La Crosse Area Crime Stoppers holds neighborhood safety forum

Forum focuses on crime prevention in area neighborhoods

LA CROSSE, Wis. (WKBT) — Getting the community’s help to make La Crosse a safer place is the focus of a public forum.

The La Crosse Area Crime Stoppers hosted the second annual “Safe and Thriving La Crosse Neighborhoods” forum at the Weber Center in downtown La Crosse Tuesday night.

The forum allows members of the community to talk about how they can help prevent crime and keep their neighborhoods safe.

Crime Stoppers President Warren Thomas says police can’t be everywhere at once, which makes it important for people to speak up when they see something happening outside their front door.

“Communication with your neighbors, looking out for each other, and just trying to be more proactive in the prevention of crime,” said Thomas. “We know that there’s crime out there, the police need help, and Crime Stoppers is just trying to support and find a way to get that out in the community more.”

La Crosse resident Wayne Goeldner attended Tuesday night’s forum. He says there was a drug house in his neighborhood a few years ago, which he and his neighbors banded together to help the police shut the house down.

“We organized, we had people calling police, we had people taking license plates, and it did work,” said Goeldner. “I can’t thank the police department enough for what they’ve done.”

Goeldner says it’s important for neighborhoods to keep a watchful eye, even when things seem to be quiet.

“Everybody has to keep aware of it. I know there’s been no action in our area for quite awhile and people get sort of lackadaisical with it, and you’ve still got to go out and take a look at things and make sure you understand what to see,” said Goeldner.

If you see something suspicious in your neighborhood, you’re encouraged to call your local police department or submit a time to the La Crosse Area Crime Stoppers.