Neighborhood alert is a community-based crime prevention program that connects residents with law enforcement in order to deter criminal activity. It is primarily used in residential neighborhoods, gated communities, and apartment complexes. It can be facilitated by a community association or a homeowners’ association, or it may be a separate group.
Residents are essentially the “eyes and ears” of their community, making them a powerful tool to deter crime. A successful Neighborhood Watch program depends on the active participation of its members, who act as an extra set of eyes and ears for their local police department. By observing suspicious activity and reporting it, they help prevent crime from happening in the first place.
While most crimes in a neighborhood happen during the day, neighborhood watch groups can patrol outside of these hours to look for signs of criminal activity. This includes noticing anyone removing parts, gas, or license plates from a car; entering a neighbor’s home without invitation or knocking on the door; looking into windows or doors at odd times; and loitering around neighborhoods or businesses after business hours.
Neighborhood Watch does not encourage nosy neighbors taking the law into their own hands, so it is important that members are trained properly by their local police department. It is also recommended that they avoid activities like making arrests or engaging in confrontations. A good example of a well-executed neighborhood watch program is the Alice Springs Hospital in Australia, which implemented a Watch program within and around the facility to empower citizens to take responsibility for their own safety.