BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This Week

OGDENSBURG -- Hundreds recently gathered at city hall to share concerns about a growing crime problem in Ogdensburg, but despite apparent public interest, plans to bolster a neighborhood watch program are falling short.

Recently the city has seen an uptick in homelessness, drug related crimes, homicides and thefts. In September a teenager was murdered in Ogdensburg, and weeks later a woman shot a man with a shotgun. While the victim received only minor injuries, police said it’s clear that the city is on edge.

Complicating matters are cuts made to the police force in recent years and perhaps worse are changes in state law which Lieutenant Jarret LeClair says have made policing harder than ever.

He recently spoke at length about the massive strain on the department, which is often fielding just two patrols during a night shift. Although city councilors approved hiring more officers, the spots have not yet been filled.

He said the state has created a revolving door for small offenses and has the department flooded with paperwork for criminals who aren’t seeing any repercussions. Worse yet, LeClair said the criminals know it.

LeClair said the department is struggling to keep up with major crimes, let alone smaller crimes and that the city's lack of detectives makes it nearly impossible to build drug cases, as the former narcotics detective is dealing with an abundance of sex crimes, which LeClair said take priority.

Since that meeting Sgt. Danelle Pryce, who serves as the department’s Neighborhood Watch liaison, has been seeking the public's help by rebuilding the neighborhood watch program.

“With the new trends in crimes occurring every day, the Ogdensburg City Police Department needs the City of Ogdensburg residents' assistance with information in your area in hopes to reduce the chance that crime will happen to you or your neighbors,” said Pryce in a statement made to the public.

Pryce said that more than 200 residents attended the October public safety meeting but reported that in December only 29 residents showed interest in becoming a member of the Neighborhood Watch Program throughout the City of Ogdensburg.

Although the public response has been lackluster so far, the city isn't giving up on the plan.

On Jan. 24, the city issued a press release regarding the neighborhood watch program and urged residents to consider joining.

"Crime Prevention is the anticipation, recognition, and appraisal of a crime risk and the initiation of action to remove or reduce it. The benefits of Crime Prevention are the overall decline of crime rate, increased reporting rate of crimes, the increased clearance rates of crime, a more informed public, and an increased positive interaction between citizens and law enforcement. An integral part of Crime Prevention is our Neighborhood Watch Program. Periodically and as needed or requested by City of Ogdensburg residents, there will be Neighborhood Watch Meetings scheduled and announced in the local newspapers," she said.

 “With the volume of complaints the City of Ogdensburg Police Department receives, we would appreciate your help in deterring certain activities, as well as other types of criminal activity, from becoming a recurring problem in your area," Pryce said.

Anyone interested in participating in the Neighborhood Watch Program should contact Pryce  via email at dharte@ogdensburg.org or by phone at (315) 393-1551.