CSPD Neighborhood Watch Program
A Neighborhood Watch is a group of neighbors who are willing to communicate with each other and pass along crime and non-crime-related neighborhood information. The groups are educated in crime prevention, trained to observe suspicious activity and report the activity to each other and the police.
What Neighborhood Watch is:
- A crime prevention partnership between the community and the police.
- Neighbors coming together to help each other and reduce the risk of crime and victimization.
- Learning to identify suspicious activity and reporting the activity to the other neighbors and the police.
- Learning and practicing Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), which involves survey and upgrading, if necessary, your home security and lighting.
- Members all live within 1-2 blocks from each other, typically within line of sight.
What Neighborhood Watch is NOT:
- Citizens armed patrol
- Vigilante group
- Encouraging residents to take risks to prevent crime.
- A program that guarantees that crime will not occur in a neighborhood
- A political group
- A neighborhood association or home home owners association
- A law enforcement entity
How To Start A Neighborhood Watch Group
- Read the Neighborhood Watch Block Captain's Handbook. You can download it here.
- Set up an initial meeting with your neighbors and your division's crime prevention officer. The officer will explain the program and distribute the necessary materials to the group.
- Select a member from your group to take the role of Block Captain.
- Have the Block Captain fill out the application and the memorandum of understanding, and return them to their division's crime prevention officer. A background check will be conducted on the potential Block Captain. You can download the application and the memorandum here: Application, Memorandum.
- Complete the online New Block Captain Training.
Maintaining an Active Group
A Neighborhood Watch group must meet the following criteria to maintain an active group status:
- The group must meet at least twice a year, and report the meetings to the divisional crime prevention officer.
- The Block Captain must attend two Block Captain training sessions a year.
If you have any questions about starting or maintaining a neighborhood watch group, or if one already exists in your neighborhood, contact your division's crime prevention officer.