Since Mount Airy police can’t be everywhere at once, they’re trying to recruit citizens to serve as watchdogs at city parks.

To achieve that goal, two “trail-watcher” meetings are planned Tuesday at Riverside Park. One is scheduled at 8:30 a.m. and the other at 6 p.m., with both to be held at the picnic shelter near the soccer field at the park.

In addition to police, city parks and recreation officials are involved in presenting the meetings that will be conducted by Officer Ray Arnder.

“We’re going to try to hit the morning folks as well as the evening folks,” Parks and Recreation Director Catrina Alexander said of Tuesday’s meeting schedule.

The trail-watch program is open to “any citizen who wants to be a part of it,” said Lt. Jim Armbrister of the Mount Airy Police’s Department’s Community Services Division.

Free water bottles will be offered to those who attend.

“We’ve been fortunate on the trails,” Armbrister said Thursday of the respect the public generally has exhibited toward city recreational areas.

But he explained that while no major crimes have occurred in the parks, police are trying to be “proactive” by encouraging citizen participation to ensure a safe environment for walkers, runners, bikers and other users.

“This is just extra eyes that are going to be educated for the specific areas,” Armbrister said of the program that also will encompass Westwood Park and the Lovills Creek greenway in addition to the recently opened trail at Riverside Park. He said it will apply to streets around town as well, which some people employ in their exercise regimens.

Participants in the trail-watch effort will receive “informal training” on how to be effective in that role, Armbrister said. In addition to general safety tips, this will include instructing people on what to look for when using recreational facilities, such as rule or criminal violations, and how to report those problems.

More than just violations will be targeted, according to Armbrister, who said trail-watchers further will be asked to report maintenance, sanitation or other issues that need attention.

He said trail-watch organizers are relying on the fact that with most everyone carrying cell phones nowadays, a timely response can be achieved when problems arise. Having this occur on an informal basis, with no actual program in place, isn’t always dependable, Armbrister added.

“A lot of people don’t want to get involved,” he said of those witnessing suspicious events along trails and their reluctance to report what they see to the proper authorities. “They’ll tell you two days later, or they won’t tell you at all.”

Armbrister and Alexander say the safe operation of recreational areas requires the assistance of the public, which can’t just depend on law enforcement and other city personnel to achieve that goal.

“Every citizen’s got a duty, no matter where they are,” Armbrister said of the public’s role in assisting police. “We are just a paid faction.”

“We definitely need to involve our citizens,” said Alexander.

Contact Tom Joyce at tjoyce@mtairynews.com or at 719-1924.