National Night Out is a huge event for many neighborhoods in Fontana.

National Night Out (NNO) is a hallmark event for millions of Americans. In towns throughout the nation people have opened their front doors, walked out onto their streets and instead of meeting fall leaves and parked cars they were greeted by smiling neighbors united for a common good.

On Tuesday, August 5, 2008 in several neighborhoods in Fontana, residents took a stand against crime in local celebrations of NNO. Some met with their neighborhood watch groups or neighbors in the streets to show support while others gathered for larger events such as annual block parties highlighted by appearances from police and other community representatives.

Neighborhood Watch

The easiest and quickest way to join next year’s NNO celebration is to check with the local Neighborhood Watch group. The captain will keep you informed of the time, place, events planned, and any other details for the evening.

Call (909) 350- 7710 to start a Neighborhood Watch group today.

To determine if a neighborhood is a participant in “neighborhood watch,” check the street for the welcome sign or call Amber Smith at (909) 350-7710. Smith organizes all of the neighborhood watch groups and meets with them on a regular basis.

“We currently have 153 neighborhood groups in Fontana several are very active,” says Smith.

Residents who would like to know if their neighborhood is enrolled may visit the Fontana Police Department website at www.fontanapd.org and check out the map of their area. If the neighborhood is enrolled, the name of the local captain will appear with contact information. If the area is not included, and residents would like to apply, they may call (909) 350-7710.”

Celebrating National Night Out (NNO)

A few Fontana celebrations include block parties, flashlight marches, cookouts, and fun events for youth and adults. The idea is to have fun and Fontana residents know how to send the message to criminals that a neighborhood is a place where children can play in a safe environment and where neighbors watch out for one another.

“NNO has proven to be an effective, inexpensive and enjoyable program to promote neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships in our fight for a safer nation. Plus, the benefits your community will derive from NNO will most certainly extend well beyond the one night,” - www.nationaltownwatch.org.

A reduction in graffiti and litter are good deterrents for crime. Consider hosting monthly cleanups in your neighborhood.

Those interested in creating a year long improvement event may want to join Project 365. The NNO program encourages residents to tackle specific problems throughout the year. Tree planting efforts, the formation of a volunteer litter removal campaign, neighborhood commitment to help the environment, the creation of a senior assistance program or resolve to help one another to reduce blight caused by foreclosure are all ideas that could be used for promoting goodwill, the reduction of crime, and raise the market value of homes.

Those who were unable to attend NNO, but want to meet others in their neighborhood with shared beliefs may consider attending quarterly neighborhood meetings.

Quarterly Neighborhood Community Meetings

The Neighborhood Community Meetings with the Area Commanders from the Fontana Police Department have been an incredible tool for distributing information and meeting with neighbors for nearly seven years.

These quarterly events are held at several locations throughout the city and give residents an opportunity to discuss area specific crime, construction, landscape issues, and upcoming events. In many ways they are smaller versions of town hall meetings where, on most occasions there are opportunities for one-on-one interaction with representatives from City Council and city staff.

“The Fontana Police Department,” says Chief Rodney Jones, “is extremely effective in improving the quality of life for the Fontana community. This is primarily due to the positive relationship the department enjoys with the community and all the employees and volunteers of the department. It is also important to remember that the police department is but one department of a city staff that is dedicated and committed to serving its residents.”

It is this united effort by the community that brings dozens together every quarter to discover what is happening sometimes in our own backyards.

A listing of upcoming neighborhood meetings and the location of the meetings is provided. For more details or to read the minutes from the last meeting, please contact Amber Smith at (909) 350-7710 or visit online at www.fontanapd.org and click on community meetings.

Those looking for something more specific may opt to join the Citizen’s Academy. The Academy provides citizens with information regarding the Area Commanders, laws, crime analysis, defensive tactics, investigations, patrol procedures, and more. The 9 week program is held only a few times a year. The next is scheduled for March 5 – May 7, 2009. The class meets every Thursday from 6:30 to 9:30 pm. The classes fill quickly so please register early by calling (909) 350-7758 or visit www.fontanapd.org for an application. Not everyone, however is available during the appointed neighborhood meeting times. There is an option and one need not worry about getting anywhere on time.

Become involved with Who Ya Gonna Call?

Who Ya Gonna Call? The perfect reference sheet for any situation.

If a conflicting schedule makes meeting attendance virtually impossible, there is another option for community involvement, and in truth, it is probably the most important. This is not done as a group or as a part of an event, it is quite simply proactive living.

Recent topics at community meetings have provided plenty of support as to the importance of citizen watches in a community. Presentations have helped to inform the public for signs or potential crimes. Warnings to spot when a house might be used as a “marijuana grow house” as opposed to being someone’s residence. How to investigate Megan’s Law and ways police track pedophiles. Another topic was a graffiti presentation, the points of which were later featured in a Community Connection newsletter feature found at www.fontana.org/main/comm_conn/2008/feb/article5_feb2008.htm.

The City of Fontana offers a great index of numbers on a colorfully animated form called Who Ya Gonna Call? available on www.fontana.org. The form addresses anything that may be of some consequence to the individual, the residence, the neighborhood, or the community. Whether it is a belligerent person, a missing or damaged sewer drain, hazardous waste, trash or overgrown weeds, gangs or just about anything else, the Who You Gonna Call? form will list the numbers.

In a local emergency, call (909) 350-7700 from a cell to reach the Fontana Police Department

Citizens are encouraged to call any of these numbers whenever there is an issue that needs to be addressed. It is through citizen awareness and involvement that many crimes become deterred and neighbors aren’t left standing in the street when it is too late saying “I thought that looked suspicious.”

In the event of a local emergency, when the call must be made from a cell phone, please call dispatch at (909) 350-7700. Any call made to 9-1-1 from a cell phone is automatically answered by the California Highway Patrol, not the local police department.

For more information about getting involved in the fight against crime, please call the Fontana Police Department at (909) 350-7710 or visit online at www.fontanapd.org.