LEITCHFIELD, Ky. (WDRB) -- A community turns anger and outrage in a positive direction to prevent any more thieves from burglarizing homes while families attend funerals. A meeting Tuesday night will help plan out the details for a new neighborhood watch group.
Officials are pleased citizens are stepping up to the plate for this effort, but there are many issues that have to be worked out.
When a loved one dies, the last thing on your mind is that thieves might ransack your home while you're at the funeral. But it has happened twice, in Grayson and Hardin counties, and police have connected three men to the crimes.
"We can't just sit here and be disturbed and distressed or sad or mad, we have to do something," said Clydean Cooper, who is organizing the group. She first took her idea to a funeral director. "I went to the county attorney to make sure I was in the law, (he said) 'Oh that's good!' (I went) to the sheriff, he said, 'I'll back you any way I can,' and it just snowballed from there."
Funeral directors and ministers would make grieving families aware of the program. "Send two at a time to stay in or near the home while the family is away at the funeral, that they can have that peace of mind," Cooper explained.
Police are happy to hear about the effort, which is gaining interest, but they have their concerns -- the safety of volunteers at the homes, and any malicious intent. "Obviously we don't want someone who plans on burglarizing a home planning to sit at someone's house while they're at the funeral service," said MTPR Norman Chaffins, with Kentucky State Police.
Cooper says there will be background checks, and two people will watch homes together.
Police already patrol neighborhoods on request, when possible. "We would accommodate them and say, hey, you know, we'll swing by there when we have a unit available as long as we don't have troopers on a more serious call or something else," said Chaffins.
Cooper says she hopes through awareness of these recent burglaries that the group will not even have to be used. "My measure of success of this idea would be that we'd never have to call on a volunteer, that the people would understand and know, become aware that we need someone here at home, and a friend, neighbor or relative, that they know and trust to stay in their home," Cooper said.
After all the wrinkles are ironed out, officials hope to have this group up and running in a short amount of time.
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