Find Out More About Your Community in District 1's Neighborhood Watch Bulletin

Haven't had a chance to read your District 1 Neighborhood Watch Bulletin?

We'll give you the rundown of what's going on in the area from Chris Depolis, community outreach deputy for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office:

• Crime stats: Residential burglary declined by 1.2 percent, which is down 7.6 percent from the start of the year. There was an increase in "person robberies" and auto theft, up 13.3 percent and 26.1 percent, respectively.
• HCSO crime mapping tool: The sheriff's office unveiled a crime mapping tool on the online inquiries page of its website, www.hcso.tampa.fl.us. The application lets users find crime in the county using zip codes or addresses. You can also search types of crimes in particular date ranges. 
• The Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies is inviting the public to comment on the sheriff's office's ability to comply with CALEA standards. A telephone hearing will be held from 3 p.m. until 5 p.m. on Sunday, April 17. Call 813-247-8228 to participate. A public hearing will be held from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. at HCSO's Pinebrook Training Facility, 1409 N. Falkenburg Road in classroom No. 2. For more information, call 813-247-8080.
• The Hillsborough County Neighborhood Watch Association will hold its semi-annual meeting on April 19 at 7 p.m. It will be held at the Falkenburg Road address listed above. For more information, go to www.hcnwa.org.
• Grant applications: The sheriff's office's community enrichment grants are due on Friday, April 29. Any nonprofit organization can apply for the grants, wich have up to $1,500 available. Funds can be used to make improvements to parks or community projects. For more information, call 813-247-8115 or go to www.hcso.tampa.fl.us.
• Finally, the National Sheriff's Association has signs and products available for crime prevention purposes. Find more information, including an order form, at www.sheriffs.org/programs.