By now, many of you have heard that longtime LGNA board member and CrimeWatch coordinator, Darren Dattalo, will be leaving us for new adventures in the Pacific Northwest. It is with mixed emotions that we wish him farewell!

Many multi-decade residents will remember that the Lower Greenville of the 1980s, 1990s, and 2000s was not the neighborhood we know today. Lowest Greenville’s numerous bars drew a rowdy crowd on Fridays & Saturdays – enough that the police would station extra officers for the 2am dispersal of the raucous partiers. There was often an ambulance already on hand for those who may have been a touch overserved! Crime was also higher than we see today, with measurably more instances of vandalism, burglary, car theft, and even violent crime.

When Darren moved to Goliad in the early 2000s, he saw an opportunity to keep his friends and close neighbors up-to-speed on criminal activity. And so began his crime stats email list. By 2006, the recipient list had grown significantly, so he partnered with Gay Hopkins, Pat Carr, and the rest of the LGNA board to formalize the LGNA CrimeWatch.

Over the ensuing years, Darren worked tirelessly to reduce crime in the neighborhood. He partnered with police representatives to gather crime data, grew the CrimeWatch distribution list, and instituted the Extended Neighborhood Patrol (ENP), which paid for an off-duty police officer to patrol LGNA. He was always sure to keep an eye on zoning, land use permits, and on commercial tenants causing problems for the neighborhood. Most recently, he worked with our city council representative to help remedy the problems caused by OT Tavern and Bar 3606. For many years, Darren organized LGNA’s annual National Night Out event in coordination with nearby neighborhood associations and then, post-Covid, re-envisioned it as our “It’s Fall Y’all” event. He also partnered with police & fire representatives over many years to improve traffic control & safety during the annual St. Patrick’s Day festivities. I’m sure many of you have helped install St. Paddy’s No Parking signs over the years!

Today, LGNA residents enjoy thriving commercial corridors along Greenville & Skillman. We have a walkable neighborhood with much lower crime… and higher property values, too!

This is due in no small part to the countless hours that volunteers like Darren have devoted to improving our community. We are forever grateful for his unwavering commitment to LGNA. While we are losing a huge asset and dedicated advocate, we, the board members, are so very excited for Darren and this new chapter in his life! We hope that he finds success and fulfillment on this new path and that he carries fond memories of LGNA and his time with us. Darren, we will do our best to continue building upon your legacy!