Neighborhood Watch is a joint effort between the Hampton Police Division and the community designed to instill a greater sense of security and reduce the fear of crime by putting the neighbor back into neighborhoods. The program teaches participants how to make their home and neighborhood more secure in order to reduce the risk of being victimized, as well as training citizens on how to recognize and report any suspicious activity. Neighborhood Watch allows neighbors to get to know each other and their routines in order to address issues that concern the safety of the entire community.
Mission
- To reduce crime rates in active Neighborhood Watch Communities.
- To teach citizens preventative measures to reduce the risk of becoming victimized.
- To provide training on recognizing and reporting suspicious activity.
- To instill a greater sense of security and reduces the fear of crime by allowing neighbors the opportunity to get to know each other and their routines.
- To encourage community involvement to combat crime in the community in a collaborative effort with the Police Division.
About
Initially started in 1980, the Neighborhood Watch Program is the key to promoting community involvement in police activities. Components of the program include meetings, citizen satisfaction surveys, newsletters, and special events such as the Chief's Town Meeting, National Night Out, and the Virginia Crime Prevention Association Neighborhood Watch Conference. An estimated 27, 860 of the City's homes participate in the program which includes 167 Neighborhood Watch Groups. Neighborhood Watch allows citizens to work with, instead of relying on, law enforcement in the effort to combat crime in their community. Active programs have proven to be successful not only in reducing crime rates, which have fallen 19% to 77% in some areas, but also in improving the overall well-being of the entire neighborhood.