Group hopes Saturday event will help start neighborhood watches
By Nick Hiltunen
Published in News on April 16, 2010 1:46 PM
Leo Daughtry recently came home to a nasty surprise, finding broken windows outside and shattered glass throughout the interior of his Madison Avenue home.
"With all the shattered glass, it looked like a bomb went off," Daughtry said of the attempted burglary.
And while nobody has been charged yet, the crime will not go unanswered as Goldsboro police and Daughtry's church team up to inspire neighborhood watch programs throughout the area.
On Saturday, from 10 to 11:15 a.m. at Madison Avenue Baptist Church, singers, speakers and refreshments will be part of program aimed at helping people start their own neighborhood watch programs.
Although a burglar alarm sounded and the would-be thieves got away with nothing, the burglary at Daughtry's home was a wake-up call for pastor Bob Fulkerson of Madison Avenue Baptist Church.
Fulkerson, who also serves as chaplain for the Goldsboro Police Department, said that the break-in at church member Daughtry's home, just two blocks from the place of worship, made him want to take action.
He organized Saturday's event and enlisted the help of Goldsboro Crime Prevention Officer Cpl. Robbie Jones.
"What we're trying to do is get people involved in neighborhood watch programs, and help them get started out," Fulkerson said.
Cpl. Jones said he will explain the instructions on how to start community watch programs, which are provided by Community Neighborhood Watch, a national organization.
"That's pretty much it -- we're trying to be pro-active," Jones said. "We need to get the neighborhoods started ... to get them revitalized and to try to get them active in making the neighborhoods safe."
Musical groups will precede Jones' presentation.
Nationally-known quartet The Frederick Brothers, backed up by the piano accompaniment of Jimmy Aycock, will perform.
Also performing is Avenue, a music group based out of the church.
And, Fulkerson said, children who attend the event will be spared any boredom.
"We have an inflatable obstacle course for kids," he said. "They don't want to listen to us talk about neighborhood watch."