What is Neighborhood Watch?
In essence, Neighborhood Watch is a crime prevention program that stresses education and common sense. It teaches citizens how to help themselves by identifying and reporting suspicious activity in their neighborhoods. In addition, it provides citizens with the opportunity to make their neighborhoods safer and improve the quality of life.
Neighborhood Watch groups typically focus on observation and awareness as a means of preventing crime and employ strategies that range from simply promoting social interaction and "watching out for each other" to active patrols by groups of citizens.
Most neighborhood crime prevention groups are organized around a block or a neighborhood, and are started with assistance from a law enforcement agency. Participation is strictly voluntary with participants donating their time and effort to make their neighborhood safe. Many groups use street signs to show the presence of the program in the area to potentially deter would-be criminals.
All Neighborhood Watches share one foundational idea: bringing community members together to establish control of their neighborhoods and promote an increased quality of life that reduces the crime rate in that area. Involving community members in Neighborhood Watch programs decreases opportunity for criminals to commit crime; rather then attempting to change criminal behavior or motivation.
Today's Neighborhood Watch Program is an effective means of control and neighborhood cohesiveness. While not all of the programs in place today go by the same name they all accomplish the same goal: to bring community members together to decrease the opportunity for crime to occur.
What Neighborhood Watch Is Not.
Neighborhood Watch is not a vigilante program. It is not intended for citizens to involve themselves in detaining suspects thereby putting themselves in danger. Participants should strive to be good witnesses; leaving the detention of criminals to law enforcement officers.
Neighborhood Watch is also not intended to pit neighbor against neighbor. If participants have problems with neighbors, they are encouraged to attempt cooperative resolution in a peaceful manner, neighbor to neighbor. If the issue(s) cannot be resolved in this manner, then other resources including law enforcement may be required.
One resource for forming your own Neighborhood Watch: http://www.ncpc.org/topics/home-and-neighborhood-safety/neighborhood-watch
