WV Legislators: Give Us An Animal Abusers Registry

Like sex offenders, animal abusers tend to repeat their crimes so several state legislatures are considering bills that would create animal abusers registries similar to the sex offenders registries we're all familiar with.

In June the New York State Senate passed an animal abuse registry bill called "Ball's Bill". In April Michigan state Reps. Paul Muxlox and Harvey Santana introduced a bill that would create a sex offender-type registry for anyone convicted of animal abuse. Arizona, Maryland, Florida, New York, and Colorado have pending legislation.

Suffolk county New York passed an animal abusers registry law in 2012.

Google the words "animal abuse registry" and you'll find elected officials across North America who are proposing laws similar to the Suffolk County law. 

Every day we hear news stories about people who are being arrested for the second or third time for starving animals  or dowsing them in gasoline and burning them alive. People who have been convicted of such crimes should never be allowed to get near animals again because, like sex offenders, animal abusers seldom rehabilitate or reform.

Legislators, give us a law that requires animal abusers to register and requires animal shelters and pet stores to consult the registry before selling or placing an animal. Give us a law that provides stiff penalties to convicted animal abusers caught keeping animals on their property. Give us a law that enables concerned neighbors to report illegal animal ownership to local law enforcement agencies and allows local law enforcement to rescue the animals and arrest the offenders.

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Keywords: Nitro, WV, West Virginia, Saint Albans, St. Albans, Dunbar, Charleston, Kanawha, Speaker bureau, speakers bureau, speaker's bureau, speakers' bureau, guest speaker, 25177, 25143, 25303, 25309, 25301, 25302, 25305, 25311, 25314, 25304, neighborhood watch, animal rights, animal welfare, no-kill, shelters, crime watch, neighborhood crime watch, ward 4,

Starting A Neighborhood Watch In A Rumor-Rich, Confusing Environment

I understand why there's confusion about Neighborhood Watch here in St. Albans. 

Some wards have Neighborhood Watch while others don't. See the October issue of St. Albans Monthly for an overview of which wards have active Watch programs and how to contact the leader.

The mayor only acknowledges Neighborhood Watch when he wants a pre-fab venue and crowd for one of his media events. 

And we have at least three different kinds of Neighborhood Watch meetings. First, there are the regularly scheduled ward meetings - usually once each month. Second, we have occasional citywide Neighborhood Watch meetings where people from all the active Neighborhood Watch groups meet.

And now, there's a third kind of meeting that the news media and the news consuming public are just hearing about. We're calling it a "Neighborhood Watch Advisory Board". It was my idea. I practically insisted that we do it. I had always believed that if St. Albans is really serious about deploying Neighborhood Watch throughout the city, we would have a way to define and measure the success of a group and to help struggling groups understand what they have to do to succeed. 

The October 2 Kanawha Valley Neighbors has a news piece about this newly created board.

I also believed that if we didn't create a "support group" to help the social entrepreneurs who step up and offer to start neighborhood watch groups, we would continue to lose good people to fatigue, frustration, discouragement and even to infighting between factions. 

We've created that group. We've agreed to meet the 3rd Friday of each month. We're comprised of city council members, police and social/civic entrepreneurs who have become leaders in the effort to build effective Neighborhood Watch programs in their wards. 

No, I will not publish the names of the civilians. You see, here in St. Albans, people who spend their own time and money to do something good will get criticized and slandered and maligned for doing so. Far be it from me to hasten the day when people who are just trying to make their neighbors safer start being vilified by the very neighbors they're helping. 

So when a TV news anchor makes factual mistakes about one of our meetings and seems totally confused by the copy he or she is reading from the teleprompter, I understand. 

I also know that, here in my town, people make up their own news. We prefer rumors to factual news. St. Albans provides a rich environment for confusion so I use every free means at my disposal to provide accurate information about our Neighborhood Watch efforts. 

Just one more thing: if your ward doesn't have a Neighborhood Watch, call me and I'll help you start one. You don't need your city council person's permission. He can't stop you. Call me. 304-550-6710. 

And keep reading my blog. Follow me on Twitter :: @HigginbothamAt.


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Higginbotham At Large reads all submitted comments but only publishes comments from clearly identified submitters. No Ring of Gyges for you.

Keywords: Nitro, WV, West Virginia, Saint Albans, St. Albans, Dunbar, Charleston, Kanawha, Speaker bureau, speakers bureau, speaker's bureau, speakers' bureau, guest speaker, 25177, 25143, 25303, 25309, 25301, 25302, 25305, 25311, 25314, 25304, neighborhood watch, animal rights, animal welfare, no-kill, shelters, crime watch, neighborhood crime watch, ward 4,

Starting Neighborhood Watch With The End In Mind

In The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey said "Start with the end in mind." I thought everybody already did that anyway but apparently they don't so he had to write a book about it.

What is the "end" or the desired outcome we seek when we start a Neighborhood Watch? Is it to get people to come to meetings? No, getting people to meetings is a means to an end.

Is it to get people's contact info so we can communicate with them? No, that's a means to an end, too.

Some police may say the end of Neighborhood Watch is better PR for the police department - better communication between police and citizens. No, these are positive side effects but they aren't the end.

The end or desired effect of Neighborhood Watch is to make neighborhoods safer through better cooperation and communication between citizens and police. We bring police and citizens together to give citizens better observation skills, a heightened awareness of their surroundings and an informed feeling of empowerment to make their neighborhoods safer by working closely with the police and with each other.

Meetings help citizens learn how to spot criminal activity and what they can do about it. Meetings give people a sense of trust and partnership with their local police. Meetings give people a desire to watch their neighbors' backs and to know that those same neighbors have theirs.

If you're in St. Albans, come out to the Crossing Church today at 6:30PM. Meet your neighbors. Meet your police. Listen to Magistrate Mike Sisson and then have Q and A with him after he speaks.

And if you live in the city limits of St. Albans, WV, join "Public Group For St. Albans WV Neighborhood Watch." 

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Higginbotham At Large reads all submitted comments but only publishes comments from clearly identified submitters. No Ring of Gyges for you.

Keywords: Nitro, WV, West Virginia, Saint Albans, St. Albans, Dunbar, Charleston, Kanawha, Speaker bureau, speakers bureau, speaker's bureau, speakers' bureau, guest speaker, 25177, 25143, 25303, 25309, 25301, 25302, 25305, 25311, 25314, 25304, neighborhood watch, animal rights, animal welfare, no-kill, shelters, crime watch, neighborhood crime watch, ward 4,