In response to a string of recent burglaries in the Lancaster Road neighborhood, residents will meet with Island County Sheriff Mark Brown to create a neighborhood watch.

The area has about 40 people living there, with a recent daytime burglary disrupted by a resident who was home at the time. Lancaster Road, about one mile long, connects Mutiny Bay and Double Bluff roads, just south of Highway 525.

One of the organizers, Kara Mathenia, said the residents want to be proactive in keeping their neighborhood safe.

She has not been a victim of theft or home invasion, and Mathenia would like to keep it that way.

“We’re a pretty tight community here,” she said.

Other Freeland and Lancaster Road residents are invited to attend. The meeting is 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 10 at Trinity Lutheran Church, in the older building near Highway 525.