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Several signs to alert would-be criminals of a local neighborhood watch network are in place throughout Asbury Park, and more will be added as the group continues to figure out their organization’s arrangement.

Members of the Asbury Park Police Department  and local citizens that wish to form a watch network met again on Thursday to discuss recruitment efforts and what type of citywide formation would be best to establish the groups throughout the city.

“Signs are great, but signs aren’t the program,” said Tom Gilmour, commerce and economic development director for the city. “Organize your neighborhood first. Get the group together, pick a leader, then start putting up signs.”

It was originally suggested that nine zones would be set up based upon the city’s nine voting districts.

However, Lieutenant Guy Thompson suggested the groups be divided into four zones based on the quadrants police already use to communicate their locations throughout the city. This way, police won’t have to take an extra step to memorize voting districts in order to translate them into their own quadrants.

“Lieutenant Thompson made a good point, why not use what to the police already have in place?” said Officer Michael Casey, the lead member of the police department working to help establish the groups.

The four quadrants, one north, one south, two north and two south, are divided by Main Street and Asbury Avenue. One north and one south encompass the two sections east of Main Street, divided by Asbury Avenue. Two north and two south are the sections that lie on the west side of Main Street, split by Asbury Avenue. The two north sections lie north of Asbury Avenue.

Each quadrant, or zone, will eventually have its own zone captain. When individual blocks of citizens form their own group, each individual block that chooses to participate will select a block captain. The block captains will field and screen calls from residents within their block and report to their zone captain. The four zone captains will transmit those reports directly to the police.

This leaves the creation of watch groups up to individuals in their own neighborhoods.

Tom Gilmour, the city’s director of commerce, encouraged those in attendance to organize individuals in their neighborhoods though social events.

“We’re having a block party in my neighborhood,” he said. “That is how we are going to get organized.”

To that end, the Asbury Park Homeowners Association will sponsor an end of summer barbecue and fundraiser outside the Asbury Lanes to help further efforts towards the creation of the watch groups.

“If everybody here can bring a neighbor, that is a good start,” said Patrick Fasano, a resident and member of the association.

Fasano said the association will have a large map of Asbury Park on hand for residents to pin where they live. This way, it will provide a good visual diagram of what zones and blocks are represented at the barbecue.

“Build it, and they will come,” said resident Betsy Olds. “I think the barbecue is a fantastic idea.”

The barbecue will be held Sunday, Aug. 25, from 2 to 6 p.m. outside of the Asbury Lanes at 209 Fouth Ave. Food and music will be provided.

Anyone who would like to get involved in the Asbury Park neighborhood watch can call Officer Mike Casey at 732-775-6124, or email Michael.Casey@cityofasburypark.com.

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Photo at top: Officer Michael Casey [standing at left] and resident Patrick Fasano [standing at right] unveil neighborhood watch signs at a previous meeting.

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CORRECTION: A previous version of this story reported there were five voting districts in Asbury Park; there are nine.

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