Neighborhood Watch

Neighborhood Watch Overview – What the NW does to reduce crime?

·   By residents looking out for and reporting suspicious activities to the police.

·   Visible surveillance will reduce crime because of its deterrent effect on the perceptions and decision-making of potential offenders.

·   Watching and reporting will deter offenders if they are aware of the likelihood of local residents reporting suspicious behavior and if they perceive this as increasing their risks of being caught.

·   Leads to a reduction in crime by reducing the opportunities for crime.

·   It is important to show signs of occupancy, such as removing newspapers from outside neighbors’ homes when they are away, mowing the lawn, filling up trash cans, taking in trash cans, etc..

·   Such signs of occupancy will reduce crime through the effect this has on potential offenders’ perceptions of the likelihood of getting caught.

·   Will also lead to a reduction in crime through the various mechanisms of social control. This indirectly serves to enhance community cohesion and increase the ability of communities to control crime. Can affect community crime through the generation of acceptable norms of behavior and by direct intervention by residents.

·   Reduces crime by enhancing police detection through increased flow of useful information from the public to the police. 

·   An increase in information concerning crimes in progress and suspicious persons and events leads to a greater number of arrests and convictions.

·   Reduces crime through home security systems (also referred to as marked property), making it physically more difficult for an offender to enter the property.

·   The NW signs will also reduce crime, since it is obvious that the neighborhood is in tune and keeping an eye out for each other and suspicious individuals.

·   The principles of deterrence, delay and detection are positive steps in decreasing the likelihood of a crime being committed.

Neighborhood Watch Implementation

1.     HOA Board to provide summary to homeowners as to what the NW is, and how it can work for our community.

2.     Arrange for Law Enforcement Representative.

3.     Law Enforcement Officer to provide orientation.

4.     HOA Board to solicit interested homeowners to participate.

5.     HOA Board to arrange a kick-off meeting with all interested parties, to include a discussion on community concerns.  

6. Develop action plan to address top 3 concerns.

7.     HOA Board to assign a NW Coordinator to coordinate all activities (working with Block Captains).

8.     NW Coordinator to assign Block Captains at various locations throughout the community.

9.     NW Coordinator to develop a communication plan (meetings, social media, etc.) and create meeting agendas and objectives.

10.   NW Coordinator to hold periodic meetings with the Block Captains and agree upon priorities (re: NW Committee).

11.   HOA Board to register a Watch Group on line, so that all residents are aware that a NW Group exists in our community.

12.   HOA Board to purchase and post NW Signs at various community entrances.

Reference:

CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) – “Design Out Crime”

1) Natural Surveillance

2) Natural Access Control

3) Territorial Reinforcement

4) Maintenance

5) Logical Fortification

See various videos at: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=cpted&docid=608020988530198147&mid=96F12DA4FCC48BFDFA8296F12DA4FCC48BFDFA82&view=detail&FORM=VIRE

Interested homeowners should contact Chuck Gerhard at gerhardcHOA@outlook.com for more information. General information can be found at: https://www.nnw.org