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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; Charlotte Raup chose to close out her role in the neighborhood Crime Watch program the same way she got into it in 1994.</p><p>The Parsons&#8217; resident said she will no longer serve as president of the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/302138957499/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Wilkes-Barre Crime Watch C</a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/302138957499/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">oalition</a>, but will stay active in her neighborhood group. She was recognized for her service with a proclamation declaring Wednesday as Charlotte Raup Day in Wilkes-Barre and Mayor Tony George presented her with a key to the city.</p><p>&#8220;This is overwhelming. I didn&#8217;t expect anything like this,&#8221; Raup said as her husband Greg looked on during a brief ceremony at City Hall. &#8220;I did this starting off real slow and never expected to be here 25 years, but I hope in the time that I was here that I did help better our city. That&#8217;s all, thank you. This is cool.&#8221;</p><p>At 63, it was time to bring on new leadership to the volunteer organization, Raup added. &#8220;We have to hand the torch to the younger folks at this time,&#8221; she said.</p><p>That doesn&#8217;t mean the focus has changed, Raup stressed. &#8220;It&#8217;s still about crime prevention,&#8221; she said.</p><p>George, a former city police chief and officer, backed her up on that point too. &#8220;That&#8217;s the whole idea. That&#8217;s why it was started,&#8221; he said. The group members act as the &#8220;eyes and ears&#8221; for law enforcement, alerting them to suspicious activity, he added.</p><p>&#8220;The police can only be in so many places at one time. And we have more eyes on the street,&#8221; said Ray Arellano. The 84-year-old Navy veteran has worked with Raup for 12 years and stepped down as recording secretary of the Coalition.</p><p>Arellano credited Raup with helping set up Crime Watch groups in Plymouth and Plains Township.</p><p>The Coalition under Raup&#8217;s leadership held community events from gun safety programs to the annual National Night Out. It also help raise funds to purchase a K-9 dog for the city police department, George pointed out. In addition, he listed several awards she received: the Governor&#8217;s Award for Volunteerism in 2006, the Jefferson Award in 2008 from the American Institute for Public Service and the 2009 Pennsylvania Crime Prevention Officers&#8217; Association Volunteer of the Year.</p><p>Early on in George&#8217;s career with the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, he worked with Raup, having been appointed by the late Mayor Lee Namey as Crime Watch officer. &#8220;I was there when she started,&#8221; George said.</p><p>Past and present members of the department attended the ceremony: retired Capt. Tom Merlie; City Councilman and former Chief Bill Barrett; former Chief Marcella Lendacky; Chief Joseph Coffay; and Community Policing Officer Kirk Merchel. Councilmen Mike Belusko and Mike Merritt and City Administrator Rick Gazenski also attended. </p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Charlotte Raup receives a proclamation and a key to the city for her work in the community with Wilkes-Barre Crime Watch Coalition from Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/web1_TTL120619Raup1-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Charlotte Raup receives a proclamation and a key to the city for her work in the community with Wilkes-Barre Crime Watch Coalition from Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tony George. </caption0><photoCredit0>Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jerry Lynott</p><p>jlynott@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Jerry Lynott at 570-991-6120 or on Twitter @TLJerryLynott.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Raup recognized for role in Wilkes-Barre Crime Watch