MAY 1, 2021

~ Charlie Forman

Name and Purpose of the Committee

The Barefoot Neighborhood Watch Program was established in 2009 following the Highway 31 Wildfire that caused 2500 residents to be evacuated in the middle of the night. More than 100 homes were damaged in Barefoot alone, of which 69 homes were completely destroyed.

Benefits

Barefoot Neighborhood Watch is a program which –

• Creates a body of concerned, involved neighbors.
• Encourages neighbors to get to know each other and their routines and to recognize any out of place activities.
• Emphasizes the importance of being aware of suspicious activities and sounds, evaluating them and knowing how to properly communicate this information to the authorities and within Barefoot if appropriate.
• Teaches techniques to reduce the risk of being victimized.
• Advises how to make homes more secure, to accurately identify property, and how to look out for each other.
• Fosters a partnership with the North Myrtle Beach Department of Public Safety.

Focus

• Achieves results by working at the neighborhood level.
• Uses block captains and telephone chain contact lists to disseminate information.
• Promotes “Neighbors helping Neighbors” through the exchange of information related to neighborhood and individual household safety issues.
• Educates residents about security and safety.
• Encourages residents to stay informed by using reliable resources such as Everbridge (North Myrtle Beach Public Safety Alerts).

Summary of 2020/2021 Accomplishments

Michael Waters volunteered to become Chairman of the Traffic Committee.
The open Community Coordinator position in Cedar Creek was filled by Ken Shoemaker. In addition, six Block Captains volunteered to serve Cedar Creek.
The open Community Coordinator position in Longbridge I & II was filled by Jeannie Kenny. In addition, four new Block Captains volunteered to serve Longbridge I & II.
Barefoot NW also added 3 new Community Coordinators in the Multi-Family Communities. This is the first time those communities have had Community Coordinators and is the result of increased focus and recruitment efforts.
New Multi-Family Community Coordinators are:
Vincent Tamburro in River Crossing
Laura Moyse in Willow Bend
David Nunez in Greenbriar
Community Coordinator positions are open in Coquina Point and Somerset.

Officer Amy Vicks is the NMB Department of Public Safety Liaison for Barefoot Resort NW, North Towers NW and Barefoot Traffic Committee.

The Barefoot Resort and North Tower NW Committees have held multiple open meetings in 2020/2021.

February 18, 2020: Fire Safety and Prevention, a joint effort between Barefoot Resort and North Tower NW Committee focused on the fire system in North Towers and fire safety in general for all of Barefoot. Led by NMB Fire Rescue.

March 10, 2020: Workshop and training for Block Captains in Barefoot Resort and North Towers was held at the Fire House. This was a joint effort between Barefoot Resort and North Towers NW Committees. Led by Amy Vicks, NMB Department of Public Safety.

April 16, 2020: Cyber Security-Outsmart the scammers, dial-in conference call led by Tammy Hardy, security specialists with Edward Jones. Tammy also served as a Block Captain in Brookstone.

September, 2020: Sharing the Road, a joint Power Point presentation by Barefoot Resort and North Tower NW Committees reviewed traffic laws for autos, golf carts, bicycles and pedestrians and focused on traffic issues in Barefoot. This Presentation is posted on the BRRA website. A presentation on Hurricanes was postponed to June 2021.

December, 2020: North Tower prepared a report on Human Trafficking that was given to North Tower residents only.

March 8, 2021: Orientation and training for new Block Captains given by NW Chair Charlie Forman in absence of Amy Vicks.

March 18, 2021: Human Trafficking: because of the seriousness of this issue and the increased media attention, the NW Watch held an Open Meeting to all residents in Barefoot via Zoom. Sherrie Smith, Horry County Sheriff’s Taskforce on Human Trafficking and Amy Vicks, NMB Department of Public Safety, also on the Taskforce, made the presentation. This Zoom call was joined by a large audience in Barefoot Resort. The NW Committee has been asked to repeat this Presentation at a later date.

June 16, 2021: Upcoming-Hurricanes-a behind the scenes look.

Goals for 2021

• Keep everyone safe and informed
• Fill block captain vacancies and add where needed
• Conduct training meetings for Neighborhood Watch Block Captains
• Improve and encourage neighbors watching out for neighbors and bringing neighbors closer together in preventing criminal activities
• Provide educational handouts to residents for crime prevention
• Develop Community Coordinator network for multi-family communities
• Develop a network of Block Captains/Building Captains in the multi-family communities
• Develop the Multi-Family Unit communication system with the cooperation of each Management Company to provide email blasts for property owners in the event of suspicious criminal activities

Traffic Committee Report

~ Mike Waters

The traffic committee met with Sgt. Ray Pollard and P.O. Amy Vicks this month and discussed issues regarding traffic inside our community.

I received information from a resident who was concerned about large trucks going over the swing bridge.  Sgt. Pollard stated to me that the NMB Police are charged with enforcing that issue and periodically assigns a car to patrol the area as needed.  Signage on the bridge is quite adequate and states that vehicles with over 8 wheels are not permitted to cross.  Obviously emergency vehicles are exempt from this.

If any neighbor has concerns regarding the traffic committee please use the BRRA website to voice your concerns.

Neighborhood Watch Committee Members

Charlie Forman – Chairperson
Candy Watkins – Assistant Chair, Single Family Coordinator
Robert (Bob) Moyse – Assistant Chair, Multi-Family Coordinator
Michael Waters – Traffic Committee Chair
Neal Witkin – BRRA BOD Liaison