Establishing a Neighborhood Safety Watch Program
Neighborhood Watch Program is considered one of the most effective and least costly ways to prevent crime and reduce fear in our neighborhood. Neighborhood Watch Programs forges bonds among area residents, helps reduce burglaries and robberies, and improves relations between police and the communities they serve.
Neighborhood Watch program was initiated in America in 1972 and is probably one of the oldest and most effective crime prevention programs in the country. We used to have night watchmen in the old days – this seems to replicate that with a contemporary version. This contemporary version does not mean that neighbors are patrolling the neighborhood, but just keeping a keen eye and being vigilant and alert as they are out and about. There is active communication between neighbors when they are gone on vacation. This program brings citizens together with law enforcement to deter crime and make communities safer – there is an active partnership between law enforcement and neighborhoods. Statistically, launching Neighborhood Safety Watch programs are a proven mechanism to drop crime in America. Why is it effective? It reduces opportunities for crime to occur; it doesn’t rely on altering or changing the criminal’s behavior or motivation, but engaging every citizen and every neighbor towards being more alert and reporting suspicious behavior to the sheriff.
A Neighborhood Safety Watch program does not do it all..it is just another tool towards empowering our neighborhood to watch out for themselves.
Break-ins / Break-in attempts / simple opportunistic thievery has become a tad common in our community
These occurrences have not just happened in the last year, they have happened almost every few years going back a couple decades
Having accepted that…what can we do to prevent folks targeting our neighborhood over the next?
Our objective is to put enough deterrents in place - such that we make it difficult for us / our neighborhood to be targeted.
We would highly recommend reviewing this link http://dehavillandcox.weebly.com/safety-watch.html
Neighborhood Watch program was initiated in America in 1972 and is probably one of the oldest and most effective crime prevention programs in the country. We used to have night watchmen in the old days – this seems to replicate that with a contemporary version. This contemporary version does not mean that neighbors are patrolling the neighborhood, but just keeping a keen eye and being vigilant and alert as they are out and about. There is active communication between neighbors when they are gone on vacation. This program brings citizens together with law enforcement to deter crime and make communities safer – there is an active partnership between law enforcement and neighborhoods. Statistically, launching Neighborhood Safety Watch programs are a proven mechanism to drop crime in America. Why is it effective? It reduces opportunities for crime to occur; it doesn’t rely on altering or changing the criminal’s behavior or motivation, but engaging every citizen and every neighbor towards being more alert and reporting suspicious behavior to the sheriff.
A Neighborhood Safety Watch program does not do it all..it is just another tool towards empowering our neighborhood to watch out for themselves.
Break-ins / Break-in attempts / simple opportunistic thievery has become a tad common in our community
These occurrences have not just happened in the last year, they have happened almost every few years going back a couple decades
Having accepted that…what can we do to prevent folks targeting our neighborhood over the next?
Our objective is to put enough deterrents in place - such that we make it difficult for us / our neighborhood to be targeted.
We would highly recommend reviewing this link http://dehavillandcox.weebly.com/safety-watch.html
10 STEP PROCESS
STEPS
1 A KICK-OFF MEETING IS HELD: Neighborhood Meeting held with Councilmember Rishi Kumar and Neighborhood Safety Captains (at least 2) and Zone Block Captains identified at this meeting. After the meeting, Rishi sends the following to the Neighborhood Safety Captains: 1. A summary of the meeting and reference links and 2. The framework of the Neighborhood Safety Watch program that explains the details of the process
2 NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNICATION SETUP: A Neighborhood wide email group is established by the Neighborhood Safety Captains (if one does not exist). They then email the neighborhood a status update from the meeting and the next steps to establishing the Neighborhood Safety Watch program, using the email from Rishi - step 1 above.
3 DIVISION INTO ZONES: Neighborhood Safety Captains have the neighborhood broken up into number of zones or blocks, and place the volunteer zone block captains (from step 1) into the zone map. We can now see missing Block Captains in the neighborhood zone map.
4 RECRUIT BLOCK CAPTAINS: Neighborhood Safety Captains now focus on recruiting Block Captains to fill the gaps in the zone map. This is likely the most difficult task so far. Once we have all block captains identified and ready, publish the zone map online and have it available to the neighborhood by sending an email.
5 MEETING #2 (WITH BLOCK CAPTAINS)- Neighborhood leaders now meet with Block Captains, answer questions and get their support to move forward. Block Captains are ready to collect the required information from their zone neighbors.
