What To Do
- Be suspicious. Report unusual or suspicious behavior to the police. Write down descriptions of the person(s) and license numbers of any vehicles involved.
- Above all, be concerned. It's the most effective way to reduce or prevent crime and make your neighborhood safe.
- Establish a meeting time and place convenient to all.
- Exchange names, home and work telephone numbers among the participants. A hand drawn street map might also be useful.
Draw a diagram appropriate for your neighborhood. Each neighboring house depicted should contain the house number, occupant names, and home and work telephone numbers. The emergency number of your police or sheriff's department should be placed prominently on the diagram.
Once your neighborhood watch network is established, everyone should observe these guidelines:
- Keep a trusted neighbor informed if your house will be unoccupied for an extended period. It's important to leave him a way of reaching you if an emergency should arise.
- Look after your neighbor's house when he is away, and ask him to look after yours. This includes collecting mail, newspapers and other deliveries which would indicate at a glance that no one is home.
- Establish and attend regular neighborhood meetings with your local crime prevention officer. Find out about local crime trends and what you can do about them. There is a great deal of important crime prevention information available. Become involved, and share information with your neighbors. You can be safe from crime but only if you care enough to help one another.
