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What is
Neighborhood Watch?
Types of Neighborhood Crime
Prevention Groups
Starting and Maintaining a
Neighborhood Watch
Alternatives to Traditional
Neighborhood Watch
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What is
Neighborhood Watch?
In essence, Neighborhood Watch is a crime prevention
program that stresses education and common sense (Stegenga
2000). It teaches citizens how to help themselves by
identifying and reporting suspicious activity in
their neighborhoods. In addition, it provides
citizens with the opportunity to make their
neighborhoods safer and improve the quality of life.
Neighborhood Watch groups typically focus on
observation and awareness as a means of preventing
crime and employ strategies that range from simply
promoting social interaction and "watching out for
each other" to active patrols by groups of citizens
(Yin, et al., 1976).
Most neighborhood crime prevention groups are
organized around a block or a neighborhood and are
started with assistance from a law enforcement
agency. Volunteers who donate their time and
resources are typically at the center of such
programs, since many do not have a formal budget or
source of funding. One study (Garofalo and McLeod,
1988) found that most Neighborhood Watches were
located in areas that contained high percentages of
single-family homes, little or no commercial
establishments, and residents who had lived at their
current address for more than five years. This study
also found that most of the programs used street
signs to show the presence of the program to
potentially deter any would-be criminals.
All Neighborhood Watches share one foundational
idea: that bringing community members together to
reestablish control of their neighborhoods promotes
an increased quality of life and reduces the crime
rate in that area. As Rosenbaum (1988) put it ". . .
if social disorganization is the problem and if
traditional agents of social control no longer are
performing adequately, we need to find alternative
ways to strengthen informal social control and to
restore a 'sense of neighborhood'". That's precisely
what Neighborhood Watch strives to do. In fact, from
the earliest attempts to deal with the neighborhood
structure as it relates to crime (through the
Chicago Area Project of the early 1900s), to modern
attempts at neighborhood crime prevention,
collective action by residents has proved one of the
most effective strategies.
The reason for this effectiveness is rather simple:
Involving community members in watch programs
decreases opportunities for criminals to commit
crime rather than attempting to change their
behavior or motivation.
Today's Neighborhood Watch Program is an effective
means of crime control and neighborhood
cohesiveness. While not all of the programs in place
today go by the same name, they all accomplish the
same goal: to bring community members together to
fight crime. As Minor aptly wrote, "Neighborhood is
the key to maintaining successful relationships." |
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Types
of Neighborhood Crime Prevention Groups
In 1981, national data showed that 12 percent of the
population was involved in some type of neighborhood
watch group (O'Keefe and Mendelsohn, 1984). By 1988,
it was estimated that between seven and 20 percent
of residents of U.S. cities were involved in such
activities (Rosenbaum, 1988). A national study
(Whitaker, 1986) showed that 38 percent of
households in neighborhoods that had a Neighborhood
Watch program participated in the program. This
study concluded that urban areas were more likely to
have programs than suburban or rural areas, but that
people living in the latter were likely to be
involved in a program if one was organized.
While consistencies in the presence of Neighborhood
Watch programs based on location were identified, it
was also determined that these programs varied in
their organizational structure and agendas (DuBow,
McCabe, and Kaplan, 1979). However, in spite of
these differences, it was determined that the
programs generally followed one or both of two
approaches: "opportunity reduction" or "social
problems."
Whereas the "opportunity reduction" approach focuses
on crime reduction through observation to restore
informal control and a sense of "neighborhood"
(Rosenbaum 1988), the "social problems" approach
typically revolves around addressing certain issues
in the neighborhood that may be linked with higher
levels of crime (Podolefsky and DuBow, 1981). To
address these social problems, programs that target
youth, such as athletic activities, drug programs,
tutoring, etc., are often offered. The main goal of
these programs is to provide young people with
alternative and positive activities that not only
occupy their time, but also provide them with
opportunities to increase their skills and their
self-image (Bennett and Lavrakas, 1988) |
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Starting and Maintaining a Neighborhood Watch
As is often the case, communities that need
Neighborhood Watch programs the most are the ones
that find it the hardest to keep them. This is
particularly the case with lower income
neighborhoods. Typically, the adults in these
neighborhoods work multiple jobs with odd hours,
making it difficult to schedule meetings and
organize events. This environment also makes it
challenging for neighbors to get to know and care
about one in a way that would encourage them to
watch out for each another.
So what does it take to start and maintain an
effective Neighborhood Watch Program? According to
one researcher (Baker 1999), there are five
fundamental steps that make this possible:
1. First, strategies that address the problems in a
given area must be mapped out. From the beginning
stages of a Neighborhood Watch effort, it is
essential to incorporate neighborhood involvement
and identify ways to deal with the crime patterns of
that area.
