Dozens showed up tonight and crowded the Heritage Free Methodist Church on Pine Street in Burlington for the first ever Community Crime Prevention Round Table.
On hand to answer questions from citizens were Mayor Shane McCampbell, Major Grimshaw and Chief Beaird with the Burlington Police Department, and Des Moines County Attorney Amy Beavers.
Ideas about how to make Burlington a safer community were thrown around. One person asked about neighborhood watches and how they’re working. Grimshaw responded….
He said that today, some of us barely know our neighbors.
Another instance that was brought up by many residents tonight was the fireworks situation Tim Scott had referred to at Monday’s city council meeting. Police Chief Doug Beaird said the police officers will not be assaulted, and shooting fireworks at police officers will not be tolerated…
After the majority of people got what they needed to say off their chests, they were left wondering how they can help make a difference in the community and the lives of the kids causing some of these problems. Major Darren Grimshaw gave one suggestion that can be summed up with one answer; volunteer…
Towards the end of the meeting, Beaird talked about some ideas that have been tossed around down at the police station to help curb some of the crime and violence, specifically near Maple Street….
Organizer of the meeting Andrea Horton hopes to have more of these discussions in the near future so community members can work together to find solutions and help with the crime, because as Police Chief Doug Beaird said tonight, the police department can’t do it alone.
