12/4/17 – 5:19 A.M.

The Findlay Police Department is encouraging residents to form neighborhood watch groups to cut down on crime and drug use. The Courier reports there are more than 30 groups in the city already. Crime Prevention Officer Brian White tells the newspaper the watch groups are able to anonymously report suspicious activity to police.

White says the groups are helpful. While the statistics are shaky, White says “it is the general belief from police that when block watch is in the neighborhood, crime goes down.” He adds one reason the stats don’t always show it is because it’s hard to count crimes that don’t happen.

For information on how to start a neighborhood watch in your neighborhood, you can call White at (419)424-7282.