Neighborhood Watch Program
Every so often, you should take a step back and evaluate your immediate surroundings. Has
Neighborhood watch programs decrease property crime, and improve relationships between local police and the communities they serve your neighborhood changed significantly, or have you made a recent move? Are there new homes or new neighbors? Have there been any recent reports of property or other crimes?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then it may be time to organize a neighborhood watch program.
Neighborhood Watch, Block Watch, Town Watch, Crime Watch, Building Watch - whatever the name, an organized watch program is one of the most effective and least costly ways to prevent crime and to reduce fear in your neighborhood. It fights the isolation that crime both creates and feeds upon, creating bonds between residents, which in turn help reduce burglaries and robberies.
Watch programs work in decreasing property crime, and they also improve relationships between local police and the communities they serve. With today's transient society, communities are becoming less and less personal. Many families have two working parents, with children going from one activity to another, leaving homes unoccupied for hours on end. An empty house in an area where the neighbors do not know each other creates a prime target for criminals.
To start a neighborhood watch it takes just one or more motivated individuals who are concerned about their community and the neighborhood that they live in. First, form a small committee to discuss the needs, level of interest and problems affecting your neighborhood. Next, contact your local police of sheriff's department.
The first and foremost concern when trying to start a watch group should be interest. Interest, or lack thereof, can either make or break a successful watch group.
I am routinely contacted by citizens interested in organizing a watch group, usually after some type of crime has been committed. The first thing I ask is if they have spoken with any friends or neighbors.
If not, I will ask them to do a little homework - for example, creating boundaries for the neighborhood and then going out within those borders and asking who is willing to become involved.
More often than not, I am contacted a week or two later with the answer that only 2-3 people out of 20-30 homes wish to participate. At this point, we need to rethink how to address the situation, because without the interest of at least 50 percent of the residents, a watch program will not work. In a watch neighborhood, the residents actually police themselves.
No, they don't arrest each other… they simply look out for each other
- neighbors helping neighbors. They become extra eyes and ears for the police, reporting suspicious and/or criminal activity on the spot. Members are familiar with all their neighbors, and know who doesn't belong in their neighborhood.
Requirements for a formal watch program are simple - community involvement and meetings. One representative from each household in the community attends at least three annual meetings to discuss the wellness of the community.
This can be a formal community or association meeting, a block party, holiday party, etc. All that is necessary is that enough time is spent assessing and discussing the needs and possible solutions for any new or existing problems.. Any and all residents should be encouraged to attend these gatherings and they should not be limited to adult residents.
Youth can add a great deal of flair and new ideas, as well as the knowledge of who is doing what within the neighborhood. They often hear things at school or through peers and friends who are talking casually about "what is going on."
The responsibilities are simple - but above all - be alert! Report suspicious activities and criminal activity to the police department immediately. Some typical activities that you should look for include someone calling for help, a person you don't recognize looking in the windows of houses or parked cars, property being removed by a stranger where no one is home, vehicles cruising the neighborhood slowly or without their lights on after dark, and so on.
When calling, be sure to give your name and address, explain the nature of the complaint, briefly describe the suspect, sex and race, age height, weight, hair color, clothing, as well as any other distinguishing traits.
If reporting a suspicious vehicle, try to obtain the make and model, color, license plate and any other identifying information such as dents, loud muffler, stickers, etc.
Finally, a word of advice - know your neighbors well - but respect each other's privacy. Failing to respect privacy has been a contributing factor to the demise of some area watches.
If your neighborhood is not currently involved in the Neighborhood Watch Program, and you feel that you would like to create one, please contact me at the Community Affairs Division, (203) 797-4644 or via email: j.mortara@ci.danbury.ct.us so we can discuss the options available.
