WHAT IS NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH?
Neighborhood Watch is a crime prevention program that forges bonds among area residents, helps reduce burglaries and robberies, and improves relations between police and the communities they serve.
Neighborhood watch is not a new concept. In early colonial times, Night Watchmen looked after their neighbors homes and property.
In the late 1960’s in Queens, New York, a lady by the name of Kitty Genovese was raped and murdered in the middle of a street. Numerous citizens witnessed this horrible crime, but no one did anything to stop the assault or to apprehend the perpetrator. There was such a public outcry of this brutal act that citizen groups were formed to begin looking for suspicious activity in their neighborhoods. These groups reported what they observed to police who would then investigate. This was the beginning of Neighborhood Watch as we know of it today.
In 1972, the National Sheriff’s Association, in response to numerous calls from local sheriff’s and police chief’s for assistance in regards to an up swing in bur- glaries occurring across the nation., began the National Neighborhood Watch Pro- gram. Essentially, this program had citizen groups organize and work together with local law enforcement in reporting crimes.
Today, Neighborhood Watch programs are up and running around the world. The program may be called something different in other countries and neighborhoods, but one clear vision is held by all and that is to report crime and to look out for your neighbor.