With summer approaching, merchants in Akron’s Highland Square are hiring extra security for the popular neighborhood.
Highland Square’s growing number of bars and restaurants now have 12 more hours of police presence each week, as most of the neighborhood’s merchants have pitched in to hire an off-duty officer on foot patrol.
Brandon Tyler Miller moved to Highland Square three years ago and says neighbors look out for each other, but with more visitors during the summer months, the extra security will help.
“If someone’s up to no good, it’s a community base; we watch everything. But it’s very, very challenging in this area because [if] you go two blocks this way, it’s really nice. If you go two blocks this way, it’s really bad. That’s the gist of Akron, too.”
Miller adds that there is already at least one police cruiser in the area on Friday and Saturday nights, and he feels that the officers respond quickly when needed.
