Neighborhood Watch

Through the years citizens have delegated more and more of their individual responsibility for self protection to law enforcement specialists. As a result, fewer citizens now recognize their responsibility to take an active role in crime prevention and the apprehension of criminals.

Police officers make more arrests each year, but criminal activities continue to rise. Here in Tempe as well as nationwide, homeowners are being victimized every day at an ever-increasing rate. No one is immune. The time has come when citizens can no longer leave their responsibility for the reduction of crime to others.

Burglary is a crime of opportunity, committed by criminals who capitalize on carelessness or neglect. Most home burglaries are not committed by professionals who have planned to commit a burglary. Most are committed by amateurs, who find an open or unlocked door or window, or drug abusers that take advantage of a home's week defenses.

To combat the increase in crime in today's society, the police need the eyes and ears of citizens like you. To help the police protect your property from criminals you must get involved. To help you help yourself, your community, and the Tempe Police Department the Neighborhood Watch Program was established.

No home can be protected like Fort Knox. All of the locks, bars, lights and alarms cannot guarantee total protection. You cannot make your home, property, and self crime proof, but you can make them crime resistant.

The Tempe Police Department would like you to start or join a Neighborhood Watch, and learn what you can do to reduce your chances of becoming a crime victim. A Neighborhood Watch is easy to start , and effective when implemented. By starting a Neighborhood Watch in your area, you are taking the first step towards making your home, your neighborhood, and your community a safer place to live.

Neighborhood Watch

 Neighborhood Watch Manual
 Neighborhood Watch, What is it ?
 How to start a Neighborhood Watch
 The First Meeting
 Receiving & Keeping Your Neighborhood Watch Signs
 You Are On Your Way
 Reduce The Risks (Home Security)
 Check the crime stats in your neighborhood

The City of Tempe's Neighborhood Watch program is the cornerstone of all crime prevention programs. It enlists the active participation of citizens in cooperation with The Tempe Police Department to reduce burglaries and other neighborhood crimes. It's primary purpose is the protection of property, yours and your neighbors.

Most home burglaries occur during the day and early evening hours, when alert neighbors could spot the thieves and call police. Concerned citizens are doing just that. They are part of a Neighborhood Watch Program. Neighbors looking our for neighbors.

Neighborhood Watch crime prevention programs are a proven and effective means to substantially reduce not only the incidence of residential burglaries in a specific geographical area, but also the incidence of other crimes as well.

Neighborhood Watch teaches you the steps that you can take to help protect your home. It also organizes a neighborhood group which can make crime prevention part of every persons daily routine, just by watching out for each other. Your job is to report suspicious activity to police. It is their job to handle the crooks!

The Tempe Police Department continues to actively support the Neighborhood Watch Program. It is one vehicle by which we hope to conduct a sustained attack on crime through innovative crime prevention techniques.

Neighbors getting to know each other and working in a program of mutual assistance; Start or join a Citizens Neighborhood Watch Program

Citizens being trained to recognize and report suspicious activities in their neighborhoods, become a Neighborhood Watcher. If you see a crime or suspicious activity in your neighborhood, immediately report what you have seen to the police

Implementation of crime prevention techniques, such as home security, operation identification and others; Utilize crime prevention measures to make it much more difficult for criminals to perpetrate a crime in your community and at your home

First get organized

The first step in starting a Neighborhood Watch is to contact the Crime Prevention Unit and request a starter packet. The packet will contain materials that will assist you in conducting your first meeting. You may contact the Crime Prevention Unit by phone at 480-858-6333, or by mail at the address below.

• Determine the geographic area of your Neighborhood Watch. It should include only the homes on your street. It may include a cul-de-sac in the middle of your block, but it cannot include the streets on either side of yours.
• We also do not recommend any more than twenty-five to thirty home be in any one Neighborhood Watch.
• Canvass your neighborhood for interest. Discuss crime problems in your area and how neighbors working together can help to prevent crime
• Be sure to mention that:
  • Neighborhood Watch does not require frequent meetings
  • It does not ask that anyone take any personal risks to prevent crime.
  • Neighborhood Watch leaves the responsibility for apprehension of criminals where it belongs--with the police.

  If your neighborhood is interested in the Neighborhood Watch Program you will need to schedule a date and time with the Police Department's Crime Prevention Unit  for your first meeting. An officer from the unit will attend your first meeting.

  • Plan the meeting far enough in advance to give everyone adequate notice.
  • The meeting should be an informal and comfortable meeting. If possible, hold it in your home or a neighbor's home.
  • Distribute the flyers announcing the meeting and it's location. As the meeting date approaches (two or three days before) remind people of the meeting.
  • Do not be disappointed if everyone cannot attend. One hundred percent participation is desired, but is not a requirement for the program to work.
  • The first Neighborhood Watch meeting is considered a working/organizational meeting. For this reason, we ask that no small children attend. Later meetings can be designed to focus on children, if the neighborhood desires.

• Prepare and distribute name tags.
• Explain the purpose of the meeting.
• Have everyone sign the member information form that was in the packet given to you at the information meeting.

Introduce the Police Department's Crime Prevention Officer

The Officer will explain and discuss;

• The Neighborhood Watch Program
• The City's involvement in the program.
• Information about specific crime problems in your area.
• Effective crime prevention techniques for home and neighborhood safety.
• How to report a crime.
• The need for neighborhood involvement in crime prevention and what is can accomplish.
• Other crime prevention programs.
  

In order to receive your signs, it is necessary to have representation from at least 50% of the homes in your geographic area, at each meeting. It is not necessary that both the husband and wife attend the meetings (even though it is encouraged), only that someone represent the residence.

It is also not necessary that the same homes be represented each time a meeting is held. Only that your have at least 50% of the homes in your Neighborhood Watch area.

Your Neighborhood Watch signs will be posted approximately two to four weeks after we receive the sign-in sheet from your second meeting. The location of the signs will be determined by an officer from the Crime Prevention Unit. The second meeting may be held any time up to a year after the first meeting. Obviously the sooner the better.

In order to keep the signs, it is necessary to have at least two meetings per year. These may be formal or informal so long as they offer neighbors a chance to get acquainted. Participation in G.A.I.N, Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods, as well as various other types of block parties or social functions will also count towards your two meetings. 

We also suggest that you get together with your group to walk the neighborhood to check street lighting. If you find any malfunctioning lighting, please report it to our Transportation Division.

Be sure to keep attendance at each function, and mail in your sign up sheets to the Neighborhood Watch Program Coordinator to get credit for the meeting.

Lastly, you must mail your attendance sign-in sheet to the Neighborhood Watch Program Coordinator  each time you have a meeting. This way you can be guaranteed that your signs will not be removed. Remember: Neighborhood Watches that do not meet the minimum criteria of at least two meetings per year will have their signs removed.

Now that your Neighborhood Watch is established, be sure that everyone understands and observes the following guidelines:

• Be suspicious. Report any unusual or suspicious behavior to the police. Write down descriptions of the person(s) and license number of any vehicles.
• Keep a trusted neighbor informed if your house will be unoccupied for an extended period. It is important to leave that neighbor a way of reaching you if an emergency should arise.
• Look after your neighbor's house when they are away, and ask them to look after yours. This includes collecting mail, newspapers and other deliveries which would indicate at a glance that no one is home.
• Above all, be concerned. It is the most effective way to reduce or prevent crime and make your neighborhood safe. Often times, spending a few extra seconds watching strangers walking, or driving through your neighborhood is enough to prevent may crimes.
• And remember -- Your job it to report crime. The responsibility for apprehending criminals belongs to the police.