Neighborhood Watch
What is Neighborhood Watch?
The San Jose Police Department's Crime Prevention Unit has provided NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH presentations to neighborhood groups for nearly 25 years. Although crime trends have changed since the 1970's, the basic principle behind NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH remains the same; to bring communities together with the police to achieve the common goal of preventing crime.
How can a meeting be arranged?
To request a NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH, call Crime Prevention at (408) 277-4133. The Crime Prevention Specialist who represents the area of San Jose in which you live will work with you to schedule the meeting date (usually at least four to six weeks notice is required). Invitation notices will be sent to you to distribute to your neighbors.
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH meetings are held on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evenings AT 7:00 P.M. and last approximately 2 hours. At least TEN homes must be represented in order for the meeting to take place. Most meetings are held in your home or at a neighborhood facility.
What happens at the meeeting?
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH is an opportunity to meet face-to-face with representatives of your police department to discuss and work to solve problems in your community, or to keep the problems from starting in the first place!
Through this positive, pro-active program, you will learn facts about:
- Police districts and beats
- Duties of beat officers
- Crime trends in your area
- How to react to suspicious or criminal activity
- How San Jose's 9-1-1 system works
- Recommended security measures such as...
- Types of locks
- Lighting
- Alarms
- Operation Identification
- and MUCH more!
Only residents attending the meeting will be entitled to receive a NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH window sign and other materials distributed at the meeting.
If 80%-100% of the homes on your block are represented at the meeting, metal NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH signs will be installed on the streetlight poles on your block.
DID YOU KNOW...?
- That most residential burglaries occur during DAYLIGHT HOURS?
- How burglars can tell at a glance which homes are EASY TARGETS?
- What to do if you see a suspicious person on YOUR STREET?
- What types of personal attacks can happen to you right in YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?
- Why personal property which has been engraved with a California driver's license number is LESS LIKELY to be stolen?
- That crime rates in NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH communities can be greatly reduced through the simple, common sense measures you can learn by attending a NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH meeting?
THE SAN JOSE POLICE DEPARTMENT is anxious to work with you to "TAKE A BITE OUT OF CRIME"...
San Jose Police Department
Crime Prevention Unit
(408) 277-4133