07-19-2013, 03:30 PM
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#56
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™
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Arlington, VA
Posts: 27,717
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Wendy Dorival was the civilian member of the police department who set up that particular neighborhood watch program.
Quote:
Dorival testified that in fall 2011, she visited Zimmerman and other residents at the housing complex to discuss setting up a watch program. During her testimony, prosecutor Guy focused on her instructions to residents about how to behave when they spotted a suspicious person.
“Their duty is to be the eyes and ears. Report crime as they see it,” said Dorival, adding that she provided handouts stressing this and also explained it verbally during the meeting. Zimmerman was there as the neighborhood watch coordinator, a role he told Dorival had been assigned him by the president of the homeowners' association.
Guy asked Dorival what the handouts and her instructions tell volunteers to do if they begin following a suspicious person.
“We tell them they don’t do that. That’s the job of law enforcement,” she replied.
The same instructions apply to confronting a suspicious person, Dorival said. She said her presentation would advise people, “Not to confront, to let … the police department do the job.
“They’re not supposed to take matters into their own hands. … Let law enforcement take the risk of approaching a suspect,” Dorival said.
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