Neighborhood Watch

Neighborhood Watch enlists the active participation of residents, in cooperation with law enforcement, to reduce crime in communities throughout the city..

The program calls upon residents to step forward and assist the police in organizing the community into a cohesive unit working toward the goal of building safer, crime-free neighborhoods. Neighborhood Watch groups discuss neighborhood crime problems with the objective of developing solutions to local problems.

 When a group decides to form a Neighborhood Watch, they should:

  1. Contact the police department for help in training members in home security and reporting skills and for information on local crime patterns.
  2. Select a coordinator and block captains who are responsible for organizing meetings and relaying information to members.
  3. Recruit members and make a special effort to involve the elderly, working parents, and young people.
  4. Keep up-to-date contact lists of all neighbors, including new residents.
  5. Work with local government and law enforcement to put up Neighborhood Watch signs.
  6. Hold regularly scheduled meetings and occasionally invite police officers and other professionals to discuss and train on specific crime-related issues
  7. Start a Facebook page 
  8. Check out what crime is happening in your area with this useful web tool www.communitycrimemap.com 

Building a Crime-Free Neighborhood

What Neighborhood Watch members look for:

  • Someone screaming or shouting for help.
  • Someone looking into windows and parked cars.
  • Unusual noises.
  • Property being taken out of houses where no one is at home or a business is closed.
  • Vehicles moving slowly with no apparent destination, or without lights.
  • Anyone being forced into a vehicle.
  • A stranger sitting in a car or stopping to talk to a child.
  • Abandoned cars.

Contacting the Police

In the case of an emergency, always call 911. All other incidents or suspicious activity should be reported to the non-emergency number (801) 395-8221 or by contacting the Community Policing Officer assigned to the neighborhood. Talk with your neighbors about problems and unusual occurrences. This is vital to creating a crime-free environment.