Defending the community: 2 SFS fosters crime prevention with residents

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Luke Hill
  • 2nd Bomb Wing Public Affairs
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. --  Defenders from the 2nd Security Forces Squadron went door to door handing out crime prevention and detection information to foster relations with residents at Barksdale’s east side and main base housing divisions, April 15, 2017.

The event promoted community involvement in crime prevention and cultivated neighborhood camaraderie and organization against criminals.

“Events like this are important because we can build solid relationships with our local community and share what we do as security forces,” said Staff Sgt. Hannah Vega, 2nd SFS law enforcement program manager. “We, in turn, have them as our allies in enhancing the quality and safety of our neighborhoods.”

Crime prevention is not only an individual effort, it’s also a community effort. Base residents can help Barksdale’s defenders catch criminals or even prevent crime by keeping an eye out for anything unusual.

“The goal of this event is to encourage our Barksdale residents to assist 2nd SFS in deterring crimes and to ultimately bring the best Bomb Wing in the world together as a tight knit family,” said Vega.
To aid in this endeavor, 2nd SFS has released several tips that residents can use to make Barksdale’s housing division a safe and pleasant community.

• Keep an eye out for suspicious persons, vehicles and activities. Criminals might be deterred from committing crimes when they see the community is proactive in keeping it safe.
• Write down what you saw. Law enforcement will be looking for the approximate time and date of suspicious activity.
• Write down characteristics of all individuals involved: age, race, height, weight, hair color, hair style, facial hair, clothing description, and any notable characteristics. Take note of where you last saw the individuals and last known direction of travel.
• If a vehicle is used in a crime, attempt to get the vehicles approximate year, make, model, color, license plate state and number, and approximate number of occupants. Take note of where you last saw the vehicle and last known direction of travel.
• Don't make yourself a criminal’s target. If you see a crime being committed, call Crime Stoppers at 456-3000.

Protecting the base and its residents is more than just a job to 2nd SFS defenders, it’s a passion and a duty that means something to them.

“We are more than just defenders in patrol cars or standing at the gate,” said Vega. “We are defenders who genuinely care about the welfare of our community and are willing to go the extra mile to build an unbreakable bond with the best bomb wing in the world.”