2. The second step involves building a partnership
between law enforcement officers and residents. This
is not always an easy hurdle to overcome since
citizens are often angry with law enforcement for
not doing anything about the crime problem in their
community. For a Neighborhood Watch program to be
successful, it is essential that officers understand
the needs of a neighborhood and work as role models
for neighborhood crime prevention efforts.
3. The third step is to assess the needs of a given
neighborhood. In many cases, law enforcement and
community members do not have the same focus. For
instance, law enforcement may be focusing their
attention on a problem that the neighborhood is not
concerned about, such as attempting to address major
crimes throughout the city. On the other hand,
community members may be more concerned about crimes
such as bicycle thefts or graffiti, which are
considered minor from a police standpoint. Effective
Neighborhood Watch programs unite law enforcement
and residents and encourage them to collectively
determine what problems should be addressed and how.
4. Next, selecting and training an active body of
volunteers that are led by organized and motivated
leaders is critical. Without motivation and
organization, volunteers may be uninspired to
participate and quit out of frustration.
5. The fifth and final step is to develop meaningful
projects. Often, after a Neighborhood Watch has
addressed its original issue, members lose interest.
It is important for leaders to remain enthusiastic.
One way to accomplish this is to create and embark
upon new projects so that there is always a goal
towards which the team is aspiring. Projects may
include building a neighborhood playground or
painting over graffiti, for instance.
Even with all of these steps in place, success does
not happen overnight. Creating truly effective
Neighborhood Watch programs takes patience,
planning, and enthusiasm. Since studies show that
once a Neighborhood Watch program deteriorates,
criminals notice and quickly resume illegal
activities, there is certainly motivation to strive
towards success. |
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Alternatives to Traditional Neighborhood Watch
Neighborhoods are not the only places that need
crime control. Organizations, and even entire
industries, are also taking notice of the importance
of programs like Neighborhood Watch. In fact, 1996,
President Bill Clinton accepted a donation from the
Cellular Telecommunications Industry of 50,000
phones equipped with free airtime to be used by
Neighborhood Watches across the country.
In addition to neighborhoods, where people work,
shop, and play are the focus of much criminal
activity. Oftentimes, however, there are not enough
law enforcement officers to cover an area, so it is
important that residents, workers, and others who
are in the area work to support that area and reduce
crime just as if it were a residential neighborhood.
This section examines a few programs that have
incorporated the Neighborhood Watch concept in
unique ways.
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- In the rural Shenandoah Valley of Virginia,
news of crime reports often came too late. The
area was so large and rural that the only
contact between law enforcement officers was
limited to radio communication. In light of an
increasing theft rate, the area's sheriff
decided that the most efficient way to
communicate with the citizens of the county was
through email. With the help of local news
stations, the Sheriff's Office compiled a list
of residents' email addresses and alerted them
each time there was a criminal trend. They also
asked each person to add a friend to the list.
As the list grew, the crime rate decreased. The
effectiveness of the system was demonstrated
when there was a rash of mailbox robberies. The
sheriff sent out an email alerting citizens to
the situation and asking them to refrain from
leaving mail in their mailboxes. After the
email, the mailbox thefts ceased. The county has
continued to use the email system to keep
citizens informed about crimes and even post
photographs of wanted criminals.
- When there was a problem with poachers and
illegal fishers in the Gulf of Mexico, the Coast
Guard and the National Marine Fisheries Service
had to get creative, since they did not have a
budget to draw upon to solve the problem. They
enlisted the help of the civilians who worked on
offshore drilling rigs, supply boats, and legal
fishing vessels and asked them to report any
suspicious activity. The civilians eagerly
helped, and within weeks the Coast Guard
received tips that lowered the incidences of
poaching in that area.
- In California, when the manager of an
aircraft company realized that the auto theft
rate at the company had risen 300 percent, a
Neighborhood Watch was developed. The company
first designed a visible concept that would
alert all of the workers at the plant about the
problem. Posters and flyers were made that
described the problem and asked for help.
Procedures were then put into place for
employees to report any suspicious activity to
security. Regular meetings were held so that
everyone was kept up to speed on the situation.
Company officials were enthusiastic about the
program and often held raffles and distributed
prizes at the meetings. By the end of the year,
the car theft rate had dropped by 35 percent.
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As these examples demonstrate, there are many ways
in which the Neighborhood Watch concept can be put
to use. One of the most important elements is
ensuring that every person involved knows what to do
when suspicious activity is noticed. |
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For more information about the
Neighborhood Watch program
please visit:
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In Partnership with:
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