Our meetings are sometimes a little boring when we have nothing much to cover, but that has not been the case for the past year. With the cooperation of Sheriff Goodwin, and the SC Department of Natural Resources, we have started having at least one of the county deputies, or a DNR Rep. attend each meeting giving talks on safety at home, around the lake, and on the road.

We hope to begin doing the same thing with the Anderson County Sheriff's Department in the near future.

One thing lead to another, so we began talking about creating a Neighborhood Crime Watch program. Since we began showing an interest and because Reserve Officer David Haynes has spent a lot of his "free time" (no pay) patrolling the area around the lake along with other deputies, the crime rate has decreased. I didn't say stopped, just decreased.

We are one of the misfortunate families that has been broken into, a utility trailer stolen, and it's replacement pulled out onto the road in an attempt to steal it.

The reason for the decrease in break-ins and thefts, is of course, "more eyes" on the job. That is what the N.C.W. is all about. If we can get everyone that lives on and around the lake to be more aware of what is going on, we should see an even greater decrease in crime. All it takes is keeping your eyes open and if you see something that is "NOT NORMAL" call 911 and report what you have seen.

In the near future, we hope to have N.C.W. signs erected in all areas of Lake Secession. Our intent is the have at least one sign visible to everyone before they can get to your property by roadway.

The association plans to buy approximately 40 signs and the Abbeville Sheriff's office will have them erected for us. We would appreciate any contribution that you would like to make towards the signs. We have a small sign (App. 5 ½" square) to be placed on your property in a place that you choose. All members will receive one of these signs when they pay there 2007 dues. Additional signs can be purchased by association members for $3.00 each.

Placing one along the waters edge is another way of letting folks approaching by water that "we watch out" for each other. There is a lot of difference between "nosey neighbors" and those that care about the community.

This program should be of great interest to property owners that do not live on the lake full time. I wish I had had a neighbor watching my place when those *&^%##@ needy folks helped themselves to our property.

Non-members of the association can buy the signs for $5.00 each. We would of course like for everyone to be a member of the association, but if they choose not to, we still want them to be a part of the N.C.W.

Block Captains have been assigned for most areas and these folks should be getting in touch with you personally to "sign you up". We would like to create a list of everyone that lives in this area. Not to keep up with you, but to allow the Block Captains to contact you when and if crimes begin in our neighborhood. This is in order to make you more aware of things, like lawn mowers being stolen, etc.

We hope that the signs will be a deterrent to criminals, but it will only be a part of the process. Your eyes and ears are the most important tool that we have in fighting crime.

All of us have probably made the comment, "you can't find a Policeman when you need one". The real reason is that they are probably taking care of a problem in another part of the county and you will just have to wait your turn. Not all Cops are cigar smoking, doughnut eating, fat boys hanging around the coffee shop. This is your opportunity to give them a better chance of catching the bad guys.

By: Robert Vaughn