>> Alexander County

Watch for Me NC in Alexander County

  • Watch for Me NC participant since: 2018-2019
  • Population: 37,286
  • Lead agency: Alexander County Sheriff’s Office

Background
Alexander County serves Alexander County, Taylorsville, Hiddenite, and Stony Point, North Carolina. Taylorsville, NC is the county seat of Alexander County and is home to several schools including Taylorsville Elementary, Alexander Central High School, a local educational annex center for the area community college, and an Early College High School facility.

Along with a large student population regularly walking to and from school, Taylorsville also has an avid walking and running community. Alexander County believes Watch for Me NC programming will improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety to ensure the safety of all road users.

Partnerships
The Alexander County Sheriff’s Office leads Watch for Me NC efforts and has collaborated with other local and regional agencies such as the Alexander County Health Department, Safe Kids of Alexander County, the Taylorsville Police Department, Catawba Valley Community College, the Alexander Center for Education, and Alexander County Schools.

Education and Enforcement Activities
Alexander County continues to improve safety for all road users through several education events. The Alexander County Watch for Me NC program is very involved with local schools, and the Alexander Department of Health incorporates pedestrian and bicyclist safety information into existing educational programs for students at the local high school. The Alexander County Sheriff’s Office utilizes its partnerships with other local departments to execute targeted enforcement operations within areas where youth walk and bike.  Additionally, the Alexander County Sheriff’s Department has the capability of producing videos for safety and educational outreach. 

Key Outcomes

  • Providing targeted education and enforcement operations for students
  • Strengthening partnerships and collaboration with other local law enforcement departments

Lessons Learned
The Watch for Me program helped strengthen relationships with other community partners. Continuing to foster this collaboration will lead to more success in the future for the program.