Village East Neighborhood

WHAT IS NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH?

Apr 17, 2006

There are a number of Neighborhood Watch groups in existence in the Village East Neighborhood. These are groups of neighbors on a block or two that keep an eye out for each other. A Neighborhood Watch Program is an excellent way to get to know your neighbors. Neighborhood Watch groups identify community concerns, criminal activity and work toward improving the quality of life in the community.

Neighborhood Watch is citizens learning neighbor-to-neighbor skills. Some of these skill are as follows: how to reduce the risk of being victimized, how to recognize and report suspicious activity, how to make homes more secure and properly identify property, how to maintain the appearance of the neighborhood, how to combat apathy in the neighborhood.

The Aurora Police Department supports the citizens?’ efforts to coordinate a Neighborhood Watch Program. Community volunteers, not police officers, run this program. Neighborhood Watch is a group of citizens organized with the goal of taking an active role in making their community healthy and crime-free, by working with law enforcement and other City resources. While often started in response to a crisis, the successful program operates effectively in good times and in bad. By building a problem-solving network that encourages citizens to form a bond to maintain their neighborhoods, both as a deterrent to crime and a way to make the neighborhood a good place to live, residents solve their own problems. This is the basis of a strong community-policing program.

The best time to start a Neighborhood Watch Program is now. The best way to start a Neighborhood Watch Program is to knock on your neighbors?’ doors to invite them to come to your home for an organizational meeting. Before you do that, contact Bobbie Johnson at 303-739-6346. She is the Volunteers In Policing coordinator and will assist you in getting started.

There is more information regarding the Neighborhood Watch Program available at www.aurorapolice.com/NWatch.html There is a link to it on the Village East website.