The Langdon Street Neighborhood Watch program kicked off its spring season late Saturday night outside Gamma Phi Beta sorority with Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and Madison Police Chief Noble Wray.
Organizers from the UW Greek community and MPD Langdon Street police officer Tony Fiore launched their education program with a new website and yard signs.
"In the past, we've focused mainly on the neighborhood watch aspect," said Drew Willert, Pi Kappa Epsilon member and neighborhood watch organizer. "But after learning through [Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment] and other organizations that a lot of sexual assaults are through acquaintances, we figured it'd be best to focus on the educational aspect."
Willert said the website, part of uwgreek.com, holds information for safety organizations as well as statistics on crime and abuse.
Yard signs will also be placed throughout the Langdon neighborhood bearing the slogan "One community, one goal: safety."
"We just want to continue that energy and momentum from fall," Fiore said. "The lawn posters are to make people pause while they are going to and from classes to think about [safety]."
In addition to the educational drive, the Watch will continue its groups of fraternity and sorority members roaming the streets on weekend late-night hours looking for serious crime and calling 911, according to Fiore.
Cieslewicz showed his support of the program Saturday where students are taking hold of their own safety.
"I think we have had unfortunately a few incidents involving the absence of eyes," Cieslewicz said. "I think this is a good way of sending a message that the community is concerned about it, and we're not going to tolerate it."
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, who also serves as a Dane County assistant district attorney and attended the event, said it was important to see support from city officials.
"The fact that they're here sends a signal from the highest ranks in City Hall that we recognize the amazing thing the students have put together with Tony Fiore," Verveer said. "This is a big deal."
With an increasing concern on campus with recent sexual assault cases and muggings, City Council President Austin King, District 8, said the city will be looking to expand the pilot program beyond the boundaries of Langdon Street after he and Verveer fought for the $100,000 Downtown Safety Initiative signed by Cieslewicz earlier this year.
UW Interim Associate Dean of Students Elton Crim, who was also at the event, said the Associated Students of Madison will continue its involvement with campus safety in conjunction with heightened efforts from Dean of Students Lori Berquam to step up safety programs.
"I wish we could get this kind of community action to proliferate throughout the campus," Crim said. "ASM is looking to develop initiatives in other neighborhoods."
After presenting crime data last week revealing a 16.5 percent increase in violent crime in 2006, Wray said overall crime is down in the city and in perspective is still much lower than figures from the early 1990s.
With students leading the charge on Langdon Street, Wray said it presents a great situation.
"I think it's so important because we can't have enough officers down here being on every corner — it's important for people to recognize their own safety," Wray said. "It is the essence of community policing."
Wray added the Watch program will lead to better communication between all parties involved.
"It's just the perfect partnership," Wray said. "It opens up the lines of communication, provides information on ways people can keep themselves safe."
Verveer said since the program began in the fall, he hasn't seen any high profile cases on Langdon Street on the weekends.
Despite the educational and proactive measures by the Langdon Street Watch and the MPD, Fiore said they still see students walking home alone on a regular basis.
"We encourage people to participate in the neighborhood watch, call SAFEwalk, hop in a cab or grab a bus," Fiore said. "Not everyone takes that advice, but we certainly offer it."
