Well, our fledgling Neighborhood Watch is about three months old. We have the beginning of a great little community in Eagle Palms, and it will ultimately be 650 townhomes strong.

As I get out and have the opportunity to talk to more of my neighbors I am filled both with pride and disappointment in our results. In many ways we have accomplished so much in a very short time, and yet we have failed to reach some very important goals.

I don't know how many in our community remember the problems we were having in our community when our Neighborhood Watch program was started, I know I do, and we were having several issues every week ranging from vandalism, disturbances, drug issues(yes I said drugs), property theft, unwanted solicitations and even break-ins. Today, these types of issues have been substantially reduced.

What disturbs me however, is it also appears that we as a community are becoming too complacent since many of our initial problems have become almost non-existent. It appeears apathy is beginning to rear its ugly head in Eagle Palms. I will tell you we have some terrific people who are fully dedicated to the success of Neighborhood Watch and work hard to make our community a safer place. These folks are not looking for kudos and praise although they certainly deserve it. I know who you are, and I WILL say thank you because no one person can make this program a success.

What about the rest of you. Are you going to continue to "let the other guy do it", or are you also willing to be an active participant in the well being of your community. Its very easy to become involved. Call Don Maidlow @ (813) 741-1328.

Here's a letter I recently received from one of our residents:

This morning was a trash pickup day and when I left Eagle Palms for work the trash had not yet been picked up. Ahead in the neighborhood I saw a mid-90s silver Toyota Forerunner on the side of the street and a man picking something out of a recycling bin. I slowed down and waited to see if the action was repeated as the vehicle did not register in my mental database of neighbor's cars. Sure enough the guy crossed the street and began going through another person's trash. I pulled up and asked the driver "Do you live here?". She replied "No, we are just picking up cans". I told her I understood her motivation but that we just cannot have that in our neighborhood. Despite that they continued to do what they had been so I indicated to them that I was just going to have to call the Sheriff. Well that did it. They were in their vehicle and out of the neighborhood within 30 seconds.

Having picked up cans for the recycling money more than once in my life I understand theirs and others' plight. However, you have to realize that picking through someone's trash is just a tiny "baby step" away from looking for private documents for identity theft purposes. And not too far away from checking to see if side doors are locked either. No one should have to worry about such things while they are out striving to make a living - especially these days.

My hope is that everyone here, whether involved directly in the Neighborhood Watch or not, will keep aware of things that are out of the ordinary or suspicious, and never feel scared to call someone else's attention to the situation. It doesn't "take a village" to raise a child, but it does "take a neighbor-hood to keep a neighborhood safe".

"Laws, like houses, lean on each other", a quote by Edmund Burke who also said "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing"


- Anonymous Eagle Palms Neighborhood Watcher