The Hereford/Highland Area Block Watch, Inc. was formed in 2003 after area neighbors explored the idea of beginning a neighborhood watch program to help keep the Highland Square area of Akron, Ohio a safe and enjoyable place to live.  After meeting with the Akron Police Department’s Community Policing Officer assigned to our area, the Block Watch formally organized by filing Articles of Incorporation with the State of Ohio during March, 2003.  Our Articles were approved by the Secretary of State on March 31, 2003.  The initial Trustees of the Corporation were Filomena Krejsa, Phyllis Mascolo and Amy Grom.  The original officers were:  Filomena Krejsa – President, Amy Grom – Vice President, Phyllis Mascolo – Treasurer, John Mascolo – Secretary.

For the first two years of the organization, the Ellet Band Boosters assisted the Block Watch as a fiscal agent until we obtained our own non-profit status with the IRS.  On July 13, 2005, the IRS recognized the Block Watch as a public charity and provided tax exempt non-profit recognition going back to our incorporation date of March 31, 2003.

Early on, the Block Watch officers and volunteers learned that an effective neighborhood watch group did more than hold regular meetings on crime prevention.  A key to crime prevention is building community among neighbors so that they look out for one another.  Therefore, we instituted some new programming for the neighborhood.  Some of the new programming started by the Block Watch includes:

•    Music nights at the park in the summer
•    The Fourth of July Children’s Parade
•    The Spring Egg Hunt
•    Gymnastics lessons
•    Crime Safety Week
•    Holidays at the Park in the Winter

Akron  City’s Neighborhood Partnership Program along with the Akron Community Foundation helped make all these good things possible through their grant program.

Our nonprofit mainly serves citizens living in Akron Wards 1 & 8.  The boundaries at present have been Hereford Dr. on the North and the Square / West Market St. on the South; Portage Path on the West and Merriman Rd. on the East.  There are about 400 or so households in the current boundaries.