Close to 20 city residents braved the elements Saturday evening to participate in Fall River’s first crime caravan.

The event was a collaborative effort between the Fall River Police Department, the mayor’s office and various neighborhood associations. The program’s goal is to engage residents in the process of crime prevention.

Mayor Will Flanagan learned of the program initially coordinated by Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker in 2009. Volunteers drive in caravans through high crime areas during weekend and evening hours when most incidents occur. The visibility is intended to deter criminal activity. Officer Nelson Sousa recruited members of the Police Department who volunteered their time for the program. Flanagan reached out to the various neighborhood groups, who were more than happy to participate.

“Everybody liked being out there with us,” Sousa said. “The program helps represent the collaboration between the police department and citizens that we are striving for.”

The caravan, which consisted of seven civilian vehicles and three police cruisers, began and ended at police headquarters on Pleasant Street. It included a drive through Maple Gardens and Sunset Hill Housing Developments, South Main Street, Bank Street and the Highlands. No criminal activity was observed, likely because most people remained indoors during the driving rainstorm and bone-chilling temperatures.

Highland Neighborhood Watch representative Nicole Charves was pleased with the turnout and hopes the caravans can occur again. Dave and Rosemary Lapointe of the Father Kelly Neighborhood Association and Dawn Nardi of Flint Neighbor to Neighbor were also in favor of the program returning. Natalie Melo of the Bank Street Neighborhood Association said she felt the caravan’s visibility would be an excellent crime deterrent.  

“I’m hoping this makes the community more aware that the Fall River police and the mayor are collaborating to keep our families safe,” Charves said. “It was great to have kids involved so they can see adults making an effort to make the city safe.”

Because the group was divided into several vehicles, Some members of the caravan expressed a desire to carry walkie-talkies to maintain communication with the police officers.

After the drive-along, Flanagan expressed a desire to continue the program, targeting trouble spots during various times of the year.

Another group of police officers and citizens participated in walking beats through the Flint, St. Anne’s, Highlands and Maplewood neighborhoods earlier in the day. They visited businesses and spoke to residents, listening to their concerns.