A neighborhood watch program is a group of neighbors who work together to prevent crime in their community. It involves residents getting to know their neighbors and monitoring their surroundings, reporting suspicious activity to local police. Neighborhood watch groups can take on many different names such as Neighborhood Watch, Alert Neighbor, and Neighbors Against Crime. However, they all use the same techniques to reduce crime in their neighborhoods.
A great example of a neighborhood alert in action is when a neighbor in San Jose noticed that an apartment building on their block was being frequented by strangers and that most burglaries in the area occurred during daytime hours. They reported the unusual activity to their local law enforcement agency and were able to stop the suspected crime from taking place.
Using the free app by RING, community members can get real time, hyper-local crime and safety alerts from users near their home. The app allows homeowners to share, post and forward the information they receive on their timelines, in groups or via social media to spread the word about important events happening in their communities.
To learn more about setting up your neighborhood alert, please contact us. We can also provide you with metal NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH signs for your street. It is important to note that a neighborhood watch group should never assume the role of law enforcement and must always report suspicious activities directly to the police. The National Association of Neighborhood Watch (formerly USAonWatch) recommends that community members serve as the extra “eyes and ears” for their local law enforcement agencies and only report their observations to police.