6 BLOCK CAPTAINS BUILD THEIR ZONE CONTACT LIST: Block captains have collected information from their zone, compiled the directory and Neighborhood leaders have obtained the zone list from ALL the BLOCK CAPTAINS.
7 ZONE COMMUNICATION: Block captains have established a communication mechanism for their zone (text or email).
8 MASTER SPREADSHEET/ DATABASE: Neighborhood Safety Captains have built a master spreadsheet from the input data from the Block Captains. subscribed the block emails (from each zone) into the Neighborhood email group.
9 - GETTING CERTIFIED: Neighborhood Safety Captains next fill the certification template and schedule a meeting with the Sheriff to get certified.
10 - REGISTERING WITH THE CITY: Now that the neighborhood is certified, register the Neighborhood Safety Watch program with the city of Saratoga. Our city next installs a "Neighborhood Safety Watch" sign at chosen spot(s) in your neighborhood. Yes - it is party time!
1 A KICK-OFF MEETING IS HELD: Neighborhood Meeting held with Councilmember Rishi Kumar and Neighborhood Safety Captains (at least 2) and Zone Block Captains identified at this meeting. After the meeting, Rishi sends the following to the Neighborhood Safety Captains: 1. A summary of the meeting and reference links and 2. The framework of the Neighborhood Safety Watch program that explains the details of the process
2 NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNICATION SETUP: A Neighborhood wide email group is established by the Neighborhood Safety Captains (if one does not exist). They then email the neighborhood a status update from the meeting and the next steps to establishing the Neighborhood Safety Watch program, using the email from Rishi - step 1 above.
3 DIVISION INTO ZONES: Neighborhood Safety Captains have the neighborhood broken up into number of zones or blocks, and place the volunteer zone block captains (from step 1) into the zone map. We can now see missing Block Captains in the neighborhood zone map.
4 RECRUIT BLOCK CAPTAINS: Neighborhood Safety Captains now focus on recruiting Block Captains to fill the gaps in the zone map. This is likely the most difficult task so far. Once we have all block captains identified and ready, publish the zone map online and have it available to the neighborhood by sending an email.
5 MEETING #2 (WITH BLOCK CAPTAINS)- Neighborhood leaders now meet with Block Captains, answer questions and get their support to move forward. Block Captains are ready to collect the required information from their zone neighbors.
6 BLOCK CAPTAINS BUILD THEIR ZONE CONTACT LIST: Block captains have collected information from their zone, compiled the directory and Neighborhood leaders have obtained the zone list from ALL the BLOCK CAPTAINS.
7 ZONE COMMUNICATION: Block captains have established a communication mechanism for their zone (text or email).
8 MASTER SPREADSHEET/ DATABASE: Neighborhood Safety Captains have built a master spreadsheet from the input data from the Block Captains. subscribed the block emails (from each zone) into the Neighborhood email group.
9 - GETTING CERTIFIED: Neighborhood Safety Captains next fill the certification template and schedule a meeting with the Sheriff to get certified.
10 - REGISTERING WITH THE CITY: Now that the neighborhood is certified, register the Neighborhood Safety Watch program with the city of Saratoga. Our city next installs a "Neighborhood Safety Watch" sign at chosen spot(s) in your neighborhood. Yes - it is party time!
Why have a Neighborhood Safety Watch Program?
Why Neighborhood Watch Program? Neighborhood Watch Program is considered one of the most effective and least costly ways to prevent crime and reduce fear in our neighborhood. Neighborhood Watch Programs forges bonds among area residents, helps reduce burglaries and robberies, and improves relations between police and the communities they serve. There have been burglaries every few years in our neighborhood.
Our neighborhood decided to implement a Neighborhood Safety Watch Program. Our neighborhood was divided into 11 different zones, with a designated Block Captain for each of the zones. There are between 7 and 10 homes in each of these zones.
After adopting and implementing a NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY WATCH FRAMEWORK, which took a few months of hard work, meetings of all the block captains, neighborhood meetings at Saratoga Library where the Sheriff's office was invited to present and observe, our neighborhood was approved by the Sheriff's office and The Neighborhood Safety Watch sign was put up back in the month of July 2006 (at the two entrances of our neighborhood).
