DeKALB | Some residents of the 5th ward met for the first time to talk about bringing back the neighborhood they once knew.

A new Neighborhood Watch group gathered Monday night in the 200 block of Locust Street to discuss concerns it has for its area of town.

The watch group, set up to prevent crime, is for the areas between Locust Street and Thornbrook Road.

A handout was put into citizens’ mailboxes in the area, outlining concerns that 5th Ward residents may have and inviting them to the meeting.

“For those in the North 5th Ward that do not know, there are significant problems with drug dealing and noise pollution,” the handout said. “Particularly in the areas where rental homes and rooms for rent dominate (Augusta south to Locust [Street] and First [Street] west to John [Street]). The concern is that if these activities continue to expand into all of the North 5th Ward neighborhood, they will bring…problems with them.”

Detective Angel Reyes of the DeKalb Police Department began the meeting discussing how many crimes had occurred in the area over the last year.

“From May 1 to [Aug. 30], 73 calls have been made from this area,” Reyes said.

Reyes then gave tips to the group on how citizens should go about watching their neighborhood.

“Watch for anything that may look suspicious to you,” he said. “If you see something that makes the hair on your neck stand up, that probably means something bad is going on.”

Reyes warned the group against taking matters into its own hands.

“Call the police right away,” he said. “Don’t be vigilante and don’t get yourself hurt.”

During the meeting, several new members talked about various problems they have encountered and asked Reyes how to deal with them. One concern was how to do deal with unlicensed solicitors.

“Get a good description of what they look like and call the police as soon as the peddler walks away,” Reyes said.

Mike Mackey, a member of another Neighborhood Watch group in DeKalb also gave tips to the newly formed organization.

“You should have a good sense of awareness in your neighborhood especially with students back,” Mackey said.

He added that it doesn’t take much time to put into the watch group but effort is needed in helping crime prevention.

John Campen, who hosted the meeting, said he’s trying to restore his neighborhood to what it once was.

“This used to be one of the original historic areas in the city,” Campen said. “By having this group, it’s one way of getting the neighborhood back like it was.”