What is a neighborhood watch?

The Neighborhood Watch program is the most effective means available for keeping crime of our neighbourhoods. It relies on the best crime fighting tool ever; a good neighbour.

A good neighbourhood can be found anywhere;

- Cattle posts

- Lands

- Apartment buildings

- Towns

- Cities

- Villages

- Wards

- Location

- Extensions

Definition

Neighbourhood Watch is a crime prevention program that enlists the active participation of residents in co-operation with the police to reduce the incidence and fear of crime in their communities. It involves neighbours getting to know each other to develop a program of mutual assistance. The success of this idea hinges on the understanding that it is the people who live, work and play in a neighbourhood who understand their area’s resources, problems and needs.

It involves neighbours being educated in crime reporting, suspect identification and crime prevention techniques. Members of the neighbourhood are sensitized to keep watchful eyes on neighbour’s homes and be alert to any suspicious or unusual activity that is occurring close to home.

Why Neighborhood Watch?

This concept is preferred over many others because the community has the primary responsibility for fighting crime. The most effective approach to fighting crime is a proactive one; stopping it before it occurs. This can only happen when neighbours cooperate with each other to assist the police. It is only the neighbours who know what is going on in their midst.

Committed Neighbourhood Watch members place stickers on gates, windows and post Neighbourhood Watch signs on streets, warning criminals that they are in active Neighbourhood Watch community, and that “neighbours are watching out for each other”.

How do I start the program in my area?

Crime may be right there as hinted earlier, scarring everyone off the streets or just looming on the horizon. Whatever the neighbourhood is like, getting together to fight crime, violence and many others can help create communities where children can be children and people once isolated by crime and the fear, enjoy being part of a thriving neighbourhood.

The scheme may arise in two ways;

Public initiated

Members of the neighbourhood, whether acting as individuals or as members of a group may approach the police with a view to setting up a scheme within their neighbourhood.

Police initiated

The police themselves may decide that a certain neighbourhood could benefit from a scheme and make the initial approach. The neighbourhood may be a development of single homes; a row of town houses; a commercial corridor, an apartment complex or even a school.

How it works?

Commonly, the police in each given area will assist in starting a Neighbourhood Watch program. They will assist with the initial organization of a Neighbourhood Watch program and provide crime data relating to the particular area.

Talk to neighbours; are they interested? Do they understand the value of a Neighbourhood Watch? Are they aware of or concerned about specific crime problems in the area? If they are, be sure to mention the following;

• Neighbourhood Watch is a partnership between neighbours to assist the police in the reduction and fear of crime.
• Neighbourhood Watch requires frequent meetings.
• Neighbourhood Watch does not ask anyone to take personal risks to prevent crime
• The police will attend meetings to answer questions about crime and provide information about police procedures.

Meetings

Arrange a date, time and place for the first meeting.

• Set the meeting date far enough in advance to give every one involved adequate notice.
• Make sure the time is convenient for neighbours as well as the police officer that will be attending.
• Distribute flyers announcing the meetings and remind everyone a few days before to assure their attendance.
• If a small group is anticipated, have the meeting at one of the houses in the
• neighbourhood. The location should make everyone feel comfortable.
• Every member is expected to attend these meetings.

Agenda for the first meeting

• If possible distribute name tags.

• Make opening remarks.

• Provide simple refreshments to create a relaxed atmosphere.

Police representation

The police representative should cover the following topics;

• Community policing activities in the area.
• The main purpose of the Neighbourhood Watch programme.
• Specific crime problems in the area.
• Effective crime prevention techniques.
• How the residents can become the police’s “eyes and ears” and assist in the criminal investigations.
• How to report a crime and what to look for when providing a description.
• Assist in the selection of a committee chairperson.

Responsibility of the committee chairperson

• Oversee and arrange Neighbourhood Watch meetings.
• Be a spokesperson for the group.5
• Serve as a liaison between the police and the Neighbourhood Watch group.
• Recruits neighbours to share responsibility of hosting meetings.
• Maintain a list of all members.
• Designate work assignments such as enrolling new members, vacation home watch, block parents, neighbourhood patrol, fund raising, secretarial duties, developing and maintaining maps and crime prevention material distribution.
• To share the workload and responsibility, the committee/Chairperson’s position can be rotated on a regularly scheduled basis.

Development and distribution of maps

A map will help members give the police precise information when reporting suspicious activity in the neighbourhood. The map should carry the following information:

• Identify the chairperson.

• Clearly identify streets.
• Provide the name, address and telephone numbers of each home and identify the ones with security devices.
• Identify neighbours with health or mobility problems who may need special attention.
• List the make, model/registration numbers of vehicles at each home. Help neighbours by letting them know which vehicles belong there.
• Have the non-emergency police, fire and ambulance in the emergency numbers.
• Update and re-issue maps when any information changes.

Gather and share information

Knowing about your neighbours; their vehicles and their daily routines will help recognize unusual or suspicious activities.

Basic Information

Consider exchanging the following types of basic information with your neighbours;

• Home and work telephone.

• Names, ages and numbers of family members or residents.

• Working hours.

• School or day care hours of children.

• Who owns a dog?

• Planned vacations/visitors.

• Scheduled deliveries or repairs.

Sustaining a Neighborhood Watch Program

Guidelines

Once a Neighbourhood Watch scheme has been established, ensure everyone understands and observe the following guidelines;

• Be alert to unusual or suspicious behaviour in your neighbourhood. Call the police if necessary. Do not forget to jot down descriptions of suspicious persons and vehicle registration numbers.
• Tell a trusted neighbour if your house will be unoccupied for an extended period.
• Tell him/her how to reach you in case of an emergency.
• Look after your neighbour’s home when they are away and ask them to look after yours. Do not put up a message such as “No one is home’ or “I am away on vacation”.
• Attend Neighbourhood Watch meetings often. The police will teach you about local crime trends and what you can do about them.
• Above all, stay involved. It is the most effective way to reduce or prevent crime and make your neighbourhood safe.
• Remember, your job is to report crime; the responsibility to apprehend criminals rests with the police. This is without prejudice to sections 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, which empower a private person to arrest without a warrant any person, found committing any specified crime.