ORLANDO, Fla. – In Orlando, right next to Holden Heights on the other side of John Young Parkway, you’ll find Johnson Village, where the neighborhood watch has eyes and ears everywhere.
“They can’t be on every corner, that’s true. They cannot be on every corner, so we have to do our part,” said Sonya Stevenson, president of the Johnson Village Neighborhood Association.
It’s one of many neighborhoods that Orlando police said played a major role in helping reduce shots-fired calls and overall shootings by more than half since 2022 and bringing their homicide solve rate last year well above the national average to 94%.
“I think one of our biggest helps is neighborhood watch. We have so many neighborhoods involved; we got over 100 neighborhoods that we watch actively in. We have monthly meetings with them. I think them coming together to protect their own community,” Orlando police Chief Eric Smith said.
Stevenson is recognized as the 2024 Neighborhood Watch Captain of the Year.
“There was a drive-by shooting that took place in 2017. That was pretty much an incident that sparked me to get involved with the actual neighborhood,” Stevenson said.
Stevenson said since she joined, they have utilized group chats, social media and worked closely with law enforcement and other departments to make their community safer. They also inform residents about ways to secure their homes, like the OPD Home Assessment Program.
“If you have an old lock that you used back in the ’80s, that needs to be updated. Home assessments are very important to have done and it’s free,” Stevenson said.
Stevenson said they’re planning to join several churches and neighborhoods to do a Unity Prayer Walk on April 5 to take a stand against gun violence and also inform neighbors how they could help stop crime in their communities.