Vermilion police launch ‘See something, say something’ campaign

VERMILION, Ohio (WOIO) - Vermilion police are launching a new crime-fighting initiative aimed at keeping families safe after experiencing an unusual spike in serious criminal activity over the past year.

The “See Something, Say Something” campaign encourages residents to report suspicious activity directly to police rather than relying solely on social media posts. Signs promoting the initiative now line streets throughout Vermilion as part of a neighborhood watch mentality the police department is implementing citywide.

“Last 12 months in Vermilion, we have had an anomaly. We’ve had four very high-level crimes that have occurred in the last 12 months,” said Sgt. Detective Scott Holmes of the Vermilion Police Department.

Police welcome all tips, even false alarms

Holmes, who worked closely with city council to launch the initiative, emphasized that police want residents to call their non-emergency number rather than hesitate out of concern about bothering officers.

“You’re not bothering us. We want those phone calls. We would rather have 100 phone calls that are false alarms to get that one phone call that really makes a difference,” Holmes said.

While residents often turn to social media to share tips about neighborhood activity, Holmes stressed that phone calls are more effective for immediate response.

“Our social media accounts are not monitored 24/7 like our dispatch center is. It’s valuable to get those comments on our post. I am not detracting from that, but getting those calls at the time that they are occurring is paramount,” Holmes said.

Community support for safety initiative

Local residents are embracing the program. Donna Moore, who moved to Vermilion a year ago, said she supports the innovative approach to community safety.

“We are a close-knit community. We work together. This is a great community, we want to keep it safe,” Moore said.

The campaign reflects the police department’s goal of having neighbors look out for each other and speak up when something seems suspicious, fostering a collaborative approach to crime prevention in the community.