The Community Watch Coordinators of Lehigh Acres will celebrate its fourth anniversary on Thursday, April 19.

An appreciation dinner for the organization and the community groups and agencies who helped it will be held from 6:30-8 p.m. at the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Bravo District Office.

In 2008, the Community Watch Coordinators was formed by Neighborhood Watch Coordinators to provide continuing education, motivation and support for each other. Neighborhood Watch groups and coordinators are initially started and trained by crime prevention specialists at the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.

Crime prevention is the main focus of the Community Watch Coordinators and Neighborhood Watches. However, they are involved in many activities in Lehigh with a goal to help maintain active Neighborhood Watch groups and build strong community bonds.

Groups have held neighborhood garage sales, BBQs and potlucks, and sponsored fun activities like bounce houses and kids games. Neighborhood Watch groups have also been successful in holding neighborhood cleanups, picking up litter, maintaining and getting roads paved, adding street lights at bus stops and helping maintain property values by utilizing code enforcement.

Many Lee County government agencies have partnered with the Community Watch Coordinators and the Neighborhood Watch Coordinators on a variety projects, as have some community action committees. Together, these agencies have helped the Community Watch Coordinators improve Lehigh “one neighborhood at a time.”

The Community Watch Coordinators meets on the third Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m. The meetings are open to all Neighborhood Watch coordinators. At the meetings at least one member of the LCSO is present, reporting on current crime trends and to answer any questions.

Attendees have had the opportunity to meet many of the Bravo District deputies and detectives, and learn how they do their jobs and how the citizens can help.

Honored guests who have been invited to attend the appreciate dinner are: Lee County Commissioner Frank Mann; Lee County Sheriff Mike Scott; Bravo District Capt. Ron Curtis and his wife, Linda; Bravo District Lt. JD Loethen; Bravo District deputies and detectives; Crime Prevention Specialist Larry Gutridge; Community Relations Manager Stacey Payne; Bill Keeler and Kathy Domanski, with code enforcement; Colleen Via and Yancy Hall, with Veteran’s Park; Adrienne Solomon, with Adopt-A-Road; Damon Shelor, with Keep Lehigh Acres Beautiful; Rick Roberts, with Keep Lee County Beautiful; Randy Cerchie, Andy Getch, Cindy Pledger and Dirk Danley, with the DOT; Bo Turbeville and Andrea Adams, with the Lehigh Acres Community Initiative; George and Sandy Syzmanski, with Neighborhood Restoration subcommittee; and Bill and Betty Nottling, Steve McGriffin, David Wagley and Mary Dunlap, with the Community Watch Coordinators.

For more information, contact CWC Chairman Deborah Sebastian at (239) 810-1588 or DeborahsCommunityProjects@yahoo.com.

For more information on how to start a new Neighborhood Watch, contact Larry Gutridge at (239) 477-1802 or LGutridge@leeflsheriff.org.