Creating a residential block watch is the topic of the next North Bend community public safety meeting, 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15 at the Mount Si Senior Center, 411 Main Avenue South.

Deputy Rob Rowe, a veteran King County Sheriff deputy and the crime prevention specialist for the city of SeaTac, will make a presentation on creating a block watch, and provide history, guidance and benefits of the block watch program. The meeting will also discuss crime-free business communities and multi-family housing programs.

A successful block watch program can make neighborhoods and homes safer, and could increase property values as city crime rates decline. Another benefit of a lower crime rate is that it could lead to fewer calls for police service, freeing deputies to focus their energies on other issues and to have faster response times to in-progress calls.

Contact Chief Mark Toner with questions or suggestions for future meeting discussion topics, (425) 888-4438 or Mark.Toner@KingCounty.Gov.