BUENA PARK : She’s On the Watch for a Safer City

Sharon Parsons is known as the Police Department’s ambassador of goodwill.

“I feel when I leave someone, I leave them on a positive note,” Parsons said. “I’ve taught them something: how not to be a victim of a crime.”

Parsons is Buena Park’s crime prevention officer--a catchall title that means she takes a proactive approach to law enforcement, she said.

As crime prevention officer, a civilian position, Parsons may be best known for her role in overseeing the Neighborhood Watch program. She educates residents about keeping their homes and neighborhoods safe from crime.

The program, which started in the mid-1970s, has not only grown to more than 1,000 Neighborhood Watch groups in the city, but it has also expanded its focus.

“Neighborhood Watch is no longer just a deadbolt approach,” she said, explaining people want more information than learning about home security. “Now people are interested in personal safety.”

Citizens want information about carjacking, gun safety in the home, using Mace as a weapon against crime. They also have questions about gangs and graffiti, Parsons said.

In past years, Parsons, who has held the position for 10 years, had to solicit the public to become involved in Neighborhood Watch. Today, citizens call her. She said she conducts four to five meetings a month in the neighborhoods.

Parsons, 45, said Neighborhood Watch has helped to cut down on crime because residents have learned how to better protect themselves and to call police when they see anything suspicious.

Police Sgt. Terry Branum said Parsons plays a valuable role in the department and the community.

“Law enforcement is really two-pronged: It’s much easier to go out and prevent a crime rather than going out and investigating a crime after it has happened,” he said.

For example, Branum said, by the 1980s Neighborhood Watch had made a name for itself among residents. People secured windows and installed deadbolts to make their homes harder targets for burglars. As a result, residential burglaries dropped significantly. Today, he said, residential burglaries are still low.

While the administration of Neighborhood Watch is a primary job for Parsons, it is only one of a number of programs she oversees.

Parsons has also become a well-known face in local public and private schools, where she teaches safety courses to children. She also enforces the city’s false alarm ordinance, gives tours of the Police Department and makes home and business security inspections.

Parsons helps the Fire Department, as well, with earthquake preparedness education, runs the Business Watch program, similar to Neighborhood Watch but geared to businesses, and assists victims of such crimes as domestic violence, robberies and burglaries. She also serves as mentor for a program for first-time juvenile offenders, called Shortstop.

Parsons’ multifaceted role also includes acting as the Police Department’s community relations officer.

“I love my job,” said the Buena Park resident and mother of three. “What I like most is, I can promote a positive image for the department. I let the people out there know how hard the officers work, and I hope I convey that they deserve the respect that we should give them.”