Monday Q&A: Hilmar Farm Watch keeps community connected
Hilmar Farm Watch started in 2007 as an information exchange among rural neighbors spread out by distance and busy lives.
“Our email exchange grew throughout the years as crime continued to grow, and then in the spring of 2011, my neighbor, Joe Forte, a retired Merced County sheriff’s deputy, came knocking on my back door asking me to take the next step and hold a meeting in my barn,” Charlene Borrelli said.
That meeting evolved into more meetings, the implementation of the electronic Rural Crime Alert System and, eventually, Hilmar Farm Watch.
The effort exploded when group member Steve Belo offered to put together a Facebook page for the group in 2011. Now, Borrelli and Belo, joined by fellow volunteers Mike Seward and Rebecca Sandoval, run the page, which has more than 500 members.
They post about copper and farm equipment thefts, suspicious people in the area and even a mountain lion sighting. The effort recently was highlighted in a story in the Wall Street Journal.
Though many of the reported crimes go unsolved, the group has experienced a number of success stories. Eighteen months ago, Borrelli said, thieves visited four local dairies, using the farmers’ own tractors to load hay into a dump truck and tow it away.
“Within one hour of us posting the incident on Facebook, a neighbor driving in the town of Turlock spotted the dump truck in a vacant lot by the highway and responded. Our neighbor went to identify his truck with Turlock Police Department and drove it home that afternoon.”
Some members post photos and stories of lost and found dogs, something Borrelli originally wanted to dissuade.
“But the page has been successful in reuniting many pets with their owners,” she said. “We all love happy endings, and on a Facebook page where crime and victimization is the topic, the happy pet stories are a blessing.”
Members also have helped one another suffering a loss, such as when a house burned down, and started a graffiti abatement program.
The Hilmar Farm Watch main coordinators recently took part in a Q&A with The Modesto Bee.
Are you surprised about how popular and successful the effort has been, and the attention it has received?
Seward: A little, but not as much as the crooks who see their pictures on our page or a description of their vehicle with a license plate.
Borrelli: With the increase in neighbors all across the Valley experiencing crime, I am no longer surprised at our growth as a neighborhood watch.
Belo: I am surprised by how fast Hilmar Farm Watch has grown. It has become a wonderful watch group that keeps everyone informed. It’s all about everyone looking out for each other. I believe it has made our community closer.
Sandoval: With the power of social media today, combined with the need for neighbors to be informed and aware of what is going on in their own community and communities around them, it’s not surprising at all how popular Hilmar Farm Watch has become.
How much time does this effort take up for each of you? Is it more or less than you expected?
Borrelli: Our work is all volunteer. The time each of us gives varies, but I give about 20 hours a week toward neighborhood watch, and that is more than I expected. Thankfully, we have four volunteer coordinators; each of us has our unique assets for contribution to our cause.
Sandoval: We all work well as a team, so we each share responsibility of managing tasks, so no one feels too overwhelmed. At times, the HFW Facebook page does take up a lot more time than it should. Because HFW is informing such a variety of people, there have been posts that require more monitoring than others. Posts are there to inform the community of crime and possible threats, not to gossip or hurt anyone.
Belo: It depends. Sometimes there are days that there is stuff to post daily, but then there are weeks with no activity. Just when you think the crime is quieting down, that’s when it picks back up. Thieves seem to always be looking for their next victim.
Seward: For me, only a couple of hours a week.
What advice would you give to a group looking to set up a similar program?
Belo: Start one as soon as possible. It is a great way to inform your neighbors of suspicious activity and of crime happening in your area. The word spreads like a wildfire through our community. Report, report, report is key. If it looks suspicious, then it probably is.
Seward: Categorize the information you send out. The less, the better. It’s not a chat site, it’s an intel distribution network. Train your users how to collect and record their sightings.
Sandoval: Start small, build a team and stay committed to your original goal, and build on that.
Borrelli: I have had several phone calls from people in other communities asking for advice on how to start a neighborhood watch. First I tell them to get a partner because the job requires more than one person. They need to contact all law enforcement agencies, the Farm Bureau and other neighborhood watch groups to build relationships and join your network of communication.
Any major frustrations along the way?
Sandoval: For me, I would say not too many frustrations. Sometimes having such a variety of neighbors can be frustrating. HFW neighbors come from all walks of life, and sometimes they butt heads with others. Monitoring neighbors’ frustrations can sometimes be frustrating.
Borrelli: There have been frustrations on this road we have traveled to get where we are today. We had to lead the community in a direction that would prove to law enforcement that we were going to maintain a credible and professional position and were going to be helpful rather than make situations more difficult.
Belo: I am a farmer full-time as well. I am really frustrated with all the crime. They have ripped us off dozens and dozens of times in just the past year. Also, trying to keep Facebook professional.
Seward: Keeping the users nonviolent, respectful and helpful, or switch them to the “receive only” emails.
This story was originally published March 23, 2014 at 9:40 PM with the headline "Monday Q&A: Hilmar Farm Watch keeps community connected."