Neighborhood near Blackburn murder site considers crime watch

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) – Less than two miles from the spot where Amanda Blackburn was killed, a group is considering starting a neighborhood crime watch.

The Northern Estates neighborhood borders the neighborhood where Blackburn was shot. Weeks before the shooting, Northern Estates Homeowners Association board member Don Mink handed out letters suggesting that residents take a poll on whether an organized crime watch is needed.

After the shooting, some of Mink’s neighbors say they’re even more interested in a crime watch.

“I was horrified,” Barb Howard, who lives on the same block as Mink, said of the crime. “I think what it did was put all of us on notice that we have to watch out for each other. The police can’t be everywhere at once.”

Mink said he wants to keep the conversation moving forward.

“I like the idea of bringing the community together by having them involved in the security,” Mink said.

Right now, a security worker hired by the homeowners association patrols the streets of Northern Estates. Mink said the security takes two thirds of the annual HOA budget.

Board member Steve Queener said the security worker earns his salary and gets the job done. Queener also said the neighborhood already has a basic crime watch, albeit not an organized watch group.

“I think we already have it. We push the concept you find in crime watch. Look out for your neighbor,” Queener said.

If you’re interested in forming a neighborhood watch group in Indianapolis, you can find more information by clicking here.