[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 16, 1999)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E443]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            HONORING THE CAMELOT NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. THOMAS M. DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 16, 1999

  Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a 
neighborhood organization that is making a difference in the quality of 
life in Northern Virginia. The Fairfax County Mason District Police 
Department has recognized the participants of the Camelot Neighborhood 
Watch as one of the most effective crime reduction units in the county. 
This appreciation celebrates the success of a program which has helped 
the general crime rate decline steadily since its inception twenty 
years ago.
  The Neighborhood Watch participants throughout Fairfax County are 
dedicated individuals who selflessly offer their time to improve their 
community. Camelot has the largest number of active volunteers of any 
neighborhood watch program in Northern Virginia. As a former County 
Supervisor from the Mason District, I can attest to the dedication of 
those involved in the Neighborhood Watch. All of those in Camelot share 
a tremendous sense of pride in the accomplishments of their 
Neighborhood Watch.
  The individuals who volunteer in this program coordinate with the 
police so they may keep abreast of criminal activity in or around their 
community. The time and energy they give in walking their 
neighborhoods, tracking suspicious activities, people, and cars enable 
the Fairfax County Police to deter would-be criminals. It is 
financially and logistically impossible to put a police officer on 
every street corner, but the Camelot Neighborhood Watch does the next 
best thing, by recruiting and training neighbors to be the eyes and 
ears of our police professionals. The savings to taxpayers through the 
years has been tens of millions of dollars, and the savings in crime 
deterred has also been measurable. The Neighborhood Watch program in 
Camelot proudly shows its strength and its numbers to the point where 
they have been recognized as the Best Neighborhood Watch in Virginia by 
the Virginia Crime Prevention Association. The participants in this 
program have proven that getting involved in your community does make a 
difference. Those who take the time to cast a watchful eye on their 
surroundings ensure that they have a safer and more friendly place to 
live. They have even exported their skills in crime prevention, to 
Watch programs in Harpers Ferry and Shephards Town West Virginia; and 
as far away as Gettysburg Battlefield Park in Pennsylvania.
  The members and coordinators of the Camelot Neighborhood Watch work 
are one of the most diverse communities in the Washington area. They 
often bridge culture and language gaps to come together and build safer 
neighborhoods. The Camelot Neighborhood Watch has lead to a better 
understanding of different cultures and backgrounds as people recognize 
that they share similar community values. One of the greatest assets of 
the Camelot Neighborhood Watch program is the bonds it has built 
between individuals and neighborhoods. Neighborhood Watch brings 
neighbors together. In that spirit, I am proud to recognize Mr. Paul 
Cevey, the founder of the Camelot Neighborhood Watch program twenty 
years ago; and Mr. Dave Shonerd, who has helped mold the program in the 
great success it is today, and built it into a national model.
  I know my colleagues will join me in saluting the Camelot 
Neighborhood Watch organization and the success it has achieved. The 
Camelot Neighborhood Watch participants have certainly earned a Day of 
Appreciation. Their work has made the Fairfax County one of the safest 
communities in our nation.

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