What is a Neighborhood Watch?

Neighborhood Watch is a crime-prevention program based on safety education and common sense. It teaches citizens how to help themselves by identifying and reporting suspicious activity in their neighborhoods. It allows you, your family members, and your neighbors the opportunity to participate in your neighborhood, make your neighborhood safer, and improve the quality of life in your area. There are many Neighborhood Watch programs in towns and cities across the United States, and each one is a bit different. The groups typically focus on observation and awareness as a means of preventing crime. People in the neighborhood meet (usually at potlucks or backyard barbeques), get to know one another, agree to look out for the welfare of each other, and sometimes patrol their neighborhood on bikes or by car, much as a police officer would. They report suspicious activity to the local authorities. Most neighborhood groups are organized around a block or a subdivision and are started with help from a local law-enforcement agency, such as the police or sheriff’s department. Often there is a sign in the area that states that it is a Neighborhood Watch neighborhood.