Crime Prevention mini conference in Euclid aims to make communities safer

EUCLID , Ohio (WJW) — Multiple law enforcement agencies and businesses gathered Saturday to help people learn how to keep their homes and communities safer.

Organized by the Community Policing Specialist Kate McLaughlin from the Euclid Police Department, the Northeast Ohio Crime Prevention Mini Conference was free and open to the public.

Attendees could learn about avoiding internet fraud and other scams as well as martial arts techniques for self-defense. There were also demonstrations explaining firearm seizures and efforts to reduce violent crime.

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McLaughlin said she first held one of these conferences in 2019, but it was just for Euclid residents. She found it to be successful. Once she was able to bring the event back after the pandemic, she wanted to open it up to more people.

"Crime prevention is something more of us need to practice. It's really what makes a home and a community safer. There's lots of things we can be doing, and I think people just need to be educated about what crime prevention resources would help with that," she said. "When I decided it was time to do another crime prevention event, I wanted it bigger. I wanted to include more agencies because I knew how successful it was for Euclid."

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Multiple police departments — mainly from Cleveland's east side — as well as the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol and others were on hand sharing what their departments do and interacting with residents.

McLaughlin believes those interactions are a big part of community policing.