DEPUTY'S SLAYING SPARKS NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PLANS.

Byline: Greg Botonis Staff Writer

LAKE LOS ANGELES - Residents of Lake Los Angeles will begin working more closely with sheriff's deputies in an effort to establish Neighborhood Watch groups throughout the town.

Sheriff's officials say the increase in interest in Neighborhood Watch programs is because of an increase in awareness and the publicity of some of the more sensational crimes in the area, including the Aug. 2 slaying of resident Deputy Steve Sorensen.

``After Steve was killed, residents started coming out a bit more saying, hey, we need to do something about these things that don't need to happen,'' said Deputy Mark Round, who will meet with townsfolk Thursday. ``There's just more of an awareness there now, and they want to do something about it.''

The first meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Twin Lakes Community Church, 17213 Lake Los Angeles Ave. It will offer information on how to begin a Neighborhood Watch and sign up block captains.

Lake Los Angeles resident Sharon Toyne said Sorensen's death hit the community hard and left residents searching for answers to the growing crime problem.

``With the death of Deputy Sorensen, there's a real sense of loss and sadness over our town sheriff,'' Toyne said. ``This is the time we need to take our streets back. Enough is enough. If we go forward in a team effort, I really think we can do something about this.''

Recent crimes include a home-invasion robbery in which four intruders severely beat a woman and the armed robbery of a restaurant in which one of the robbers held a gun to a teenage worker's head.

Toyne presented the Neighborhood Watch idea to the Lake Los Angeles town council, and it was overwhelmingly accepted.

Toyne, who is a Wilsona School District trustee, has set a goal of having 50 neighborhoods signed up as Neighborhood Watches by December. Meetings are expected to be held in November, January and March to sign up new people.

She also hopes that other Antelope Valley communities that lack established Neighborhood Watch programs will take notice and begin their own.

For more information about establishing a Neighborhood Watch or attending the meeting, contact Round at [phone].