By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com

In their first meeting since Coordinator Darla Lewis stepped down, the Bucyrus Neighborhood Watch held its second captain/co-captain meeting at Bucyrus City Hall Tuesday night.

During the meeting Bucyrus Police Chief Dave Koepke updated the group on the Bucyrus Police Department’s employment, telling the group that with the new hires and promotions that will be occurring within the force a police department captain will be in place as the police liaison, and could possibly fill in the role of neighborhood watch coordinator.

“All the individual groups are looking to maintain their participation, and increase their participation, and if you saw tonight there is a couple of groups, three actually, that are just starting trying to find a way to organize their group and sign up people to participate,” Koepke said.

Bucyrus Neighborhood Watch Board members Deb Zahara and Bob Dille were introduced by Koepke as interim replacements for Lewis until a coordinator for the group is found.

Koepke thanked the Neighborhood Watch by telling the captains that through their efforts the city has become safer since the neighborhood watch has become active.

Judge Sean Leuthold spoke to the neighborhood watch captains thanking them for their work.

“We are not Marion County, we are not Richland County, and we have a much more safe community than either of those counties,” Judge Leuthold said. “I have talked with people all over the state, and it is a fight, but people in Bucyrus and Crawford County are not backing down.”

The captains of the Bucyrus Neighborhood Watch were given information on storm water conservation by Mark Hall from the Crawford Soil and Water Office. Hall brought pamphlets on how to reduce storm water runoff through rain barrels and rain gardens.

“The storm runoff goes straight into the Sandusky River and the creeks,” Hall said. “The runoff collects any oils, anti-freeze, salts, grass and leaf materials, and dirt and it goes straight into the creeks, not the water treatment plant.”

Hall explained that there are grants that will pay for 75 percent of the rain garden up to $500, and that if any of the Neighborhood Watch groups wished, he would come and provide more information to them.

“We are talking about water and sewer amongst other things because it is a matter of community wellness, health and safety of the entire community of all aspects whether it is crime, or issues involving storm drain off, or the sewer,” Koepke said.

Bucyrus Neighborhood Watch communities will be participating in National Night Out on Tuesday, August 5.