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Suspicious subjects beware, citizens are on patrol

Michael Halcomb, left, and Tom Long are volunteers for the Butler County Sheriff’s Office Citizens on Patrol. The two recently spotted a suspicious person around a Liberty Twp. home they were checking while its owners were away on vacation, leading to an arrest.

Staff photo by Greg Lynch Michael Halcomb, left, and Tom Long are volunteers for the Butler County Sheriff’s Office Citizens on Patrol. The two recently spotted a suspicious person around a Liberty Twp. home they were checking while its owners were away on vacation, leading to an arrest.

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By Lauren Pack, Staff Writer 9:52 PM Monday, February 1, 2010

HAMILTON — Michael Halcomb and Tom Long are nosey. They are always on the lookout for shadows in the night, something out of place or just plain suspicious activity in Butler County neighborhoods.

And residents don’t mind a bit.

Halcomb of Trenton and Tom Long, a Hamilton resident, team up regularly to be the eyes and ears of the sheriff’s office as part of the Citizens on Patrol program. Both laughed when asked if the pay is good.

“Oh, I have mine direct deposit,” said Long, a 70-year-old retiree, with a laugh.

They, like the eight other COP members, are volunteers.

Patrolling in a special cruiser with a yellow light bar, COP members assist deputies with traffic control at crashes and fires, aid to stranded motorists and making vacation checks for residents who call the sheriff’s office for security when they are out of town.

“They really free up deputies to do more pressing duties,” said Lt. Jean Collett, support service superior in charge of the unit.

Last week, Long and Halcomb were checking houses in a Liberty Twp. subdivision when they spotted a man who just didn’t seem to be “acting quite right.”

“It was dark and raining to start with. He was walking in the street then stopping and looking around. He didn’t stop to ask for directions, he wasn’t walking a dog and he didn’t have a cigarette,” Long said, noting all possible reasons to be walking in a storm.

Halcomb added, “he was fidgety. It just didn’t fit.”

COP units are not armed or permitted to act if presented with criminal activity, so Long said they called “the big dogs.”

Deputies thought the man may be a thief looking to kick in a door or swipe a stereo from a car. Detectives determined he was wanted on warrants from Hamilton Municipal Court and took him into custody.

Last year, the COP unit made 724 vacation checks and drove 10, 550 miles on patrol.

Halcomb chuckled remembering a startled resident who returned home early from vacation and was loading his riding mower when COP volunteers came for a vacation check.

“We called the deputies out on him,” Halcomb said. “After it was straightened out, he was glad we were doing our job.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2168 or lpack@coxohio.com.

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as usual people call helping the community fascism. But yet when young kids go missing or someone breaks down they are usually willing to volunteer to help because everyone else is to busy to help out and i thought that is what being American was being about helping out each other, but i guess your to busy looking out for yourself.

will
3:06 AM, 5/1/2010

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For any American that would even consider being a snitch for the government is sad and pathetic. When Hitler rose to power he had his brownshirts spying on the citizens. Stalin had his too. Mao also. Can you spell fascism?

XPIOLT
1:41 PM, 2/8/2010

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I thought it was going to start with children being spies. I guess these two are just as stupid and impressionable as fourth graders. I am a very peaceful person, but if I saw these fascist wannabes cruising my neighborhood, I might think twice about being so peaceful. Of course that's after they question me, don't 'beat it' when I tell them too, then try to do something physical because they are living a delusion. We must all stand for liberty, no matter the cost.

Dan
1:20 AM, 2/8/2010

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Snitches end up in ditches.

FigPucker
1:35 PM, 2/7/2010

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Not living in your neighborhood, but as an American I can tell you the only real way to deal with crime is open carry. If you want some jack boots to take care of you move somewhere where they don't know what freedom means.

Randy
4:34 AM, 2/7/2010

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