Bogalusa City Council member Teddy Drummond said that a recent string of burglaries and other criminal activity has made “neighborhood watches” a popular subject.

There will be a meeting this Thursday night at 6 p.m., where citizens can learn information about how to start their own local neighborhood watch groups. The meeting will be held at the family life center at ESM United Methodist Church in Bogalusa.

Drummond said that “people have had enough” of criminal nuisances, and this is a way to give them a tool to combat the problem.

Drummond said that the meeting would also include other useful hints, in addition to just information about neighborhood watch programs.

As an example, he said that it is recommended to install timers to randomly turn on lights in various rooms when the homeowner is away. Also, it is a good idea to turn on a talk-radio station when not at home, in order to make it seem like there are people in the house.

There will also be a community crime prevention meeting Thursday, March 22, at 6 p.m. at Westside Emmanuel Baptist Church, located at 1107 W. 9th St. in Bogalusa. The public is invited to this meeting as well.