A Nicholson community meeting with law enforcement held on Tuesday spurred interest in a creating a Nicholson Neighborhood Watch group.

Approximately 70 community members met with representatives from the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department, the Picayune Police Department and the Nicholson Fire Department, along with Constable Jason Hunt and District IV Supervisor Jason Spence on Tuesday at the Nicholson Elementary School’s multipurpose building.

Resident concerns focused on reducing drug activity in the area, noise complaints and dealing with run down properties, said Major Joe Quave with the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department.

“They all had questions about what they could do to help us, and they let us know what we could do to help them,” said Quave.

Some community members voiced interest in creating a neighborhood watch for the Nicholson community, and Quave met with 10 community members after the meeting to discuss creating it. Quave said after residents have held some organizing meetings, he will be in contact with them again to help train them on the things a neighborhood watch group can do, and should avoid.

“Neighborhood watch groups are very important. They’re vital to crime prevention, because those are the eyes and ears of the community that are there,” said Quave. “When things are reported to us it helps us be proactive instead of reactive, and we can better serve them.”

A neighborhood watch group requires committed volunteers from the community who have a way to communicate consistently, said Quave. If other communities in the county are interested in forming a neighborhood watch, they can contact Quave directly at 601-403-2528 for help forming a group.

District IV Supervisor Jason Spence said it was encouraging to see the community come together to discuss their concerns at the meeting.