The rescue of an 83-year-old man who had fallen ill, the lifesaving discovery of a victim of violent crime on the side of a road, and the arrest of a man found in the act of burglarizing a business: what do these things have in common?
They were all made possible by alert citizens across the country who reported something that seemed out of place to law enforcement.
While these recent events happened outside of our community, similar events have and will occur right here in Green River. One recent example is when two residents, Mickayla McMickell and Kristian Mason, noticed smoke in the area of Upland and Uinta. As they paused to check further, they noticed a glow at the solid waste transfer station and quickly reported the suspected fire to dispatch. Due to their actions, the fire was caught in the early stages resulting in less damage to the structure and less risk to responding firefighters than would have otherwise occurred.
Incidents such as these highlight the importance for citizens to be actively engaged in keeping our community safe. This need for partnership and cooperation between emergency responders and the public they serve is the basis for the national “If You See Something, Say Something” awareness day Sept. 25.
The official “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign was a product of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
However, the need for community involvement to ensure public safety relates to all types of crime and emergency situations.
We share everyday moments with our neighbors, family, coworkers and friends. We go to work or school, the grocery store, or the gas station. As we do, we learn what is common and what is not in our surroundings.
We all have seen something that made us question, are those people supposed to be there? Does that child know the person who stopped them?
It could be the delivery customer who normally waves to you suddenly being absent, the car stopped alongside the roadway in an unusual place, or an unfamiliar van parked next to a business after hours.
Those observations, reported by alert citizens led to the rescues and arrest I mentioned in my opening paragraph. While an alert patrol officer may or may not have noticed these small changes in a neighborhood, it was citizens who knew the area best who made the difference.
Many things stop people from reporting suspicious activity. The most common is fear they will be wasting the time of first responders. While it is true many suspicious activity reports result in no problem being found. The time to check into it is when it is happening.
There are many ways to report suspicious activity. An emergency should be called into 911. Suspicious activity not amounting to an emergency can be called into central dispatch at 875-1400.
Additional ways to report are:
* The “See Something, Say Something” line at (833)446-4188
* http://www.crime-stoppers.com
* http://www.sweetwater911.org/tips/
Please keep in mind only calls to 911 or the dispatch regular phone number 875-1400 go immediately to our first responders in Green River.
Reader Comments(0)