Kingston Crossing Block Watch

In the summer of 2009, two neighborhoods came together to form the Kingston Crossing/Walnut Bluff Block Watch. The two communities, located in southeast Columbus, cover 19 streets. They are adjacent to each other and consist of the entire subdivision of Kingston Crossing and the portion of Walnut Bluff south of Refugee Road. It is bordered on the north by Refugee Road, on the south by Chatterton Road, the east by Legion Lane, and the west by Falcon Bridge.

The neighborhood of Kingston Crossing is the newer of the two, situated in the area east of Noe Bixby and west of Brice Roads. There are about 630 homes in the combined subdivisions, which is serviced by the Columbus City Schools District.

Block Watch associations are not about spying on their neighbors, nor does it necessarily imply that the neighborhood is riddled with crime. What it really means is that neighbors that have similar interests come together as a “community.” As a society, we will never outgrow our need to connect with one another. It also allows us to have a sense of “belonging.”

The Block Watch has already had a strong impact on the community and has formed alliances with the Far East Policing Station, Brice Road businesses, and other neighboring block watches. Over the summer, the Block Watch took on a beautification project at the entrances of Kingston Crossing, removing trash and debris, overgrown shrubbery, and planting new vegetation.

The Block Watch has also been instrumental in getting catch basins cleaned out that faced Chatterton Road, requesting Columbus City Council to consider a traffic study and alerting residents of crimes on the neighborhood.

In October, it hosted a Halloween party, sponsored by Lowe’s, Half Priced Books, the Columbus Fire Department and other neighborhood businesses. It was an opportunity for neighbors to come together for fun, food and fellowship. The Block watch is looking to expand in 2010 to adjacent communities in the Southeast area.