Neighborhood Watch is part of our crime prevention program which enlists the active participation of citizens within the community. Those groups work with the sheriff's department with the objective of reducing crime in their communities. We provide crime prevention talks and consulting on how to get your program started. Talks are available on burglary, identify theft, robbery prevention, and others as required.
It involves:
neighbors getting to know each other and working together in an organized program of mutual assistance;
citizens being trained to recognize and report suspicious activities in their neighborhoods; and
implementation of crime prevention techniques such as home security, Operation Identification, etc.
You may have heard it called Neighborhood Watch, Home Alert, Citizen Crime Watch or Block Watch. The idea is the same:
It's all about neighbors looking out for each other!
Who can participate?
City people, County people, Suburban residents, Apartment dwellers, Mobile home residents, Young people, Senior citizens, men, women, families, couples, singles, just about anybody living within our community.
In summary...You!
Why Neighborhood Watch?
Over 40 million crimes are committed every year and the number is still growing.
There can't be a law enforcement officer on every corner, so citizen involvement is essential to combat this social crisis.
By cooperating with each other and the police, people can help fight crime in their community in a very effective way -- before it happens.
How do I get involved?
FIRST - Contact your local law enforcement agency and explain that you are interested in joining or starting a Neighborhood Watch group.
SECOND - Write to the Attorney General's Office (the address is listed below) for a copy of "Don't let 'em knock your block off!" Block Captain's
Guide - a step-by-step instruction manual explaining how to organize a Neighborhood Watch group.
NEXT - Go out to the National Neighborhood Watch Institutes (http://www.nnwi.org/) website to obtain signs, stickers, and even more information for setting up your group's program.
REMEMBER - Law enforcement officers can't be everywhere at once - but you or your neighbors can. Put that neighborhood "know how" to work.
What do we do?
Contact the sheriff's Community Services unit and start your own neighborhood watch group.
Keep your eyes and ears active watching for 'potential' criminal activity.
If you spot something suspicious, call ''911'' immediately.
Communicate all suspicious activity with your neighbors so they know what is happening in your area.
Who do we contact?
Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office
Community Services Unit
55 W. Younger Ave.
San Jose, California 95110
(408) 808-4624
Crime Prevention Center
Office of the Attorney General
P.O. Box 944255
Sacramento, Ca. 94244-2550