NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM

Neighborhood Watch Program

Neighborhood Watch Program

Some debate exists on the effectiveness of citizen-run neighborhood watch organizations because there's no definitive way to quantify the decrease in crime when a neighborhood watch organization forms. Despite the modicum of debate that may exist on the statistics, law enforcement and government agencies stand squarely behind the concept of neighborhood watch organizations.

The city of Boston, for example, runs a Neighborhood Crime Watch Unit dedicated to neighborhood policing, “an initiative which builds in part on the strengths of the Neighborhood Crime Watch Program,” according to the group's website. This particular unit functions as a liaison between the police and community members, making it easier for law enforcement officers to do their jobs—a plus in crime prevention.

When one looks at the definition of neighborhood watch, that debate as to whether the program is effective seems moot. For instance, USAonWatch is an organization that has been dealing with the neighborhood watch movement, unites the National Sheriff's Association, USA Freedom Corps, Citizen Corps and the U.S. Department of Justice. The group describes a neighborhood watch organization as “a crime prevention program that stresses education and common sense.”

USAonWatch takes that a step further. Its website states that “research has concluded that crime is higher in 'socially disorganized areas' marked by weakened informal control due to an erosion of shared norms.” In a neighborhood watch group, neighbors are organized in a formal way; often have titles and regular shifts for neighbors to patrol, which goes squarely against what research shows to be ideal conditions for crime to flourish.

Watch groups bring about certain behaviors

Information brings power. When a neighborhood watch organization forms, several things happen:

Neighborhood organizers identify problem areas.

Neighbors exchange phone numbers and get to know one another.

Neighbors start to spend time with one another, going to each other homes, ...