Crime Prevention

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. - Volunteers from the West Virginia chapter of the American Association of Retired Persons will sponsor a free community crime prevention forum focusing on consumer fraud from 9 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 22, at the Holiday Inn Martinsburg. Steve Mehlman, a national AARP fraud prevention expert, will be joined by Jill Miles, deputy attorney general for West Virginia; Berkeley County Sheriff Ron Jones; Capt. Ted Anderson of the Martinsburg City Police Department and Brenda Waugh, assistant prosecuting attorney for Berkeley County.

ROHRERSVILLE -- A variety of topics, from the effectiveness of a police substation in the Pleasant Valley area to how police use fingerprints in solving crimes, were discussed Wednesday night during a public meeting about crime concerns in southern Washington County. About 45 people at the Rohrersville Ruritan Schoolhouse heard from a panel of speakers that included Washington County Sheriff Douglas W. Mullendore, Washington County Commissioners Kristin B. Aleshire and William J. Wivell, County Administrator Gregory Murray, Lt. David Kloos of the Maryland State Police and Kevin Lewis, director of emergency services for Washington County.

Anyone interested in participating in a new reserve deputy program can sign up by contacting Deputy 1st Class James Holsinger of the Washington County Sheriff's Department. Holsinger, who specializes in crime prevention, said volunteers would be assigned to certain non-law-enforcement duties such as search and rescue, clerical/data entry, civilian fingerprinting and crime-prevention activities. Volunteers must be residents of Washington County, at least 21 years old and willing to submit to a criminal background check before being accepted, Holsinger said.

SHARPSBURG - Better lighting, chains and locks are among the security items the Washington County Sheriff's Department's crime-prevention unit recommended when it visited Sharpsburg Park, according to a report discussed by town council members at their meeting Monday night. Burned clothing was found in one of the baseball dugouts, and a metal swing gate was found to be bent during a crime-prevention assessment in January, the report says. The town typically makes repairs to the park each year, said Mayor Hal Spielman, who hopes repairs will be completed this summer by June 25. Spielman said he does not have an estimate for the cost of repairs, which could include lighting improvements, brush cleanup and fencing.

SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. - A federal Justice Department grant will allow Shippensburg University to hire three additional police officers who will focus on crime prevention on campus and work with off-campus students on safety issues. The university is the recipient of an estimated $224,346 grant from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. The three-year Universal Hiring Program grant will provide funds to hire three officers. During the three years, the federal share will be 75 percent of the estimated cost, while the university will pay the remaining 25 percent.

A coordinator was chosen Friday for Washington County's HotSpot Communities Initiative, which will target crime in Hagerstown's Jonathan Street area. The name of the coordinator, who was chosen from among five finalists, won't be announced until Tuesday, according to Charles R. Messmer, director of the Washington County Detention Center's Jail Substance Abuse Program. Messmer was one of eight panelists, including Hagerstown Police Chief Dale J. Jones, who made the decision during a meeting Friday morning.

Crime prevention subject of program CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - Drugs, violence and crime prevention will highlight an educational enrichment program from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Franklin County Housing Authority Community Center on West Washington Street, Chambersburg. Speakers include former Chambersburg resident Kenneth Winston, a youth counselor near Philadelphia who has been drug-free for six years. The Rev. Leroy Blair of the John Wesley AME Zion Church and Samuel Brand of the Scotland School for Veterans' Children will also speak.

Crowds of area residents turned out to learn about crime prevention and meet law enforcement officers at National Night Out celebrations in Hagerstown and Smithsburg Tuesday night. Law enforcement officers and attendees said Hagerstown's event was more popular than last year's, in part due to cooler temperatures. National Night Out was held as a partnership between the city of Hagerstown and the Hagerstown Police Department, and was sponsored by Target, according to Pete Moreno, Target logistics executive team leader.

Even though he was little more than a toddler when his grandfather passed away, Jim Holsinger said he was nonetheless influenced greatly by stories of the man's career as a Washington County Sheriff's Department deputy. "He died when I was a child, but I have his uniform, handcuffs and his badges," Holsinger said, referring to Lewis "Elwood" Holsinger. Although Holsinger, 38, worked for a time while he was still in school in the family business, Holsinger's Meat Market in Maugansville, he held onto his dream.

marlob@herald-mail.com Deputy 1st Class Jim Holsinger has received a statewide award to validate his efforts at crime prevention. The eight-year veteran of the Washington County Sheriff's Department was surprised to learn last Wednesday that he was the state winner of the Maryland Retailers Association crime prevention award. "Sheriff Charles Mades and I went to the luncheon at the BWI Marriott but I thought it was just to recognize me for the regional award," Holsinger said.

