National Night Out is Tuesday, October 7.  This is a time to turn on the outside lights, get together with neighbors to show your support for the elimination of crime in your neighborhood.  7-9 p.m. on Tuesday, October 7, 2014, residents are asked to turn on their porch lights, lock their doors and spend the evening outside with their neighbors, police officers, EMS, and firefighters.

Barton Hills has many traditional gatherings on this night.  Check out your street to see if there is a party planned.  To get a head start, join the Austin Police Department, Travis County Sheriff’s Office and other community partners for the 31st Annual National Night Out kickoff celebration on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2014, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Mueller Airport Lake, 4550 Mueller Blvd (May show up on GPS as 4550 Mueller Central.)

The free event will have food, games, booths and live music by The Peterson Brothers Band. Additionally, this kickoff event will be a great opportunity for neighborhoods to “Stock Your Block” with informational pamphlets and brochures for National Night Out block parties on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2014.

Barton Hills residents are always supportive of crime prevention efforts.  Make this year the biggest Night Out ever.

John Luther
BHNA Neighborhood Watch Program

The Barton Hills Neighborhood Association Neighborhood Watch program was featured in a front page story in the Austin American-Statesman today, complete with a color photo of Neighborhood Watch chairman John Luther and several volunteers. The story recognizes the efforts of the Neighborhood Watch program in our community and points out the significant reduction in several categories of crime since its inception.

You can check out the story at the Statesman site online or view this PDF version if the online version has been archived.

Program: Neighborhood Watch: Why, What and How
August 24, 7:00 to 8:30 PM
St. Marks Church (see map)
(Corner of Barton Skyway and Barton Hills Drive)

The Barton Hills Neighborhood Watch Program will be conducting a general orientation and training session at St. Marks Church on Tuesday, August 24th from 7:00 to 8:30 PM. All Barton Hills, Zilker and Barton Oaks residents interested in learning how to make our neighborhoods a crime free community are invited to attend this important meeting.

Basic orientation to the program will be provided so that you can become a valuable part of the solution to reducing criminal activity in our neighborhood. Current Neighborhood Watch volunteers are also encouraged to attend to enhance and refresh your observation skills, home safety awareness, and to meet other volunteers and share knowledge. Representatives from the Austin Police Department will be on hand to assist in the information and training segments and to answer your individual questions concerning crime prevention.

Crime may be a problem, but we are the solution. Together we can and will make criminal activity in Barton Hills, Zilker and Barton Oaks a very risky business.

I hope to see you on the 24th.

John Luther, Chair
BHNA Neighborhood Watch Program

John Luther, who heads up our Neighborhood Watch, and Kimberly White Erlinger (immediate past president of BHNA) were both featured on a KVUE news story last night about the success of our  associations’ Neighborhood Watch program in reducing crime in Barton Hills. Check it out and be sure to pass along your thanks to all of the great folks who volunteer their time to patrol our neighborhood to keep it safe.

In response to the increase in criminal activity in the Barton Hills area we are reactivating the Neighborhood Watch Program. This is a non-confrontational program that focuses on the idea of neighbors looking out for neighbors. It is an effective way to supplement the police presence by adding dozens of extra eyes and ears of BH residents to see and hear suspicious persons or activity within our neighborhood and report to APD at 911. It is a great opportunity for BH residents to stand up and take an active role in seeing that our neighborhood is and remains a safe and secure place to live.

An introduction to the Neighborhood Watch program will begin with a brief meeting and training session on Monday, March 30 at St. Mark’s Church at 7:00 PM. This meeting will not last more than one hour. It may be the best hour you could invest yourself in if you want to be a part of reducing crime in our neighborhood. This meeting is essential for those residents interested in being block leaders for Neighborhood Watch or if you would like to participate in Neighborhood Watch Patrol; a segment of the program in which volunteers will be driving the neighborhood during evening hours as an added level of protection against criminal activity. Details of this aspect of Neighborhood Watch will be covered at the March 30 meeting.

Neighborhood Watch is strongly endorsed by the Austin Police Department and they will be working with us to see that volunteers receive orientation and training related to this program. APD envisions BHNA as becoming the model for other neighborhoods based on our traditional “get it done” attitude and response to community needs. I am sure our Neighborhood Watch program will be no exception to that tradition.

If you are planning to attend this meeting or if you have any comments concerning the reactivation of Neighborhood Watch I would love to hear from you.

I Will See You There,
John Luther, Chair
BHNA Neighborhood Watch Program

Neighborhood Watch Meeting
Monday March 30, 7:00 PM
St. Marks Church
Barton Skyway at Barton Hills Dr.