The Pendleton Heights Neighborhood Association hosted a Block Watch training for Northeast neighbors through the Ad Hoc Group Against Crime’s Neighborhood Watch program on Saturday, Oct. 1. Ad Hoc’s Neighborhood Watch Program is designed to introduce the underlying theory of community capacity building, provide key principles of engagement and expose participants to an array of strategies and tools to strengthen outreach and cooperation among neighborhood residents and stakeholders. Each participant received a neighborhood watch manual that outlines roles, responsibilities, community resource numbers and key law enforcement contacts. Instructor Damon Daniel, president of Ad Hoc, taught community canvassing and outreach strategies, and trained Block Watch Captains. The Historic Northeast is taking steps to reduce violent crime. This weekend, KCPD hosted a Citizens Police Academy in Spanish, attended by some Northeast residents. Some neighborhood groups are considering hiring private security. x ABBY HOOVER