For each zone, we have complied a zone directory which includes Name, Address, Phone #, Email information etc. for our neighbors of each zone as part of the logistics towards this Neighborhood Safety Watch Program. To help compile this confidential directory, we requested specific information from every neighbor that was emailed to their relevant block captain (preferred and secure). This is Voluntary: Participation in this Neighborhood Safety Watch is voluntary, and if folks are uncomfortable in sharing information, no worries – they will not be part of the Neighborhood Safety Watch Program - much as we want to include everyone, we have no intentions of forcing anyone into this.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY CAPTAIN AND A BLOCK CAPTAIN
A Neighborhood Safety Captain/ Coordinator project manages the program for the overall neighborhood. They are the designated Neighborhood Leader.
They lead a Neighborhood Block Captains to the finish line - finally a Safety Watch sign in your neighborhood
Our neighborhood decided to implement a Neighborhood Safety Watch Program. Our neighborhood was divided into 11 different zones, with a designated Block Captain for each of the zones. There are between 7 and 10 homes in each of these zones.
After adopting and implementing a NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY WATCH FRAMEWORK, which took a few months of hard work, meetings of all the block captains, neighborhood meetings at Saratoga Library where the Sheriff's office was invited to present and observe, our neighborhood was approved by the Sheriff's office and The Neighborhood Safety Watch sign was put up back in the month of July 2006 (at the two entrances of our neighborhood).
For each zone, we have complied a zone directory which includes Name, Address, Phone #, Email information etc. for our neighbors of each zone as part of the logistics towards this Neighborhood Safety Watch Program. To help compile this confidential directory, we requested specific information from every neighbor that was emailed to their relevant block captain (preferred and secure). This is Voluntary: Participation in this Neighborhood Safety Watch is voluntary, and if folks are uncomfortable in sharing information, no worries – they will not be part of the Neighborhood Safety Watch Program - much as we want to include everyone, we have no intentions of forcing anyone into this.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY CAPTAIN AND A BLOCK CAPTAIN
A Neighborhood Safety Captain/ Coordinator project manages the program for the overall neighborhood. They are the designated Neighborhood Leader.
They lead a Neighborhood Block Captains to the finish line - finally a Safety Watch sign in your neighborhood
Sheriff Contact
Captain Rich Urena Saratoga Chief of Police Office of the Sheriff, Santa Clara County (408) 868-6600 office (408) 868-6640 fax [email protected] |
Saratoga Fire Department (for neighborhood preparedness program)
14380 Saratoga Ave Saratoga, CA 95070 Telephone: (408) 867-9001 |
Jim Yoke (for neighborhood preparedness program)
Emergency Services Coordinator Santa Clara County Fire Department 14700 Winchester Boulevard Los Gatos, CA 95032 [email protected] |
CERTIFYING YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY WATCH PROGRAM
An annual Neighborhood Watch meeting is organized by the city to allow multiple neighborhoods to certify their Neighborhood Safety Watch programs simultaneously.
Neighborhood Safety Captains should definitely attend this one. Attendance for Block captains + neighbors is optional.
If you are not able to be there in person - please ensure your neighborhood is represented.
To get your neighborhood certified - here is what you need to bring to show to our Sheriff team at the designated time of the meeting
Please download the template below - fill it up, print it and have a Neighborhood leader bring it to the meeting with the sheriff
1. Contact info for your neighborhood i.e Names, Emails and phone numbers of all the Neighborhood Safety Captains
2 Your specific Neighborhood Safety area map
3. Your various safety zones breakout
4. Names of Block captains for each of the zones
5. Any other structure that you have setup for your neighborhood eg. Email group, block party etc
You do NOT need to bring a powerpoint slide deck to present
Please download this template and fill up requested info.
NOTE: Your neighborhood folder will likely be turned over to city of Saratoga staff for record keeping and other purposes. This information will only be provided to our city staff / sheriff and accessible by them. Make sure you register with the city by entering your information through the registry program - see below
An annual Neighborhood Watch meeting is organized by the city to allow multiple neighborhoods to certify their Neighborhood Safety Watch programs simultaneously.
Neighborhood Safety Captains should definitely attend this one. Attendance for Block captains + neighbors is optional.
If you are not able to be there in person - please ensure your neighborhood is represented.
