European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 17, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday september 17, 1994 the stars and stripes Page 3 maps police their Community image. -. -. Getting to know you efforts promoting better relations by Dave Melancon Wurzburg Bureau Kitzinger Germany spec. Crys Tal Summers remembers a boy coming to her for help recently. The youngster discovered that a 3-year-old Friend of his had been left alone for several hours. The boy did not have anyone to ask for help so he looked around the Marshall Heights housing area for Summers. That would not have happened six months ago she said. He saw something wrong and reported it to me because he Felt comfortable with me the military police officer  of the relationship we now have we were Able to return this 3-Yeaf-old child without anything bad happen ing to  Summers opinion there has been a dramatic change of attitude in recent months Between the maps and the communities they serve. For example she said the children Al ways used to give the maps dirty looks when the police officers drove by. No when we come by they wave she said. They know Bur names instead of dirty looks they want to talk to  of the change has been caused by the year old Community oriented policing program she said. Community policing involves getting out of the patrol cars and getting to know and care about the people living in the Community said sgt Lavandus Kirk Wood crime prevention no and super visor of a 12-Soldier bicycle patrol team for the Kitzinger Wurzburg and Giebel Stadt communities. Maps Are not bound by traditional methods of police work Standard operating procedures and paperwork Kirk Wood said. Each incident is handled according to the individuals and  Are trying to get away from the traditional ways. We want people to know that we Are not out there just to write them a ticket he said. They Trust us More which allows us to function. We depend on them and they depend on  watch out for their neighbors and Are More willing to Contact police i they see something wrong he said. They residents really want us out there Kirkwood said. We tailored Pur police Force to their needs. It helped Ridge that Gap that we needed to  Summers and her partner spec. Wen Dell Watts will spend most of their shift cruising around the housing area on their bicycles. They will frequently dismount and spend some time on the playgrounds or in the teen Center she said. The shop Pette and Bowling Alley managers also encourage the maps to walk through or eat meals in their facilities. Their police work is not limited to youngsters Summers said. Soldiers also realize now the maps Are not always jerks just because they have to write tickets she said. They realize that it is part of our Job and ail we Are out Here to do is our Job As maps. They relate to us More  police officers Are no longer trapped in Side their patrol cars responding to Calls said maj. Arturo cantuv417th base sup port in Provost marshal. Now their efforts Are directed to preventing crime. The battalion s Community policing program started in september 1993, shortly after the Provost marshal s office move from the River building located in Down town Wurzburg to Harvey Barracks Inki Zingen. The bicycle patrols started in june. " / everything was kind of dysfunctional Cantu said. We had three separate communities three separate sops Standar operating procedure three separate police departments maps Are part of the Community vehicle registration office s staff and Are regular speakers at Community town Hall meet Ings. \ a -. The crime prevention Section Cut in 1991 by budget shortfalls was resurrected and staffed. Maps Are in the schools for d Are drug abuse resistance education safety training officer Friendly and adopt a cop programs Cantu said. They Are also in the housing areas setting up program sin neighbourhood crime watch and crime prevention. They also establish Safen uses for children called Mcguff houses after the popular crime fighting cartoon character. Classroom lessons on violence Preven Tion and gangs Are put into practice daily in the Community s housing areas an playgrounds said sgt. Dennis Williams the 417th bib s dare noncommissioned officer. Those lessons Are also brought out in meetings of Parent teacher groups clubs and informal organizations. By teaching them in the classroom when we go out As a part of Community policing we Don t have to Deal with As ," Williams said. Children living in the Marshall Heights family housing area Are safer and have positive role models to emulate said eve line Bryant co president of a grass Root Community organization. The maps talk with you like you Are friends she said. One Day this summer they let the kids ride with them on  kids and the maps had fun together and talked with each others a Dave Melancon spec. Wendell Watts chats with some children at a Marshall Heights playground. Before the Advent of Community policing the maps would stay in their patrol cars and had very Little to do with the Community she said. The attitude Here changed 100 percent since May she said. It s Nice to work with the maps now and we All have respect for one  sgt. F Odd Hunsicker he co 106th finance in said the Bike patrols have helped Cut crime and build better relation ships in Leighton Barracks arid Skyline housing area in Wurzburg. It s a lot smarter. They can catch More people Hunsicker said. Now when the maps drive by they can communicate wit each other. They Are not so fearful and they Are More Friendly and  residents Are reporting More crime Sand suspicious activities Cantu said. In addition to the patrols monthly crime statistics Are published in the Community newspaper. People want to know what crimes take place in the communities Cantu said. Publishing statistics also makes people More observant of different types of crime he said. Although the numbers published in  might increase they do not necessarily reflect a Rise in crime Cantu said. The same number of crimes might be con Stant but the higher numbers mean More crimes Are being reported and More Crimi nals Are being caught. I would expect to see a Little bit of a increase but then eventually it would eventually taper Down he said. It May be More than jul year before trends can be discerned from me statistics Cantu said. Meanwhile maps continue to overcome obstacles kids and their families will come outland speak with me a lot More said another my spec. Daniel Castle during a breaking a football game in Gie Belstadt s 100 family leased housing area. Before the maps got out of their cars and onto the streets there was a Barrier Sepa rating the police and the residents he said., ".". / now besides watching out for criminal activity the maps give bicycle safety lessons and play Ball with the children. They All know our names he said when we were in the car the families and the kids were hesitant to Stop us. The would not talk to us maps at All they Are pretty Nice said Angel Whitley 10. I Don t mind them being Here. They play us with sometimes bomb scares put  on Alert by Kevin Dougherty and Dave Melancon staff writers bomb scares disrupted several . Military communities in Germany on thursday and Friday air Force and army officials said Friday. For Faulenburg Cavern in Wurzburg and the to Jelweh shopping Center in Kaiserslautern the threats were the second ones within recent weeks on thursday the West Gate at Ramstein a was temporarily closed when a police bomb sniffing dog detected what it thought was a package of explosive sin the warehouse housing the annual Ramstein Wel fare Bazaar a base spokeswoman said. The package proved to be harmless and the Bazaar opened without incident said staff sgt. Barbara la Vigne a Ramstein spokeswoman. The dog alerted on a package on a routine sweep of the hangar said Lavigne. An Alert was called about 11 35 ., which resulted in the closure of the nearby West Gate. Motorists attempting to pass through the West Gate were asked to turn around and enter at the East Gate. The Alert ended at 1 07 , later thursday police evacuated the Vogel Weh shopping Center East of Ramstein following called in threat Lavigne said. Police would not elaborate on the threat but it was deemed serious enough for authorities to cordon off part of the area for two hours. The area was reopened about 9 20 . The shopping Center also had a bomb scare late last month. At Faulenburg Cavern buildings 220 and 221 were cleared about 10  Friday while military police and senior office officials searched for  and employees were allowed to return to work about 11 05  The buildings House offices for the 98th area sup port group the 417th base support in the 106th finance in the criminal investigation come a Mili tary intelligence detachment . Army corps of engineers the Wiir Burg arca Headquarters for the army and air Force Exchange service a snack bar and other agencies. Soldiers working in the building said a bomb threat also was reported during the last week of August. Last fall a series of bomb threats cleared the Fau Lenberg offices Wurzburg Community schools the school of standards in Kitzinger and the child development Center. . And German police and Tele phone company officials investigated the incidents but no arrests were reported. Friday s threats to the Cavern Are under investigation