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LANETT — Plans are being made for a citywide Neighborhood Watch event to be held in June, either on the playground across from W.O. Lance Elementary School or in the Jane Farrar Event Center in downtown Lanett.

This was talked about Thursday evening at a District 4 Neighborhood Watch meeting at the Lanett Nazarene Church. Approximately 20 people were present, among them District 4 Council Member Angelia Thomas and Council Member Ronnie Tucker of District 3. Also in attendance were several members of the Lanett Restoration Committee, which heads up litter pickups along city streets.

The meeting was hosted in the church’s tea room by Pastor Harold Henson and wife Angie.

“I’m thankful for this turnout,” said Rev. Henson. “We’ve been having these monthly meetings since October. I was concerned about some of the things I had seen taking place here in Lanett. I walk the streets of this community and pray for it every day. I’m an old country boy at heart, and there’s an adjustment for me to make living in a city. I see a need for the good people of Lanett to watch out for each other.”

The District 4 group has a Facebook page they call the Guardians of Lanett. They have gotten John Radford to print them some yard signs at cost that display such messages as: “The Guardians are keeping this community safe. Our community is NOT your dumpster,” “The Guardians Care, We See and We Wii Report,” and “The Guardians Are Watching You.”

There was some discussion about putting up cameras to watch for suspicious activity going on in Lanett neighborhoods. “I think we should have cameras at every entrance to the city,” one person said.

The city council has had a work session with a company that could place cameras at certain locations throughout the city.

Council Member Thomas said that whatever any group wanted to do in Lanett had to be discussed with the city’s police chief, Denise McCain, and the mayor, Jamie Heard.

“Things need to be done the right way,” she said.

“That’s a fair statement,” Rev. Henson said.

Council Member Tucker said that individuals and groups should be looking at systems that are doable. “We need to be talking among ourselves to some up with a good strategy,” he said.

One woman present said that she felt that Lanett was fortunate to have good police officers doing the kind of work they were hired to do. “You see them pulling people over left and right,” she said.

A man at the meeting said he liked the way the officers interacted with the public at a recent carnival in Lanett.

Another person said the police department was doing a good job in handling complaints from city residents.

“I don’t want our town to look like a dumpster and to have illegal drugs here,” a woman said.

Henson then asked about having a community wide event on Saturday. June 7th.

“I think it would give us a chance to bring the community together,” he said. “Neighborhood Watch has gone me a chance to get to know people I did not know before. It allows you to become better informed than you were before.”

Whether at the playground or at the event center, there would be some tents set up where hot dogs were being cooked and refreshments available.

“Right now we just need to get the word out about this,” Henson said. “It would be good if we could get the churches involved. We need people to know that we want to have a citywide event where we can talk about Neighborhood Watch and what it can do.”

“We need to let people know what we are here for and what we can do for the community,” Thomas said. “We need to get the word out to everyone that citizens are watching their neighborhoods.”

Some people present said that some care needs to be taken that a June 7th event is not just a “grab food and go, leaving trash on the ground” kind of activity, that people coming out need to understand how an effort like Neighborhood Watch and the Restoration Committee can make the community a safer and cleaner place.

Henson said he would have a flyer by the next meeting on Thursday, May 8th. That will be the second Thursday of the month.

The chapter usually meets on the third Thursday, but the date will be moved up a week because that will be the week of Easter. He invites everyone to check out The Guardians Facebook page for updates.

One person added a word of caution. “There are too many people who just don’t care,” they said. “We need to change that.”

“I think you can get people to come on a Saturday when they see tents and people there,” one person said of a possible event.

“I think it would be good if we could get  100 people there,” Henson said. “We need to make sure we have enough food for that many, napkins, paper plates, mustard, ketchup and the like.”

One person suggested having a raffle to give away a useable item like a grill.

“We have some more yard signs on the way,” Henson said. “I will have them at the next meeting.”

The Restoration Committee is planning a cleanup along Phillips Road on Thursday, May 17th. They will be meeting at the Sheriff Department’s training building at 5:30. Anyone who wants to take part is welcome to be there.