Neighborhood Watch Areas Show Crime Drop

Taking Positive Steps 

Victim responses to a home burglary generally follow a similar pattern:  Initial fear and anger give way to an obsession with seeing the intruder caught and making sure the home is never targeted by criminals again.  In the past, many frightened victims sat back and simply hoped their homes would be spared a repeat performance.  They, as well as their neighbors, worried and wondered about what they could do to protect their property

Since the establishment of NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH, however, thousands of homeowners who want to take intelligently planned action to decrease crime statistics in their areas have discovered that they have a ready, willing and highly qualified partner in their local law enforcement agency.  These homeowners now know that their agency would rather work with citizens to prevent crime than spend time with manpower investigating it after it occurs.

The Growing Need for Neighborhood Watch 

It is a fact of life that relationships in many of today’s communities have become less personal than they were years ago.  Families are more transient, children have more activities that take them and their parents away from home, and there are more families with both parents working.  The once-familiar sight of families visiting with each other on front porches while keeping a watchful eye on children and activities in the neighborhood is a rarity in most communities today.  This trend away from personal contact in the neighborhood and the decrease in time families spend at home are two of the essential ingredients that make communities ripe for crimes of opportunity, such as burglary.

Burglary - A Target for Neighborhood Watch 

Burglary, the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft, is the crime that is targeted particularly by the National NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH Program.  While it is one of the most prevalent and difficult crimes facing law enforcement today, it is, at the same time, the one major crime that CAN be effectively resisted by each citizen taking POSITIVE ACTION at home.

Burglary accounts for nearly one-third of the index crimes in the United States.  Although it is generally considered a crime against property, it has a high potential for death or injury to the victim who comes into surprise contact with the burglar.

Contrary to popular opinion, burglary is not a crime restricted to urban areas; it also occurs in suburban and rural areas at an alarming rate.  There are exceptions to the rising tide of crime, however, and studies reveal that these are often thriving NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH communities, where dedicated, enthusiastic residents have been trained to notice suspicious activities and report them, not only to law enforcement officials, but also to each other.  NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH is, after all, hardly a new idea; in fact, it is based on one of the oldest and simplest concepts known to man – neighbor helping neighbor.  And when neighbors get together and cooperate with law enforcement, crime CAN be reduced.  Numerous convicted burglars have admitted that they are simply not prepared to take the added risk of working in NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH- protected communities.