During the 2018 SPOA Annual meeting the topic of establishing a Neighborhood Watch was re-visited. A program was started 8-10 years ago but was not sustainable. The Board revisited this issue in 2016 with several meetings with the HCSO. The solicitations for “active” volunteers to fill roles of Coordinator, Block Captains and citizen participants were lacking. As a result of the most recent Annual meeting we are again investigating the interest for establishing a Neighborhood Watch Program.
The following information is a copy/paste from the HCSO Neighborhood Watch Handbook.
Neighborhood Watch programs provide residents with the feeling of ownership for their community by promoting the belief it is everyone’s responsibility to see that their community is a safer place to live.
Neighborhood Watch encourages residents to be alert for suspicious activity in the area and interact with each other by exchanging information about work schedules, vacations plans, types of vehicles belonging to residents, etc. Regular monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly meetings offer residents updated information on current crime trends and allow residents the opportunity to plan watch programs for their area.
Do Neighborhood Watch programs really work? A recent study by the U.S. Department of Justice COPS Office found “across all eligible studies combined, Neighborhood Watch was associated with a reduction in crime.”
Some advantages of Neighborhood Watches include:
- Reduces crime and prevents crime.
- Provides direct contact with the Sheriff Department.
- Increases awareness about activity in Harrison County.
- Helps neighbors get to know each other.
- Assists the Sheriff Department with crime prevention efforts.
Neighborhood Watch Dos and Don’ts
DO:
- Report suspicious activity immediately to the police, not the Neighborhood Watch coordinator or Block Captain.
- Report all crimes to the police.
- Learn what’s normal in your neighborhood.
- Take a pro-active stance against crime.
- Encourage others to participate in Neighborhood Watch and invite new residents to join the Neighborhood Watch.
- Attend Neighborhood Watch meetings.
- Obtain full descriptions and license numbers of suspicious people and their vehicles and report immediately to the police.
- Participate in operations identification.
DON’T:
- Don’t take the law into your own hands.
- Don’t approach suspicious people. You should never attempt to apprehend a suspect.
- Don’t stop criminals committing crimes.
- Don’t pull over cars on patrol or any time.
- Don’t take unnecessary risks to obtain information on suspicious people or crimes.
- Don’t hesitate to call the police.
The model program for Neighborhood Watch would include Quarterly meetings with HCSO. It would include a tiered structure of a Coordinator, several Block Captains and then a few citizens per Block Captain to perform the Neighborhood Watch. To make this a sustainable effort it will take more than 3 or 4 people and a couple of signs.
If you are interested in being an active member of the Stablewood Neighborhood Watch, please contact any current Board Member and volunteer.
Stablewood Property Owners Association 