Our Programs

It is our goal to produce such programs that enable our residents and businesses to coexist in an environment that produces a healthy and vital neighborhood for all. 

Public Safety has many facets.

Public Safety includes: Law Enforcement, Emergency Services, Crime Prevention, Public Health Initiatives, Infrastructure and Urban Planning, Cybersecurity and Environmental Safety.

West Grand Neighborhood Organization works and trains with many organizations and provide instruction on how to keep neighbors informed about criminal activity, and tools to combat that activity and avoid being victimized. We partner with Grand Rapids Police Department to offer proactive crime-prevention techniques.  We work with many organizations to inform residents and businesses how to avert and avoid criminal activity using best practices. Contact us to learn more!

For Neighbors

  • WGNO helps coordinate a web of neighborhood eyes and ears, all with a design to reduce the impact and incidence of criminal activity within residential areas. Block Hosts are designated to serve as lead monitors for each residential block.

  • Block Club presentations with similar information, on a number of subjects also can be arranged through the organization. Subjects can include but are not limited to: Emergency Preparedness, Senior Safety

Public Safety

For Businesses

  • An effort for businessmen to watch out for each other’s mutual interests is coordinated by WGNO. Businessmen monitor activity in the community, under the auspices of a number of Business Watch Captains, with a structure very similar to that of the Neighborhood Watch program. Businessmen can share information about avoiding risky clients, bad-check passers, cleaning up panhandling areas and telephone poles inundated with unsightly fliers, etc. Community Officers from the GRPD, work with WGNO to inform residents and businesses how to avert and avoid criminal activity.

  • Businesses can coordinate with WGNO to have a trained Personal Safety Representative instruct employees on methods for staying safe at work, protecting personal property, leaving work safely after dark, and other factors related to personal safety.

For All

  • CPTED is a multi-disciplinary approach to deterring criminal behavior through environmental design.  CPTED focuses on enhancement of lighting, design of buildings and open spaces, to discourage criminal activity.  Free CPTED surveys can be arranged through WGNO.

  • A specially designed program to combat auto theft, ATPA is supported by a grant through the Michigan Auto Theft Prevention Authority.  WGNO Staff, coordinates the ATPA program throughout southern Michigan, and work out of the WGNO office.  Learn more by clicking the link!

Galvanizing our neighborhood through comprehensive instruction in using programs and tools for community improvement, through a neighborly approach to community activism, is one of WGNO's central objectives. WGNO, works to help instruct residents and businesses about communicating with city departments such as Housing, Zoning, Planning, Streets and Sanitation, and the Judicial System. They also work as a neighborhood improvement sounding board by asking residents their opinions about issues and developments which have impact on the area, including how to grow the neighborhood positively and avoid what residents perceive as negative growth.

Communications

  • A e-newsletter is published for WGNO members, containing information not otherwise available on this Web site.

  • Our social media, especially Facebook is where we post the most up to date information that can include construction projects, public safety information, meetings, programming and events!

  • The Web site includes standing information that regularly affects and benefits residents and businesses, and is updated frequently.

Community Organizing

Events

  • We hold monthly community meetings on the third Monday of every month from 6-7 PM. This meeting can include a public safety update from the GRPD, upcoming developments, events and projects.

  • Annually, WGNO oversees a city-funded program with volunteers whereby neighborhood residents can bring a wide array of disposables to a line-up of dumpsters, at Richmond Park, and dispose of them.  Almost anything can be discarded as long as it is non-toxic, excluding car batteries, gas-powered items, paint cans and tires.  Almost 90 tons of disposables were collected at the Dumpster Day, in June 2011.

  • Every Spring we help organize a city-wide cleanup event. Last year we had over 1000 volunteers throughout the city!

  • In August we put together National Night Out!

Neighborhood Improvement

  • For 30 years, WGNO has maintained the Turner St. Gateway of small gardens as a beautification project, and regulated the largest raingarden in the nation, which monitors water runoff from the two major highways which intersect in downtown Grand Rapids, into the Grand River. The raingardens can be observed from 4th Street, underneath the junction of Interstate 196 and U.S. Highway 131.

    WGNO also commissioned the murals at the raingarden, and another on the side of 418 Leonard St. N.W., at the area considered the gateway to the West Leonard Business District.

    More recently we have been working a corridor beautification project, more on that is coming!!

Help make an impact in our community!