Neighborhood Watch Program Information

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Rotary International Association of General Contractors Bar Associations P.T.A. YMCA, YWCA Urban League Neighborhood Improvement Leagues Realtors' Associations Boy Scouts — Explorers Optimist Clubs R.S.V.P. and other Senior Citizens Organizations Getting NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH underway leads to other positive activities. The enthusiasm for crime prevention is contagious, and participants often seek additional ways to become involved. For example, a large percentage of current WATCH participants are also involved in Operation Identification. The majority request home security surveys form their police or sheriff's department. As the law enforcement partner in your NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH group, you should ensure that burglary and vandalism reports written by the department indicate whether a home security inspection had been conducted of the victim's property and what corrective actions the owner or resident had taken. Crime prevention and victim assistance personnel should follow up on all burglaries to encourage the victim to take steps to reduce his vulnerability to future incidents. Communication Between Law Enforcement and NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH Communication with WATCH members is crucial to the success of the program. More than half of the NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH groups surveyed distribute newsletters for members. You can help with an ongoing system of getting the word to members on crime alerts, crime trends and patterns, or other information on criminal activity or safety that affects those in your jurisdiction. Setting Up Programs and Goals Successful NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH groups do more than just serve as nosy neighbors who keep their eyes open and report possible problems. Groups surveyed indicate: ➢ 80 percent participate in Operation identification; ➢ 68 percent sponsor home security surveys; ➢ 38 percent work on environmental/beautification problems; 27 percent coordinate Block Parenting programs' ➢ 19 percent engage in some form of victim assistance.