S. Hall neighborhood watch group receives national recognition

FLOWERY BRANCH - The Reunion Neighborhood Watch Group in Flowery Branch has been recognized by a national group for its work.

Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch on Saturday presented the group with an Award of Excellence from USAonWatch.org on behalf of the National Sheriffs Association for its "extraordinary ongoing efforts to prevent and deter crime in their community."

This is the only group chosen to receive this type of award from the National Neighborhood Watch Organization this year.

Each year, the program announces three participants from across the country for exhibiting excellence in one of the three following categories: Excellence by a Sheriff's Office, Excellence by a Police Department and Excellence by a Neighborhood Watch Group.

According to the national group's website, the Neighborhood Watch Awards of Excellence Program was established by the National Sheriffs' Association in 2004 to recognize and honor those doing extraordinary things to promote Neighborhood
Watches in their communities. These awards are based upon data collected and verified by the National Sheriffs' Association.

Groups eligible to receive an award are those that are innovative, demonstrate excellence, and are exemplary in their approach to involving citizens and/or the community in volunteerism. Criteria for eligibility may also include actions taken by the Neighborhood Watch that have prevented criminal activities and made the community safer (i.e. getting a drug dealer off of their street, or helping to assist law enforcement in an arrest, etc.).

Sheriff Couch said "The Reunion Neighborhood Watch Committee exemplifies all that the National Neighborhood Watch program is all about. It is a thrill to witness our community seizing the opportunity to prevent and deter crime, by joining together to share information and swap ideas that benefit Hall County."