Tempe police are encouraging residents to fight crime in their neighborhoods, and it all starts with a party.
On Saturday, Oct. 18, Tempe residents and neighborhood watch groups will host block parties to build camaraderie and prevent crime throughout Tempe neighborhoods.
The statewide initiative is called GAIN — Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods. It is intended to heighten crime-prevention awareness in Tempe neighborhoods.
The Tempe Police Department is hosting a meeting Wednesday at the Tempe Public Library to give residents more information about hosting parties.
Tempe Mayor Hugh Hallman will address the group.
Attendees will learn about publicizing their parties and have the chance to win raffle prizes, Cmdr. John Dorsey said.
Dorsey leads the Tempe Crime Prevention Unit and oversaw more than 180 parties hosted last year.
“Raffle prizes are some of the vehicles, teams and tools that the community doesn’t typically get to see or experience,” Dorsey said.
The prizes will include visits from the Tempe SWAT van, K-9 unit, DUI van, officers on horses and a garbage truck, he said.
Officer Bill Vanek said Target is the event’s new sponsor this year.
A $5,000 donation funded bags filled with miscellaneous crime-reporting and prevention materials with an emphasis on reducing graffiti, he said.
Dorsey said officers have noticed more graffiti throughout the past year.
“We’re trying to educate citizens on what they can do if they see graffiti and make sure officers are aware of the hot spots so they can keep an extra eye on them,” he said.
Party hosts can also obtain graffiti kits to eradicate graffiti in their own neighborhoods and spread awareness of the problem at the block parties.
Dorsey said he expects to see more than 200 parties this year.
A Tempe police officer or specialty unit will visit each of the Oct. 18 parties. City Council members will also stop by many of the parties, Vanek said.
Leena Nasaredden, an elementary education junior, said she has experienced crime in her Tempe neighborhood.
Nasaredden had cars stolen from her family twice, she said. One was found parked outside of an ASU residence hall.
“We don’t really know our neighbors even though we’ve lived in this house for a year and a half now,” she said.
One of GAIN’s main goals is to create and promote comfortable and friendly relationships between neighbors so all residents are alert to criminal or suspicious activity.
“If awareness is one of the biggest factors that can stop crime, then I think that’s a cool idea,” Nasaredden said.
Vanek said most of the burglaries that are stopped in the middle of the day or evening are because of alert neighbors.
“[GAIN] is just another tool in the toolbox to get people involved in preventing neighborhood crime,” he said.
The public meeting for potential party hosts will be Wednesday at 6 p.m. at the Tempe Public Library, on the southwestern corner of Rural Road and Southern Avenue.
Reach the reporter at tessa.muggeridge@asu.edu.
