Groups focus on safety

Valley Life editor

Even if residents don't want to form a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), there are other ways to keep their communities safe.

Linda Schwankl, a citizens corps coordinator with the Mat-Su Borough's emergency services, said keeping your subdivision safe can be as easy as forming a Neighborhood Watch group.

"They've been around forever and people are familiar with it, and they work," Schwankl said. "They go hand-in-hand with a CERT in keeping a community safe."

One thing that a Neighborhood Watch program isn't, Schwankl said, is vigilante justice.

"We don't advocate being a vigilante. We don't need someone whipping out a gun and taking care of a situation," she said. "Just report any suspicious activities, and let the police departments or troopers take care of the situation."

There are several Neighborhood Watch groups already running in the Valley, and Schwankl is hoping for even more in the future. She said after a group decides they want to form, the borough has signs they can issue for the neighborhood.

"I love my job. I get to help communities feel good," Schwankl said.