By Tom Waring

Times Staff Writer

Members of the newly formed Mayfair Town Watch are almost ready to start patrolling.

Chad Enos, a trainer with Town Watch Integrated Services, was scheduled to conduct the first of a two-part training session on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the John M. Perzel Community Center.

Enos oversees Town Watch organizations in the 2nd, 7th, 8th and 15th police districts.

The second session is set for next Wednesday, Nov. 11, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., also at the center.

"These people want to hit the streets," said John Vearling, president of the Town Watch.

The group met on Oct. 28.

Two days earlier, at the 15th Police District Advisory Council meeting, Capt. Frank Bachmayer, the district's commander, invited a Town Watch member to sit in on the monthly PDAC meetings.

At the PDAC meeting, Mike Thaete was elected the group's new president, replacing Scott Cummings. Thaete has long patrolled Mayfair as a member of Town Watch.

Town Watch members will communicate with two-way radios that remain from when the group was active in the past. They also need to write bylaws.

As it grows, the Town Watch is relying on leaders from neighboring groups to provide guidance.

Bill Busch, a recruiter and co-vice president of Tacony Town Watch, said members of his group have seen traffic accidents and witnessed people they suspect of driving under the influence.

Busch indicated that his group has a good relationship with the 15th Police District.

"If we watch somebody doing graffiti, officers will come out and make an arrest," he said.

Mayfair Town Watch has not set official boundaries, but they could be as big as Roosevelt Boulevard to Torresdale Avenue, from Harbison Avenue to Rhawn Street.

Those boundaries would overlap with Tacony Town Watch, but nobody seemed to mind.

"We're all trying to do the same thing," said Chris Vogler, a Mayfair Town Watch board member. "As a new group, we would welcome their support."

Mayfair Town Watch is trying to grow, in part, by recruiting existing block captains and signing up new ones.

Block captains would be welcome to patrol, but they also could contribute by writing letters and making phone calls for donations and memberships.

"Not everybody wants to be on the street," Vearling said, "but they can be incredible getting us contacts and new members."

At a previous meeting, Enos suggested that two people patrol in a car. Patrol hours are expected to be from 8 p.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. The base is likely to be the community center.

Pete Smith, a recruiter and scheduler with the new group, believes patrollers can be effective by simply observing suspicious or criminal behavior, then reporting detailed descriptions to the base operator, who would call 911.

Smith said patrollers should not break up fights or pull over suspected drunken drivers.

Vearling expects a good working relationship with the 15th Police District, which is the busiest in the city and one of the largest in size.

"We need to be the eyes and ears for police," he said.

Members also agreed that they needed to report all incidents and suspicions, including quality-of-life crimes, because the number of calls generated can be directly linked to deployment.

"A greater number of calls will result in more police officers for our community," said Shawn Hagerty, treasurer of the group.

The Town Watch will hang up signs throughout the neighborhood to alert residents that the area is being patrolled. It will also work closely with Mayfair Civic Association, the 15th PDAC and other neighborhood groups.

"I want to get as many people involved as I possibly can," Vearling said.

For more information about Mayfair Town Watch, call president John Vearling at 215-758-6396 or write to mayfairtwatch@aol.com

Reporter Tom Waring can be reached at 215-949-4215 or twaring@phillynews.com