Neighborhood alert is a community messaging system that allows neighbors to communicate with each other through desktop and mobile devices. Residents can choose the topics they want to receive notifications on, such as lost pets, registered offenders and real estate for sale. Additionally, homeowners can be notified of good times to do home improvement projects based on local supply and demand.
Neighborhood Watch is a citizens’ organization that is dedicated to crime and vandalism prevention within a particular neighborhood. Neighborhood Watch groups promote citizen participation in crime prevention by fostering communication and cooperation with the police department. They also teach residents non-intervention strategies for deterring criminal activity, and encourage members to stay alert, observe their surroundings, and report suspicious activities to the police.
Several neighbors on one street noticed that their new neighbors often left their vehicles unlocked and their yards overgrown, making their homes easy targets for burglars. They formed a Neighborhood Watch and asked for help from the Laurel Police Department to prevent crime in their area.
Scammers may target neighborhoods by posing as Neighborhood Watch representatives to gain trust and exploit victims. They may send emails or make phone calls claiming to be from the Police Department or other law enforcement agencies. They will ask for personal information, financial details or access to homes under the guise of “protecting your neighborhood”.
Neighborhood Watch volunteers can work with a local victim’s services office to get members trained in helping crime victims. They can also link up with a local citizens’ association, community development office, tenants’ association or housing authority to learn about existing infrastructure that could be used for their program. In addition, they can canvass door-to-door to recruit members, and ask people who seldom leave their homes to be window watchers and to notify them of unusual activities on their streets.