Stoneybrooke Neighborhood Watch
For any neighbors interested in coordinating and being a part of re-energizing the Stoneybrooke Neighborhood Watch, there is a meeting scheduled for February 5th, 2019. Exact time and location TBD. Please contact us (or scaboard@stoneybrooke.org) to ask any questions or sign up.
From some Fairfax County literature:
The objective of Neighborhood Watch is to organize resident to be alert to potential crime in the neighborhood and keep a watchful eye on their neighbors’ homes
Some of the basic program variations include:
Passive Observation
Passive observation is an activity residents must always be involved in. Residents must always be on the lookout for suspicious or unusual activity.
Window Watch
A scheduled activity, window watchers should set a routine to follow. Whether checking every 15 minutes or more or less often, they should be aware of the responsibility to make an effort to stay to their routine. Window watchers are often residents housebound for reasons of health, advanced age, disability, being a single parent or being a primary caregiver in the home.
Walking Patrols
Many Neighborhood Watch programs assign residents to walk within a several block area to actively look for suspicious activities. Active, scheduled, patrols should be done in pairs when possible (i.e., husband and wife or two neighbors). Upon observing suspicious activities, walking patrols are to contact the police either by using a cell phone, or as soon as possible if a cell phone is not readily available. Patrol members are cautioned against personal intervention or confrontation. Unique decals on residents’ vehicles are helpful in identifying vehicles that belong in the neighborhood. Obtaining and issuing decals should be the responsibility of the local civic or homeowners’ association.
Mobile Patrols
Such patrols are frequently used in larger communities or where homes are spaced a considerable distance from one another, making window watch and foot patrols impractical. Patrols should be done in pairs when possible.
Communication
One of the most important parts of a Neighborhood Watch is a system of communications. This can be done in many ways based on the needs and abilities of a community. The ability to get information out to the broadest cross section of a community is vital for the Neighborhood Watch mission, to increase the likelihood of timely reporting and the prevention of crime. How this is done is best determined by the members of the specific community. Some options are:
- e-mail distribution group (maintained by the coordinator)
- list serve
- phone trees
- private ISP (internet service provider) user group
- Private (password protected) community web site or
- electronic or paper newsletter
The ability to get the word out to the community coupled with at least one of the other Neighborhood Watch layers, will greatly improve the effectiveness of your Watch program.