Feb. 05, 1999

FOUNTAIN HILLS — Crime prevention in Fountain Hills is very simple for Dennis Contino: Get people talking and crime will go down.

The hard part, he said, is spurring people to get to the point of talking.

“A lot of people have a problem going before the council,” Contino said. “We want to take that pressure away from the people and have them come to us.”

“Us” is the Community Policing Committee, a new neighborhood crime-prevention program that aims to extend the long arm of crime-watch law.

Proposed at the last council meeting, the group of what will be five residents likely will meet once a month to discuss crime and neighborhood problems, said Contino, chairman of the committee.

Several members will have law enforcement backgrounds, but others will be your average Joe, he said, adding that 15 people already have called about the group.

Working with the town marshal’s department and Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, officials expect the outreach program to encourage people to get involved and reduce crime.

“We will work with people to bring things to our attention,” said Marshal Steve Gendler. “We think that if people hear about (problems) from their neighbors on the Community Policing Committee it will carry even more weight.”

Creating the federally-sponsored program was in part the result of burglaries. Despite local law enforcement’s constant warnings about protecting property, home and business burglaries jump year after year, officials said.

Last year, there were 27 more burglaries than in 1997, according to year-end figures recently released. That’s about a 24 percent increase.

Thieves also broke into four more vehicles and made off with eight more cars, statistics show.

“Thefts are down, but burglaries continue to be a problem,” Gendler said.

With plans of forcing a downshift in that trend, Contino said the group will also prod people to take advantage of free programs offered through the Marshal’s Department, namely the 45-point safety inspection.

He pointed out, however, that the group will take on more of an advisory role and not have any legal authority like the sheriff’s posse program.

“We want to let people know that this committee is interested in making this a better community and we are going to show people what’s going on,” he said. “I really believe we will have an impact.”