New Carlisle’s Community Crime Watch met last week with Detective Ron Fader of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. Fader presented a list of New Carlisle deputies’ runs in recent months and said that he expects the number of reports in the city to increase due to the presence of four deputies as well as the natural springtime crime spikes often seen in the county.

He urged residents to take his advice on being diligent in locking their car doors and house windows this time of year, as the warming weather often encourages small thefts and breaking and entering acts.

“Now is the time to lock your doors and lock your sheds too,” said Fader. “Also, perimeter checks aren’t a bad idea either. It doesn’t hurt to walk around your property—you might be surprised at what you might find,” he said.

Fader said that it isn’t uncommon to find items tossed out by criminals, such as syringes, weapons, and even jewelry that they’ve tossed in their haste to escape charges. He said if you should find something of this nature, that you should not touch it, but call dispatch at 328-2560 and have a deputy remove it.

New Carlisle’s new deputies are currently spending more time driving around the plats and getting to know the neighborhoods, which Fader said will likely generate more reports as well as increased visibility.

He noted that while the heroin problem in town is still of major concern, use of methamphetamines is skyrocketing within the city limits. Fader said meth is cheap to make and will “make you stay up all night,” suggesting that perhaps some of the heroin users are switching to this drug instead.

Crime Watch members asked Fader about physical signs of methamphetamine addiction in users, and he explained that these individuals often display numerous scabs on their face and extremities, as the drug causes them to “pick” at their skin compulsively.

“Meth just makes people weird, and extra paranoid,” Fader said. “In fact we had one guy in this city last week who tried to plug his cell charger into a brick wall,” he added.

In other announcements, Fader said that the shooting victim in the Rawson Drive incident is “lucky to be alive,” as the bullet entered directly below the man’s heart. Fader said that victim got out of the hospital before his office even cleared the scene.

The Crime Watch group also held discussions on this summer’s National Night Out, which is set for Tuesday, August 2 in the parking lot between the Church of the Brethren and Security National Bank on Main Street.

Jennie Stump said the group has arranged for appearances from many informational groups and family-friendly activities this year such as face painting, fire trucks, and a possible K-9 officer demonstration. She said they’ll also welcome a food truck to supply the evening’s food.

The next Crime Watch meeting will be held Wednesday, May 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Smith Park Shelter House.

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