To get your neighborhood certified - here is what you need to bring to show to our Sheriff team at the designated time of the meeting
Please download the template below - fill it up, print it and have a Neighborhood leader bring it to the meeting with the sheriff
1. Contact info for your neighborhood i.e Names, Emails and phone numbers of all the Neighborhood Safety Captains
2 Your specific Neighborhood Safety area map
3. Your various safety zones breakout
4. Names of Block captains for each of the zones
5. Any other structure that you have setup for your neighborhood eg. Email group, block party etc
You do NOT need to bring a powerpoint slide deck to present
Please download this template and fill up requested info.
NOTE: Your neighborhood folder will likely be turned over to city of Saratoga staff for record keeping and other purposes. This information will only be provided to our city staff / sheriff and accessible by them. Make sure you register with the city by entering your information through the registry program - see below
REGISTRY PROGRAM: NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY WATCH PROGRAM
Our city has created a page to allow Neighborhood Watch groups to register online
The registration form can be accessed from the City website: www.saratoga.ca.us/stayingsafe
Our city has created a page to allow Neighborhood Watch groups to register online
The registration form can be accessed from the City website: www.saratoga.ca.us/stayingsafe
Tips for Success
Hold regular meetings to help residents get to know each other and to collectively decide upon program strategies and activities.
Consider linking with an existing organization, such as a citizens' association, community development office, tenants' association, housing authority.
• Canvas door-to-door to recruit members.
• Involve everyone -- young and old, single and married, renter and homeowner.
• Gain support from the police or sheriffs' office. This is critical to a Watch group's credibility. These agencies are the major sources of information on local crime patterns, home security, other crime prevention education, and crime reporting.
• Get the information out quickly. Share all kinds of news -- quash rumors.
• Gather the facts about crime in your neighborhood. Check police reports, do victimization surveys, and learn residents' perceptions about crime. Often residents' opinions are not supported by facts, and accurate information can reduce fear of crime.
• Physical conditions like abandoned cars or overgrown vacant lots contribute to crime. Sponsor cleanups, encourage residents to beautify the area, and ask them to turn on outdoor lights at night.
• It's essential to celebrate the success of the effort and recognize volunteers' contributions through such events as awards, annual dinners, and parties. To help meet community needs, Neighborhood Watches can sponsor meetings that address broader issues such as self-protection tactics, isolation of the elderly, crime in the schools, and rape prevention.
Hold regular meetings to help residents get to know each other and to collectively decide upon program strategies and activities.
Consider linking with an existing organization, such as a citizens' association, community development office, tenants' association, housing authority.
• Canvas door-to-door to recruit members.
• Involve everyone -- young and old, single and married, renter and homeowner.
• Gain support from the police or sheriffs' office. This is critical to a Watch group's credibility. These agencies are the major sources of information on local crime patterns, home security, other crime prevention education, and crime reporting.
• Get the information out quickly. Share all kinds of news -- quash rumors.
• Gather the facts about crime in your neighborhood. Check police reports, do victimization surveys, and learn residents' perceptions about crime. Often residents' opinions are not supported by facts, and accurate information can reduce fear of crime.
• Physical conditions like abandoned cars or overgrown vacant lots contribute to crime. Sponsor cleanups, encourage residents to beautify the area, and ask them to turn on outdoor lights at night.
• It's essential to celebrate the success of the effort and recognize volunteers' contributions through such events as awards, annual dinners, and parties. To help meet community needs, Neighborhood Watches can sponsor meetings that address broader issues such as self-protection tactics, isolation of the elderly, crime in the schools, and rape prevention.
Neighborhood Safety Watch Leadership Team
Our neighborhood safety watch was implemented by Clark Miller & Rishi Kumar back in April 2006, working with our city staff, the Sheriff's department, and lining up block captains, holding neighborhood meetings and rolling out the framework for our Neighborhood Safety Watch program. As a result, our neighborhood safety watch program was certified by Jim Cardenas (back in 2006) from the Sheriff's office and a NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY WATCH SIGN was placed at both entrances to our neighborhood.
