The Neighborhood Watch program is an effective way to get the community involved in crime prevention. As police officers, we cannot be everywhere at once, so we depend on the community to act as our eyes and ears when we are not present. Who knows better, what is going on in the community than the residents that live there?

Neighborhood Watch program is:

1. Residents in the community working with the police department to reduce crime and to improve the quality of life.
2. Residents in the community taking on a leadership role and accepting responsibility for their community.
3. Residents coming together to discuss their concerns which lead to developing a plan of action that addresses those concerns.

Establish a Neighborhood Watch Program

Neighborhood Watch program is NOT:

1. A vigilante force working outside the normal procedures of law enforcement.
2. A program designed for participants to take personal risks to prevent crime.
3. A 100 percent guarantee that crime will not occur in your neighborhood.

Successful Neighborhood Watch programs:

1. Have strong leadership.
2. Have strong community involvement.
3. Have clear and concise goals which are not always crime prevention.

Responsibilities of Neighborhood Watch members:

1. Chairperson – Liaison between the community and the police department.
2. Block Captains – Facilitates the flow of information between their neighbors and the Chairperson.
3. Residents – Actively observe their surroundings and notify their neighbors and Block Captain when they notice something suspicious.

  Neighborhood Watch Chairperson's Packet

Neighborhood Watch Tools:

• Crime Perception Survey
• Crime Perception Survey Tabulation Sheet
• Crime Survey
• Crime Survey Tabulation Sheet
• Neighborhood Watch Volunteer Application

Resources:

• Crime Prevention Information
• CMPD's Citizens Academy
• Neighborhood Development
• American Red Cross
• Citizen Corps

If you would like more information on the Neighborhood Watch Program please contact Officer Craig Allen by email  tallen@cmpd.org.