Service Care Blog

In Shelby County, the city of Chelsea has a neat program where the provide a vehicle and radio to pairs of local citizens and have them patrol residential and commercial areas looking for criminal activity. This is known as the Citizen Observer Patrol, and this group of volunteers provide more eyes and ears on the street to help keep Chelsea safe.

They're not armed, nor will they pursue criminals, as they are only patrolling to observe and report. But that's very, very useful for the prevention and detection of crime. As volunteers, they reduce the greatest expenditure of patrolling city streets... personnel. Of course, you still have to have a qualified police force to respond to their reports.

I like the idea, and I hope it spreads to other communities.

Read more about it here: Chelsea Citizen Observer Patrol

Labels: Chelsea, Shelby County

What a provocative title, eh?

It's actually much nicer than that title makes it sound.

This weekend and next month, the American Red Cross is holding blood drives at four locations in Alabaster and Columbiana. The fun part is, in a show of thanks for donors, there will be prizes given away to a few lucky donors.

They are pretty good prizes, and you can read about them here:

Red Cross to offer prizes to blood donors

Labels: Alabaster, charity, Shelby County

From the Pelham Reporter:

"Two suspects have been arrested in a string of burglaries after a female suspect unexpectedly broke in to an off-duty Pelham Police officer’s home in the Wild Timber subdivision."

Oh dear. Wow.

Well, that wasn't the plan, I'm sure. If there was a plan.

Read more about Suspects arrested after breaking into off-duty officer’s home

Labels: Pelham, Wild Timber

As part of the "Celebrate Chelsea" campaign (part of the bigger Alabama celebration of its home towns) the city of Chelsea is inviting local residents to submit recipes for inclusion in a cookbook to be released during Chelsea's homecoming weekend of 2010.

To find out more about the book or to submit your own Chelsea recipe, visit Chelsea plans historical cookbook

Labels: Alabama, Chelsea, Cooking

Yep, it's the "Taste of Shelby County" event raising money for schools by feeding you delicious foods. Actually, it sounds really good. Mmmmm.

Read more here: Get a taste of county, support schools

Labels: charity, events, Shelby County, things to do

I've never been a huge fan of roasts, but I'm sure this will be a fun evening.

Read more here: Hoover mayor to be roasted

Labels: charity, fun, Hoover, things to do

From the Alabaster Reporter:

"Family members of a missing Alabaster veteran are seeking the public’s help in locating their loved one.

Howard Stanford, a 38-year-old Iraq veteran, has been missing from his Alabaster home since Sept. 1. Stanford’s friends, family members and local and state law enforcement officials have been searching in and around Oak Mountain State Park since the man’s vehicle was found abandoned near the park."

I'm sure they could use some local help, read about it here: Missing man’s family seeking public help

Labels: Alabaster