Tuesday was National Night Out, where communities and police throughout the country spend time together to strengthen their relationship.
Anderson Police Chief Michael Johnson made an appearance at the Regency Place Senior Citizen Complex to talk to the seniors about ways they can help the department deal crime in the city. And he says gathering together for a meal is one of the best ways to do that.
“You’ve got to know each other, you’ve got to know your neighbor, you’ve got to look out for your neighbor, you’ve got to develop a system when something’s not right on how to alert each other.”
City Manager Jeff Kiser says the crime rate in Anderson is at an all-time high.
“But we also have all time high problems — AB109, early release, various laws that affect drug transactions.”
And he cites the addition of three officers, a K-9, and a community service officer — all paid for by a recent sales tax increase — as the main reason for a downward trend in those numbers.