James Rada, Jr.
The Emmitsburg town council meeting room was filled to capacity on August 11, 2016, as citizens sought for a way to band together to fight Emmitsburg’s crime problem.
“Since I moved here, I’ve noticed the quality of life dropping and crime increasing,” one of the group’s founders, Elizabeth Buckman, told the group.
She said that the town needed to unify against crime, and this could happen if its residents get to know each other, start reporting what they see, and become good neighbors by watching out for each other.
“If we’re not successful, Emmitsburg is going to crumble,” stated Buckman.
Emmitsburg Community Deputy Travis Rohrer said that all suspicious activity should be reported and that the call can be anonymous.
“It may be nothing, but if it looks out of place, there’s a good chance that it probably is,” Rohrer said.
Finding out about the suspicious and criminal activity after they have happened only serves to hinder an investigation. He also pointed out that if sometimes nothing immediately seems to happen when suspicious activity is reported, it may be because the problem is part of a larger one that is being investigated. If residents see a situation, they should gather as much information as they can. This could include descriptions, names, license plate numbers, and even pictures. The more information that law enforcement has about the situation, the quicker a resolution can be reached.
While the group got off to a strong start, the test will be to see if it can continue and grow. In the past, Community Watch efforts in town have started and faded. Emmitsburg Mayor Don Briggs even pointed out that a similarly large group had gathered five years earlier in the room after a youngster had been killed. That effort to help the community had also faded.
“It’s the same message, but it’s up to us to do something, to reach out and watch,” said Briggs.
Emmitsburg Cares has set up a Facebook page that they hope will act as a central hub for information about suspicious activity in town. It is the place to start to get involved. Everyone is encouraged to join.
