lead in the new program and he noted that it is impossible for police officers to be everywhere all the time.

“We have got to take some responsibility for one another,” said Holley. “Everyone needs to help watch every other neighbor.”

Holley said volunteers are needed to begin the program.

“We need volunteers to help start organizing their neighborhoods by introducing the watch to others on their blocks. We have the paperwork available to sign up.”

Buddy Payne, minister of First United Methodist Church, presented information about a program that he had seen success with in Post called the Mad Dad program.

Payne explained that drugs had become a problem, which was the catapult for organizing the program. The idea was similar to neighborhood watch, however, with Mad Dad teams of two would go out during peak crime hours to patrol the streets. If the team saw any suspicious activity, they notified police.

“The program became very successful. So successful in fact that some of the lawbreakers started to call police to complain about us,” he said.

Payne suggested that the program would be a benefit to Snyder as well. “It didn’t make it all go away, but it certainly slowed the problem down.”

Motel owner Helen Feinsod asked the panel about the implementation of a curfew in Snyder, a topic that has been presented to the city council.

Mayor Noah addressed Feinsod’s concerns.

“We are still considering the idea of a curfew,” she said. “But there are some legal aspects that aren’t always successful.”

The mayor said it is necessary to enact an ordinance in order to make a curfew enforceable.

Shroyer then initiated the topic of the Clean Up Snyder program.

“I remember when Snyder was ‘Sparkle City’,” said Shroyer. “It’s our goal to return Snyder to that status.”

The portion of the clean up program that has caused the most controversy has been the police department’s Red Tag agenda regarding junk vehicles that are not in compliance.

“This has really upset a lot of people,” said Shroyer. “I have gotten many calls on this.”

The program calls for officers to place red tags on the windshields of cars that are in violation. The owner has 10 days to bring the vehicle into compliance or remove it before facing fines or having the vehicle impounded.

Shroyer explained that information is available by contacting the chamber for anyone who needs to have a vehicle removed.

“I think these meeting are a very successful tool for discussing ideas,” said Shroyer. “I’m looking forward to having more of them and getting more residents involved, especially in the neighborhood watch.”

A second town hall meeting is planned in about two weeks that will include Sheriff Darren Jackson and representatives of Scurry County.