Ward Six citizens gathered at Mt. Wade Baptist Church Thursday night to organize a second Neighborhood Watch program in the ward.

The meeting comes after the April 4 formation of the nearby Rogers Circle watch group.

Thursday night, residents of Urban Lane, Red Oak Drive, Quail Run Drive, White Oak Drive and Dogwood Street gathered in hopes of forming a watch in their neighborhood, too.

Krysten Butler, a deputy sheriff and leader of the Lincoln County Neighborhood Watch affiliate, instructed the group on needed measures for establishing a watch program, such as appointing street captains and distributing “phone trees” throughout the group.

Ward Six Alderman David Phillips said a resident of Red Oak Drive with intentions of starting a program contacted him.

The concerned citizen, Harold Rowe, said his intentions for the group’s formation were not sparked by an excessive crime rate on his street but out of a precautionary approach.

“[The crime’s] not going on, so I’d like to keep it that way,” Rowe said Thursday night. “Preventative maintenance is what this is about.”

Rowe also found an added benefit to organizing the group.

“We basically have a community watch already in place, but I just didn’t realize it until I came here tonight,” he said. “What I’m finding out is it is just neighbors getting along with each other.”

Phillips reiterated Rowe’s analysis.

“One of the biggest things coming out of these programs is the opportunity to meet your neighbors,” Phillips said.

“Hopefully by getting to know each other and having each other’s backs, they will create a successful Neighborhood Watch,” Phillips continued.

Besides the Ward Six groups, Neighborhood Watch programs also are already in place in other areas of the city and county.