Editor:

Concerned residents of the City of Brentwood:

On Thursday, July 31, I read an article in another paper entitled Neighborhood hires private security. As a resident of Shadow Lakes for the last six years, I found the article interesting but also somewhat misleading. Within the first paragraph, the article states, Concerned about what some residents see as dangerous level of crime in Brentwood, one neighborhood has hired a private security company to patrol its streets at night.

I believe it is fair to say that we are not one neighborhood in Brentwood with concerns about the continuing dangerous level of crime taking place almost daily throughout our city. What we are is one neighborhood that is making an effort to take proactive steps in the fight against crime instead of being forced to be reactive after the crime has already taken place.

I believe that the majority of, if not all, the neighborhoods in Brentwood have the same concerns as Shadow Lakes residents with the current crime levels and their personal safety. This is being demonstrated by the success of the Neighborhood Watch program that has been implemented throughout the city with great success.

The Shadow Lakes community which is a subdivision of 780 residents and/or homeowner association members, and not the 923 residents as stated in the article hired a private security company to provide roving patrol. Within the surrounding area of Shadow Lakes there are two other smaller subdivisions Brentwood Hills and Hancock Homes which are not part of the Roving Patrol pilot program.

It is a well-known fact that the Brentwood Police department is understaffed by more than 12 officers, so it is easy to understand that the current staff is doing the best it can, but it seriously needs more officers, based on the population of Brentwood. Many residents within Brentwood don't feel they are being provided the police protection that is required currently, so we are being forced to look at alternative ways of protecting our neighborhoods. That is what the residents of Shadow Lakes HOA have done.

This program is fully supported by the majority of Shadow Lakes HOA residents and hopefully they will continue to support it long term.

Johnny Merrill

Brentwood