WHEELING, W.Va. — After being suspended for more than a year due to COVID-19, in-person neighborhood crime watch meetings are back in Wheeling. Citizens will again have the opportunity to address issues in the city face-to-face with Wheeling Police officers.
The Wheeling Police Department (WPD) announced that meetings are returning Monday, as the department will hold seven monthly crime watch meetings in various neighborhoods throughout the city. The first meeting will be the East Wheeling community, at the Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless – 84 15th Street (full schedule below).
Philip Stahl, the WPD Public Information Officer told MetroNews that anybody can attend the informal meetings that are held to build relationships with residents by working together on crime-related issues through conversation.
“The meetings are to bring police and the community together to discuss any issues such as crime or traffic in anyone’s neighborhood. This is so we can enhance the quality of life in their neighborhood,” Stahl said.
Officers also provide monthly statistics and talk about upcoming police events and initiatives at the meetings, which began in 1997.
“We will give out some statistics and talk to people about what we are working on and what our initiatives are for this year. We will discuss what we have our eyes on, about the issues we are experiencing that they can keep their eye on and communicate back with us if they are seeing those issues,” Stahl said.
The current times, dates and locations are:
Warwood
Date/Time: Second Thursday of the month, 7 p.m.
Location: Warwood Christian Church – 131 North 17th Street
North Wheeling
Date/Time: Third Thursday of the month, 7 p.m.
Location: Riverview Towers – 601 Main Street
Wheeling Island
Date/Time: Fourth Tuesday of the month, 6:30 p.m.
Location: Wheeling Island Marina Shelter
East Wheeling – Downtown
Date/Time: First Monday of the month, 6 p.m.
Location: Greater Wheeling Coalition for the Homeless – 84 15th Street
Center – South Wheeling
Date/Time: Fourth Tuesday of the month, 6:30 p.m.
Location: Trinity Lutheran Church – 3536 Eoff Street
Woodsdale-Edgewood-Pleasanton
Date/Time: Second Tuesday of the month, 7 p.m.
Location: Temple Shalom – 23 Bethany Pike
Elm Grove – Springdale
Date/Time: Third Wednesday of the month, 7 p.m.
Location: Elm Grove Civics – 21 Sycamore Avenue
Each crime watch group has its own officer, Stahl said. Those officers work as a liaison between the community and the WPD.
To get monthly schedules, residents can visit the online crime watch calendar wheelingwv.gov/crimewatch or call 304-234-3708 with questions.