Neighborhood Watch Program Information

Home Browse Search

Be informed and offer the necessary support for the victim to deal with coming events in the investigation and prosecution process. Arrange for an informed individual to discuss the procedures and requirements of the criminal justice system with the victim. Have telephone contact persons available. Each NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH group can provide referrals for the victim to help in dealing with the trauma associated with being victimized as well as the help them through criminal justice proceedings. Help provide for the daily needs of the victim — food, repairs, transportation, babysitting, care of pets, running errands, etc. Be with the victim during key stages of criminal justice proceedings, such as the investigation, visits to the prosecutor, and the court. Operation Identification (®.I.) Operation Identification is the name given to a nationwide program of marking personal property indelibly with a unique identifying number to permit positive identification if the items are lost or stolen. Numbers can be engraved onto metal objects or marked with indelible markers on other materials. The numbers can then be entered on a nationwide computer. Safehouses for children A safe location such as the McGruff House or Block House is identified by bright stickers on windows and doors which indicate that the occupants are block parents willing to help a frightened or pursued child if needed. Ideally, the adults participating in a block house program are either retired or otherwise not employed out of the home and available for assistance during the day. After your agency has conducted a background check on juvenile and adults in the home, there is a clear understanding about the types of assistance a block parent should and should not attempt to render to a child in distress Signs and stickers should be displayed only when the block parent is in the house and within hearing distance of the doorbell. Officers should have a list of authorized safe houses and check neighborhoods periodically to ensure that only authorized homes display the signs. In an increasing number of communities, older residents and law enforcement participate in Triad, a cooperative concept. Working together, the police department(s), sheriff's office, and senior leaders devise strategies to reduce crimes against the elderly — and to deal with the sometimes -exaggerated fear of crime, which affects some elderly persons. Triads also sponsor reassurance efforts for lonely or isolated seniors.