Keeping Neighborhoods Safe - Neighborhood Watch

November 5, 2007

Your home is your castle and it's important that you and your family feel safe there. Being aware of your surroundings and paying attention to what happens in your neighborhood is an important part of neighborhood safety. The police can't monitor your home 24 hours a day, seven days a week, but your neighbors can and that is where Neighborhood Watch plays a vital role.

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.

As an added component to the Neighborhood Watch Program, Hampton's Community Relations Unit has started a new project called "Project Stay Informed." Essentially crimes are plotted on a map and areas that have multiple crimes will receive a Neighborhood Watch Alert that is sent by the Police Division to the Neighborhood Watch Coordinator. The information would then trickle down through block captains and into neighborhoods to keep citizens more informed and alert. The goal is to have more eyes and ears assisting with fighting crime. Citizens will be getting up-to date information on crime problems in their neighborhoods which will assist the Hampton Police Division by calling in what they see and hear. This assistance will help the Police Division in solving more crimes and /or eliminating the criminal element from neighborhoods. This project is another way to assist us all with keeping Hampton the most livable city.

For more information on this program or to start a Neighborhood Watch Group call 727-6639 or e-mail nodems@hampton.gov.