It seems like the watchphrase over at the EPD these days — as it has been since Chief Andy Mills came on a year and a half ago — is “community involvement.” Any time Mills or one of the department’s new top brass goes on “Talk Shop,” there is always mention made of force multipliers and public buy-in and other such policing lingo, all of which boils down to the notion that if citizens really want crime to go down, they should get off their butts a bit.

They say it’s working, and Neighborhood Watch groups are obviously a big part of the overall strategy. So they’d like more of them.

Press release from the Eureka Police Department:

The Eureka Police Department and Operation Safe Streets will be hosting a Neighborhood Watch training Saturday March 14th, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Wharfinger Building, 1 Marina Way, Eureka, CA.

Participants will learn how to safely perform the functions of Neighborhood Watch, report crimes to emergency dispatchers, crime prevention, and much more.There will be a focus on neighborhood walks and interacting with potentially unstable subjects.

“This training is a great opportunity for citizens to learn more about the benefits of our Neighborhood Watch,” stated POP PIO Suzie Owsley. “The Neighborhood Walks are becoming more popular in Eureka and are already being done by several watch groups.”

Pre-registration is required to attend and space is limited. The event is free. Please RSVP to Brittany Powell at Eureka Police at bpowell@ci.eureka.ca.gov or by calling (707) 441-4388.