This internet assignment asks us to look at different neighborhood watch programs found in the United States and compare two of them. After researching quite a few of them I decided to talk about the city of Tucson Arizona neighborhood watch and the LAPD (Los Angeles police department) neighborhood watch program. Before I talk about the two programs, I will first define what a neighborhood watch is. According to our book as well as different internet definitions, it is simply a program of neighbors watching out for each other during the workday, evenings, vacations or any other absence. The purpose of this program is to create an alert neighborhood by using simple crime prevention methods. This program works with the mutual aid of neighbors watching property of neighbors. This had several advantages. First, your neighbors will be familiar with your lifestyle, material possessions, and family members. They will know what type of cars you drive and who belongs, as a rule, at our residence. If a police officer drove by your home, he might not recognize that the person standing in your front yard is a stranger but an alert neighbor will recognize that this person is a stranger. The most important thing to know about these programs is that they do NOT promote vigilantism. You are never asked to put yourself in harm’s way to prevent crime. You are only asked to observe and report suspicious behavior and activities to the police department.
The City of Tucson Arizona has a neighborhood watch program that seems to be organized on paper. They are divided into five different divisions and each division has a representative assigned to it. They have the current representatives posted online along with their work phone numbers and extension so it is easy to find online and to schedule a meeting. Meetings are scheduled on weeknights at 6:30 p.m. and you are asked to select the most convenient day for your group before you contact your division representative to schedule a date. They do ask that you call four to six weeks in advance. The typical first meeting of a Neighborhood watch program will include a discussion with a member of the Tucson Police Department on topics of a neighborhood watch, home security, and calling 9-1-1 versus the non-emergency phone number which is 791-4444.
A group “watch leader” is chosen by vote and is in charge of maintaining a list of names, addresses, and telephone numbers of all members. The police department provides a roster at the very first meeting and the leader should maintain and update the list as necessary. The leader is asked to make a plot map of your street with names, addresses and phone numbers of group members and to send one to the police department as well. Job duties include calling new neighbors and explaining the program and also providing them with a Home Security and Operation Identification information, as well as calling your patrol division to schedule your second and follow up meetings. The leader is also asked to poll the members for suggested topics that should be discussed at the meetings that are of concern to the group. They also encourage more then one meeting a year as well as planning activities to benefit the neighborhood as well as keep everyone connected. Suggestions include activities like potluck dinners and block parties, yard work for the elderly or disabled residents and yard sales. The neighborhood watch program of the LAPD was pioneered by the Los Angeles Department to educate community residents regarding their roles and responsibilities in the prevention of crime as well as encouraging them to take active measures to prevent crime. The Los Angeles police department supplies crime information to the watch organizations and instructs the groups in various crime prevention techniques. There is a Block Captain in each community who is a liaison between those who work and live in a particular area, and the officers assigned to that area. Officers will pass along any pertinent information through the captains regarding what is going on in the area as far as active crime as well as tips on what to do. This liaison is maintained on an informal basis within the framework of the programs. Senior Lead Officers are also an important element in the LAPD’s effort to prevent and deter crime. They provide the link that ensures that community problems are brought to the attention of the department or other appropriate government agency. The Leaders are also instrumental in bringing the neighborhood together to mobilize them to problem-solve, prevent crime, and enhance quality of life. The LAPD has apportioned the city into nineteen geographic areas. This allows them to tailor law enforcement and public safety efforts to individual community needs. Each area is served by a community police station and these stations are also apportioned into small neighborhood units which are referred to as Basic Cars. There are roughly 8 to 10 Basic Car areas per community police station and each basic car area has one patrol car permanently assigned to provide service in that neighborhood. Three teams of officers are assigned to patrol your neighborhood on a 24-hour basis and each team works one 8 hour shift. They basically patrol your neighborhood and respond to radio calls for service. These officers generally do not rotate to other police cars because the point is to get to know the people on a personal level as well as the problems that may arise in the community. Other officers can be assigned to the same area but the Basic Car has priority in answering all calls within the boundary.
After reading about both programs I realized that the LAPD and the Tucson watches were similar in their objectives but different in their implementation. The Tucson watch is working with a much smaller area though so it makes a difference in how they organize and rotate officers. The LAPD program differs in that they actually have specific police cars that work within each division and does not change. I like that about it because you do get to know the people that way and you learn who belongs in the neighborhood. The website for the LAPD watch also gives more detailed information on how to report a crime and what to include but the Tucson website actually gives you the names of the division leaders and their phone numbers so it’s easier to navigate from there. They both encourage the community to be active in events like block parties and yard sale to encourage familiarity and safety. Overall, I rate them both as great programs but I do like the LAPD watch just a little bit better. I think each was tailored to fit the geographic area and community.

Work Cited

1. http://www.lapdonline.org/crime_prevention_tips/content_basic_view/23477 2. http://www.tucsonaz.gov/police/neighborhood-watch 3. "City and State Crime Rates-Most Dangerous Cities." Crime in AmericaNet. N.p., 19 Feb. 2014. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.