Clark Miller and Rishi Kumar are still leading the Neighborhood Safety Watch program for our neighborhood
------ Rishi Kumar rishi <at> rishikumar.com
------ Clark Miller condoralpah <at> comcast.net
Responsibilities of Neighborhood Safety Coordinator
•Setup and governance of Neighborhood Safety Watch
•Liasion with city of Saratoga / Sheriff's department
• Functions as the neighboorhood liaison to law enforcement and keeps the neighborhood informed. We are using our SARATOGACOX yahoo group for this purpose
•Recruits Block Captains and oversees the distribution of materials and information to the Block Captains, who in turn inform the homes in their group. This chain of command reduces duplication and promotes efficiency and discipline;
Clark Miller and Rishi Kumar are still leading the Neighborhood Safety Watch program for our neighborhood
------ Rishi Kumar rishi <at> rishikumar.com
------ Clark Miller condoralpah <at> comcast.net
Responsibilities of Neighborhood Safety Coordinator
•Setup and governance of Neighborhood Safety Watch
•Liasion with city of Saratoga / Sheriff's department
• Functions as the neighboorhood liaison to law enforcement and keeps the neighborhood informed. We are using our SARATOGACOX yahoo group for this purpose
•Recruits Block Captains and oversees the distribution of materials and information to the Block Captains, who in turn inform the homes in their group. This chain of command reduces duplication and promotes efficiency and discipline;
Defining a block captain's role?
Block Captain – Roles and Responsibilities
The role of the Block Captain is quite simply stated to collect names, emails and phone numbers from neighbors that belong in their zone (5 to 10 neighbors). This is NOT a major time commitment. The role entails:
• Compile a zone directory (explained below) and distribute it to neighbors within that zone. We suggest going door to door to get the neighbors to understand the program and submit their information
• Setup a communication mechanism using the information collected in the zone directory (email or text)
• Work with neighbors within their zone and derive an informal structure to watch out for each other’s property (example - setup an email alias, provide the email list to the other neighbors)
• Inform the zone (via phone or email) about law breaking activities that have occurred in the neighborhood
• Make sure that the established structure is working, neighbors are keeping each other informed of planned vacations
• Identify a backup
• Attend neighborhood-safety meetings as needed
The role of the Block Captain is quite simply stated to collect names, emails and phone numbers from neighbors that belong in their zone (5 to 10 neighbors). This is NOT a major time commitment. The role entails:
• Compile a zone directory (explained below) and distribute it to neighbors within that zone. We suggest going door to door to get the neighbors to understand the program and submit their information
• Setup a communication mechanism using the information collected in the zone directory (email or text)
• Work with neighbors within their zone and derive an informal structure to watch out for each other’s property (example - setup an email alias, provide the email list to the other neighbors)
• Inform the zone (via phone or email) about law breaking activities that have occurred in the neighborhood
• Make sure that the established structure is working, neighbors are keeping each other informed of planned vacations
• Identify a backup
• Attend neighborhood-safety meetings as needed
Who is my block captain?
You can figure out your block captain - based on the zone map and the list of names below; reach out to the leads
Our Block Captains
Zone1 - Jayashree Krishnamurthi kjayashree<AT> yahoo.com
Zone2 - Venkat Raman venkat raman epvenkat<AT> gmail.com
Zone3 – Nipun Agarwal nipun_agarwal<AT> yahoo.com
Zone4 - Ashok Koteeswaran apashok<AT> gmail.com
Zone5 - Nicole Chang nhc_1998<AT> yahoo.com
Zone6 - Cathy Robertson csr95070<AT> yahoo.com
Zone7 - Peggy Stark starkpg<AT> comcast.net
Zone8 – Meir Levi meirlevi<AT>yahoo.com
Zone9 – Mary Ethygeson ethygeson<AT> yearthlink.net
Zone10 – Karen Duemmlein kduemmlein<AT> aol.com
Zone11 - Deyana Hopkins StuHopkins<AT> Comcast.Net
Zone2 - Venkat Raman venkat raman epvenkat<AT> gmail.com
Zone3 – Nipun Agarwal nipun_agarwal<AT> yahoo.com
Zone4 - Ashok Koteeswaran apashok<AT> gmail.com
Zone5 - Nicole Chang nhc_1998<AT> yahoo.com
Zone6 - Cathy Robertson csr95070<AT> yahoo.com
Zone7 - Peggy Stark starkpg<AT> comcast.net
Zone8 – Meir Levi meirlevi<AT>yahoo.com
Zone9 – Mary Ethygeson ethygeson<AT> yearthlink.net
Zone10 – Karen Duemmlein kduemmlein<AT> aol.com
Zone11 - Deyana Hopkins StuHopkins<AT> Comcast.Net
Meeting flyer - printed and handed to each neighbor, going door to door
2--6meetingnotice4.pdf | |
File Size: | 190 kb |
File Type: |