Wellington to host community-wide neighborhood watch meeting

By Jodie Wagner

Wellington has nearly two dozen neighborhood watch groups, and representatives from all of them are expected at the community center Wednesday for the twice-yearly Village-Wide Neighborhood Watch meeting beginning at 6 p.m.

The event is open to all residents, whether they’re members of a neighborhood watch group or not. It is expected to draw about 60 to 70 people, Community Services Director Paulette Edwards said.

“It’s an opportunity collectively for someone who may live on one side of Wellington to tell others how they’re helping their neighbors to deter crime, help each other out and keep their neighborhoods as safe as possible,” Edwards said.

Edwards pointed out that there are many misconceptions about what neighborhoods are considered safer than others in the village, which has about 62,000 residents.

Residents who live in gated communities are just as likely to be targets of crime as those who live in non-gated communities, she said.

“The type of criminal activity we have now does not discriminate against a neighborhood,” Edwards said. “We’ve been finding that even in our gated neighborhoods, in terms of burglaries and thefts, they are higher than in non-gated communities because people feel safer. They’re leaving their keys in their car, and it’s unlocked.

“That’s why, as a village, we wanted to ensure that we are all communicating, and that everyone collectively is on the same page in terms of safety. Also, we’re able to get the message out about law enforcement at one time.”

Wednesday’s meeting will include a presentation from Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Social Media Manager Anthony Rodriguez, who will discuss crime prevention and social media.

Edwards expects a good turnout at the meeting. The community-wide neighborhood watch gatherings began two years ago, and response has been good, she said.

“We’re hoping that people who are not in watch groups come, so that they can start their own watch group,” she said.

For information about starting a neighborhood watch group in Wellington, call Community Services at 561-791-4764.

The Wellington Community Center is at 12150 Forest Hill Blvd.