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Community policing has been successful for years Prince George newly confirmed police chief may have announced a community policing strategy just last week to lower crime throughout the county, but District 5 residents say the strategy is already a proven success they have used it effectively for years. Residents in police District 5, which covers the southeastern stretch of the county, including Clinton and Upper Marlboro, have been holding weekly coffee klatches since 2004 to evoke open dialogue between residents and police and are hopeful other communities will follow their community policing model as Police Chief Roberto Hylton re implements the approach countywide. Hylton said Feb. 11 he planned to focus the efforts of 65 officers to a community policing strategy, which would assign each officer to a smaller jurisdiction, making constant community dialogue and street by street patrol priorities. The approach is expected to help address property crimes, such as theft, which are edging upward, allowing police to better concentrate on violent acts, he said. The police representative for each area will be identified to residents, and that officer will be chief of police for his area, Hylton said Feb. 17. Wednesdays at the Safeway on Branch Avenue in Clinton. a back and forth dialogue, said District 5 Assistant Commander Capt. Craig Howard, who frequents the meetings. time we can get information from the community about any type of crime is helpful. started the coffee club in 2004, with the help of then Commander of District 5 Maj. Annette James, after concerns grew about troubled youth and increased crime in the area. Residents say today they see less crime from youth, and expect that the majority of crimes are committed by repeat offenders. Members commonly discuss problems in their neighborhoods and strategize how to overcome and eliminate local crimes, such as residential burglary and theft. Lowe said one of the key strategies to mitigate burglaries and residential thefts is to educate residents to be cautious and alert at all times, by locking windows and not leaving items in their cars. kinds of crimes are going on in police District 5, with police and community working together we hope to stem the tide of crime, Lowe said Feb 18. Coffee club members, who have developed a strong relationship with Howard and the district current commander, Maj. David Morris, effusively praised the department effort to crack down on crime in their area. Residents can discuss any concerns they have with police and be assured those concerns will be addressed, Lowe said. A countywide community policing centered strategy was last implemented in 2003 under former Police Chief Melvin C. High, who retired in the summer, but was abandoned after the county Fraternal Order of Police criticized the efforts in 2005 as ineffective, as homicides continued to rise and procedures took too long to effect change, the organization said. Under Hylton leadership, community policing in the county began Feb. 15. Officers first assignment is to create a beat profile by talking with community leaders and business owners to identify areas of concern. Officers will also complete a ground patrol of their jurisdiction to plan how to eliminate crime opportunities. However, the assigned officers can be everywhere at once, and that is where the community can play a vital role, Howard said. are our eyes and ears, he said. Coffee club member Les Greenberg of Upper Marlboro agreed that police can do it alone. Greenberg volunteers at the District 5 police station as an office clerk and recently enrolled in the Citizens Police Academy.