Frequently Asked Questions

Neighborhood Crime Watch is a national program based on the principle of neighbors working together as the first and best line of defense against crime. Neighborhood Crime Watch has been around for over 25 years and has proven to be an extremely effective deterrent to crime at the neighborhood level.

Neighborhood Crime Watch organizes and extends what you are probably already doing on an informal level. We tend to know and watch out for our neighbors next door, but neighbors at one end of the block may not know the neighbors at the other end of the block. Organizing a Neighborhood Crime Watch makes this attitude of watchfulness more systematic and provides a block map with neighbors’ names and telephone numbers, which can be used in case of an emergency. Neighborhood Crime Watch is simple to start and can improve the security of your neighborhood while also increasing your sense of community.

Neighborhood Crime Watch doesn’t require you to perform any special tasks, attend lots of meetings, or take on extra responsibilities. You don’t have to patrol the neighborhood or tell your neighbors every aspect of your business, it just involves being alert and vigilant as a part of your everyday life.

Neighborhood Crime Watch encourages you and your neighbors to be familiar enough with each other to know who belongs in the neighborhood and who doesn’t, which cars are a part of the neighborhood and which aren’t. The goal is to be a little more observant of changes in your surroundings, so you can recognize when something suspicious is going on. Neighborhood Crime Watch is simply watching out for one another!

If you are interested in forming a Neighborhood Crime Watch in your area, fill out the registration form. We’ll get you started with a free Crime Watch Kit, which has a How-To guide, invitations, important phone numbers, and warning decals. When you get your first meeting scheduled, let us know and an officer will be happy to come explain the program in more detail, talk about crime in your area, and provide steps to improve your home security.