Crowds of area residents turned out to learn about crime prevention and meet law enforcement officers at National Night Out celebrations in Hagerstown and Smithsburg Tuesday night. Law enforcement officers and attendees said Hagerstown's event was more popular than last year's, in part due to cooler temperatures. National Night Out was held as a partnership between the city of Hagerstown and the Hagerstown Police Department, and was sponsored by Target, according to Pete Moreno, Target logistics executive team leader.

In my Dec. 28 column, I identified steps that should be pursued to revitalize downtown. Some readers and others in the community have challenged the statement, “Downtown is probably the most crime-free part of the city.” I wrote that people need to feel safe; and the perception, warranted or not, is that downtown is not safe. This perception needs to be changed. Hagerstown Police Chief Art Smith and the city council have made safety in downtown Hagerstown a priority. Investments in crime cameras and computer systems have been targeted specifically for downtown.

Richard Yoder's 3-year-old son, Travis, walked around a gigantic monster truck known as “Storm Damage” in Veterans Park Tuesday evening. It was all part of the fun associated with National Night Out, a national event designed to bring communities together for a blend of fun and crime prevention. But Richard Yoder had his own reasons for coming to the event. He said he wanted to bring Travis and his 2-year-old daughter, Jenna, to see “who the good people” are. That way, if they ever get lost or in some other kind of trouble, they will know what a police officer or other emergency official looks like if they need help, Yoder said.

ROHRERSVILLE -- A variety of topics, from the effectiveness of a police substation in the Pleasant Valley area to how police use fingerprints in solving crimes, were discussed Wednesday night during a public meeting about crime concerns in southern Washington County. About 45 people at the Rohrersville Ruritan Schoolhouse heard from a panel of speakers that included Washington County Sheriff Douglas W. Mullendore, Washington County Commissioners Kristin B. Aleshire and William J. Wivell, County Administrator Gregory Murray, Lt. David Kloos of the Maryland State Police and Kevin Lewis, director of emergency services for Washington County.

Alarms save money To the editor: Well, here we go again! The Washington County Commissioners and Sheriff Mullendore want to pick the pockets of those of us who make that extra effort to protect our property and person by installing a residential alarm system. These alarms benefit law enforcement as well as the property owners and insurance companies. As a matter of fact they deter thefts and breaking and enterings. Now that I have heard the negative side of these alarms, I would like to hear the positive.

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. - A retired federal government official and Fifth Ward resident was named Thursday as the Democratic nominee for mayor of Chambersburg by the Franklin County Democratic Committee. Peter R. Lagiovane, 60, of 610 Wallace Ave., was the unanimous choice of the 10 committee members present for the meeting in the Coyle Free Library. He will run in the November election to fill the unexpired term of the late GOP Mayor John A. Redding Jr., who died May 21 of complications following heart surgery at the age of 76. The deadline for political parties to nominate someone for mayor is Sept.

Even though he was little more than a toddler when his grandfather passed away, Jim Holsinger said he was nonetheless influenced greatly by stories of the man's career as a Washington County Sheriff's Department deputy. "He died when I was a child, but I have his uniform, handcuffs and his badges," Holsinger said, referring to Lewis "Elwood" Holsinger. Although Holsinger, 38, worked for a time while he was still in school in the family business, Holsinger's Meat Market in Maugansville, he held onto his dream.

Trusting others came naturally to Wayne Taylor when he was a youngster, but the retired fraud investigator has grown wary of unfamiliar faces. The 74-year-old man encourages people his age to be less trusting, too. As president of Seniors and Law Enforcement Together (S.A.L.T.) Council - which is part of the Triad organization in Washington County - Taylor works with about 20 senior citizens and a police adviser to schedule seminars on various crime-related topics and coordinate outreach programs aimed at benefiting seniors.

SHARPSBURG - Better lighting, chains and locks are among the security items the Washington County Sheriff's Department's crime-prevention unit recommended when it visited Sharpsburg Park, according to a report discussed by town council members at their meeting Monday night. Burned clothing was found in one of the baseball dugouts, and a metal swing gate was found to be bent during a crime-prevention assessment in January, the report says. The town typically makes repairs to the park each year, said Mayor Hal Spielman, who hopes repairs will be completed this summer by June 25. Spielman said he does not have an estimate for the cost of repairs, which could include lighting improvements, brush cleanup and fencing.

SHARPSBURG - Candidates running for Sharpsburg Town Council said they hope to make the town a better place by boosting crime prevention, preserving Sharpsburg's history and strengthening long-term planning efforts. Four seats are open in Tuesday's election. Vice Mayor Ralph Hammond is being challenged for his seat by Councilman Jeffrey Saylor. Incumbent council members Patti Hammond, wife of Ralph Hammond, Marjorie Jamison and Russell Weaver are seeking re-election, with newcomer Gary Hull also running for a spot on the Town Council.