 
Solutions Property Crimes Task Force
WHY BE INVOLVED IN A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM?
INVOLVEMENT
Why should we be involved in Neighborhood Watch? Because studies show that seven out of ten Americans don't even know who their neighbors are. Because criminals find it easier to operate in neighborhoods where people don't know each other, where the residents pay little attention to what's going on around them, where a thief or burglar won't have to worry about someone calling the police to report their activities.
We should be involved because working with neighbors to look out for each other is one of the simplest and most effective ways to prevent crime in our neighborhood.
AWARENESS
Neighborhood Watch asks us to be more aware of what's happening around us. Because we spend much more time in our neighborhood than a patrol officer ever could, we can play an important role in preventing crime just by keeping our eyes and ears open for anything suspicious, watching out for those things when the police can't be there.
What would we do if we saw a strange man climbing in our neighbor's window? Wheeling a bicycle out of their garage? Stealing valuables out of a parked car? By staying alert and promptly reporting these sorts of activities, we could help prevent such crimes and make our neighborhood a safer place to live.
INFORMATION
Neighborhood Watch is about sharing information. For instance, the police ask that we share information with them by calling when we see criminal or suspicious activities in our neighborhood. It's also a good idea for neighbors to keep each other informed about vacations or business trips so we can watch out for each other's homes while they are away.
In return, police share information with us about what types of criminal activity are being reported in our area. They will tell us how to use 911 and how to report information so the police can respond more effectively. They will also tell us about some proven crime prevention techniques that can help protect our property from theft, burglary and other crimes.
ORGANIZATION
When we join Neighborhood Watch, we won't be asked to pay dues, purchase materials or attend lots of meetings. Two meetings, each about an hour long, is all it takes to get a block watch group started. These are informal get-togethers, usually held right in the neighborhood where we live. After that, it's simply a matter of watching out for our neighborhood and calling the police whenever we see something suspicious. The more people who agree to participate, the more effective our group is likely to be.
Neighborhood Watch is not a vigilante program. It doesn't give people the authority to act like police officers, take risks or try to be heroes. And it's not an excuse to poke noses in other people's business. It is an obligation to look out for each other as neighbors and to inform the police whenever something is going on that seems to require the help or intervention of a police officer.
Hawai`i Island now has more than 150 Neighborhood Watch groups scattered all over the Island, all identified by the distinctive Neighborhood Watch street signs that mark the areas of each group. Some of these groups are in quiet neighborhoods where nothing much ever happens. Signs are not the only strategy but vigilance on the part of the neighborhood residents keeps it that way.
Other Neighborhood Watch groups were formed because of chronic problems with criminal or anti-social behavior. Residents sometimes are faced with the choice of doing nothing and letting things get worse, or working together to try to make things better. In such cases, people can use the Neighborhood Watch program as an organizing tool to make our neighborhood a better place to live.
So Neighborhood Watch isn't really a "police program" at all. It's a neighborhood program that asks ordinary people to do simple things to improve the security of their neighborhood. It doesn't come with any big promises or guarantees, but it does provide a way to prevent crime if neighbors will simply agree to help each other.
If this sounds like something your group would like to start in your neighborhood, call the police department's Community Policing Office at Hilo (808) 961-2350 or Kona (808) 326-4222 for more information about how to become a part of Neighborhood Watch. How to start a Neighborhood Watch Program view the Hawaii County Police Department website: http://www.hawaiipolice.com/
or National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) website: http://www.ncpc.org/
05/01/04
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