Does My Area Have a Neighborhood Watch? Here’s How to Find Out

These days, neighborhood safety is a primary concern for all U.S. citizens. Property, violent, and other forms of crime, especially in unsafe areas, can make anyone feel uneasy, primarily at night.

Luckily, the United States is among the countries where neighborhood watch groups are extremely popular. And, according to a meta-analysis from the U.S. Department of Justice, Neighborhood Watch can reduce crime by up to 16%. But what exactly is a neighborhood watch? What is its history? And how can you find one in your area? These are the questions we answer in this blog post.

Neighborhood Watch Explained

A neighborhood watch, also known as a neighborhood crime watch, is an organized group of residents of a certain area that come together to help prevent crime and make the neighborhood a safer place. That means sharing information with one another and reporting suspicious activities to law enforcement. In neighborhood watch groups, members are encouraged to report issues to the police instead of taking matters into their own hands for the sake of their safety. Donna DiMaggio Berger, an attorney from Florida, says, “Everybody on the watch has to be educated about what their real role is, which is to observe and report, not necessarily interact.”

The main goal of a neighborhood watch is to reduce vandalism and other crimes, increase awareness among area residents, and create a safe community.

The History of a Neighborhood Watch in the United States

It was initiated in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when rates of burglary and other neighborhood crimes were on the rise, and people wanted a more proactive way to protect their communities.  One case in particular shaped the system of a Neighborhood Watch in the U.S. As stated in Wikipedia, this was the case of Kitty Genovese, an American citizen who was raped and murdered in Queens, New York. After this, law enforcement agencies pushed community members to be more involved in reporting crime in their neighborhoods.

How to Find Out if Your Neighborhood Has a Watch Program

As a responsible citizen dedicated to making your community safer, you’re probably wondering: “Is there a neighborhood watch group in my area? And if there is, how can I find one?”

Below are some of the methods that can help you find out if you have a crime watch in your area.

1.  Contact Your Local Police Department

The first place to start is to reach out to your local police department for information. Many departments have lists of active Neighborhood Watch groups and provide the details they have for individuals.
You can also ask:

• Who the current watch captain or coordinator is.
• When the last meeting was held.
• How to join or attend meetings.
• If there are upcoming community safety events.

2.  Check Your City’s or County’s Official Website

In some cases, it’s possible to find information about local neighborhood watch groups on a city’s or county’s official website. This is one of the easiest options, as it usually takes just a few clicks. If you don’t see any information on the main page of the site, use the search bar. Type in terms like “Neighborhood Watch,” “Community Policing,” “Crime Prevention,” or “Public Safety Programs.”

In this case, it’s possible to locate information not only about the crime group in general but also about how to join it, the contacts of your local watch coordinator, and block meeting dates.

3.  Search for Information on Online Forums and Social Media

The easiest solution here is to google the term “Neighborhood watch” and add the name of the area to your search query. In this case, Google will provide you with all it has regarding your search, including information from online forums and social media platforms.

However, when a page isn’t indexed, Google won’t be able to retrieve what’s there. In this case, checking online forums and social media separately is a good idea.

4.  Talk to Your Neighbors

Often, local residents know more than official sources. That’s why talking to your neighbors about neighborhood watch programs in the area is an effective option.

In some cases, crime groups are often informal or loosely organized. That means they might not show up in official records or online. But your neighbors may already be part of a group chat, an email chain, or even occasional block meetings where they discuss the safety of the area.

Let’s Recap

Neighborhood watch groups around the country are an effective way to notice and timely report crime in the area to the police. But the first thing you need to do is to find out whether there’s a crime watch group in your area. Contacting the local police department, checking official resources, searching for information online, and talking to local residents are the most effective options.

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