An animation of the elements of the AltadenAlert map, created by Jeff Sedlik.
After several months of hard volunteer work, the Altadena Sheriff's Station and neighborhood associations and watch groups are ready to unveil their latest tool to fight crime and increase safety and communications in Altadena.
The AltadenaAlert Neighborhood Watch Map ( www.AltadenAlert.org) is a free online tool provided by the Altadena Sheriff’s Station, displaying the areas of all neighborhood associations, watch groups, and neighborhood blogs and mailing lists in Altadena, and providing contact information for each group. But, according to Jeff Sedlik, block captain for the Braewatch Neighborhood watch group ( www.BraeWatch.org) " it is more than a map."
The computer-savvy Sedlik is a member of the sheriff's community advisory council and has been working with the sheriff's station for months to create the map through Googlemaps.
"I am a firm believer in the partnership between the community and law enforcement," Sedlik wrote. "Rather than asking the Sheriff 'what have you done for us lately?' we should be asking 'what can we do to help you to help us?' [Capt. Steven McLean] and his team welcome volunteers from the community. So I volunteered to create the database and map last year. I compiled information on current neighborhood watch groups in Altadena by contacting each known group, requesting updated information and requesting referrals to other groups. I then plugged that information into the map, with the permission of each group."
Pictured: Altadena neighborhood cartogropher Jeff Sedlik.
Photo by James deJauregui, and used with permission.
There are five primary purposes for the map, Sedlik said in an email:
- By displaying the outline of each neighborhood watch group in Altadena, and by providing a contact person and contact information for each group, the map allows Altadena residents to easily locate and contact the neighborhood watch group closest to home.
- The map allows the leaders and members of each neighborhood watch group to identify nearby groups and more easily to share information related to criminal activity, crime prevention and emergency preparedness. Burglars and car thieves often work in multiple nearby areas. By connecting the groups so that they can exchange information in real time, we have enhanced our ability to partner with the Sheriff in reducing crime in our city. Examples include looking out for vehicles or people known to have been involved in crimes in neighboring areas.
- New neighborhood watch groups are often started by a small group of concerned residents. The map allows emerging groups to make their presence known to the community, making it much easier to create and rapidly build participation in a neighborhood watch program.
- The map and underlying database allow the Sheriff to more easily support and communicate with all groups in Altadena, providing a conduit for critical information and alerts regarding crime, crime prevention and emergency preparedness.
- By mapping out the location of each group, we can more easily identify the gaps between groups, and the Sheriff can work with local residents to establish new groups in those areas. It is my hope that in the near future, we will see a solid web of color on the map, covering all neighborhoods in Altadena.
Sedlik said there are "no exclusive territories" in the map: "No one group can “claim” a neighborhood. Several groups may exist within a particular neighborhood, and the boundaries of some groups may overlap. Interestingly, the map allows these groups to discover the overlaps, and we’ve seen groups merge as a result."
How can you use it? Locate your neighborhood on the map. If a colored shape appears over your neighborhood, click on that shape, and contact information for the group will pop up on your screen. If the name of your neighborhood appears in the list to the left of the map, you may alternatively click on the name to view contact information for the group. If your neighborhood watch group is not on the map, they can be added by having your neighborhood watch block captain send an email to AltadenAlert@gmail.com with information about your group.
Sedlik notes that he had lots of assistance compiling the map. "It has been a pleasure working with Sgt Mike Randenberg, Deputy Lamark Williams, Lt Joe Dempsey, Lt. Roosevelt Johnson and Captain McLean on this and other projects benefitting the community. Elliot Gold of ACONA (Altadena Coalition of Neighborhood Associations) connected us with different neighborhood groups, and Carolyn Seitz has also provided inspiration, information and assistance."
To start a neighborhood watch group, contact the Community Relations officers at the Altadena Station, either Sergeant Michael Randenberg 626-296-2106, or Deputy Lamark Williams 626-296-2105.
