Local News

Life At Fayetteville Subdivision Returns To Normal After Arson Incidents

Posted Updated

FAYETTEVILLE — A fire helped to bring a Fayetteville neighborhood together to fight crime. The victims have returned home and tensions have started to ease, but some believe that getting back to normal is not necessarily a good thing.

Morris Sharber raised two children in this Glen Reilly neighborhood. It has been home to his family for 10 years, and they plan on staying here for a while.

"Small incidents happened periodically, but nothing catastrophic as with the arson incidents," he says.

Sharber is talking about the fires that destroyed two homes in his neighborhood last summer. Homeowners Raymond Napper and Tracey Provoid lost everything. Fayetteville police think the arson was payback after the two men confronted drug dealers in their neighborhood playground earlier that week.

Shortly after the fires, the community rallied together in a neighborhood watch meeting, but there has not been another meeting in almost three months. The police have even scaled back their patrols.

"We're concerned about it, but it's not something we're really worried about now," says homeowner Gene Wolf.

Sharber thinks more neighbors need to get worried to prevent the incidents from happening again.

"Regardless of the frequency, we need participation so everyone in the community needs to get involved," he says.

Reggie Singletary, director of the community watch program, says the meetings will start up again as soon as the weather gets warm. Napper's family has already moved in, and Provoid and his family will settle back in their home soon.

 Credits 

Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.