Neighborhood Watch

How Do I Start a Neighborhood Watch Program In My Area?

• Contact the Crime Prevention Specialist, Deborah Cabness, in the Newark Police Department's Crime Prevention Unit at 790-7233. The Crime Prevention Specialist will schedule a meeting with you and your neighbors to tell you all about Newark's program. Other members of the Neighborhood Watch may attend this first meeting and tell you how it is working in their neighborhood. You and your neighbors can attend a Newark Neighborhood Watch Advisory Board meeting which is held the first Tuesday of each month at the Newark Silliman Activity Center, 6800 Mowry Avenue, at 7:30 p.m.
  
• Talk to your neighbors. Canvass your neighborhood for interest. You will probably find that they share your concerns and interest.
  
• Arrange a date, time, and place for the first meeting. Select a time that is convenient for most of your neighbors. Plan the meeting date far enough in advance to give everyone adequate notice (about 2-3 weeks). Prepare a flyer with the date, time, and location of the meeting and distribute it to everyone in your area. You should also remind people of the meeting a few days before.
  
• At the first meeting, prepare some opening remarks about who you are and thank everyone for attending. Nametags can be very helpful if everyone doesn't know each other. Have everyone introduce themselves. Briefly explain the purpose of the meeting and what you hope to accomplish. The Crime Prevention Specialist will give you an introduction to the Neighborhood Watch program. He/she will also tell you about effective crime prevention techniques for home and neighborhood safety.
  
• Select a Block Captain. The Block Captain will be the spokesperson for the group. They will organize and arrange Neighborhood Watch meetings. Neighbors should share the responsibility of hosting the meetings. They will maintain a master list of all members and designate work assignments such as new recruitments, vacation home watch, neighborhood patrol, and material distributions. The Block Captain position should be rotated on a regularly scheduled basis to share the work load and responsibilities and to have more people participate.
  
• Develop and distribute maps. To help members give adequate information when reporting suspicious activity in the neighborhood, a map of the area should be developed.
  
• Clearly identify streets and cross-streets. Indicate the name, address, and phone number of each home (stress that all phone numbers will be kept confidential).
  
• Gather and share information. Knowing your neighbors' basic habits and belongings will help you to recognize unusual or suspicious activities. Basic information you might exchange includes home and work phone numbers; number, ages, and identity of family members; work hours; school hours of children; number and types of automobiles; who has a dog(s); and planned vacations. The Crime Prevention Specialist will give you Neighborhood Watch stickers to distribute and will arrange for the City to install Neighborhood Watch signs on your street.
  
• You are on your way. Remember, your job is to report crime. The responsibility of apprehending criminals belongs to the police. Attend your own Neighborhood Watch meetings. Your Block Captain will inform you of important upcoming events and programs offered by the Newark Neighborhood Watch Advisory Committee.