Neighborhood Block Watch Guidelines

Neighborhood block watch groups and committees have sprung up in neighborhoods all across the United States. While there are a few different groups and not all of them fall under the very same title, the rules for operating these groups as well as being a participant in them are pretty much the same. The purpose of these groups is to deter crimes in our neighborhoods, with common citizens taking responsibility for the watches.

Watch

• First and foremost, it must be established that citizens act as part of these neighborhood block watch groups by doing exactly that---watching. Citizens are not allowed to take the law into their own hands. They simply watch the neighborhood for suspicious activity and report any such activity to their local police department or sheriff's office.

Report

• Neighborhood block watch volunteers are instructed in the principles of good observation skills and are taught to describe physical features of suspicious people as well as note license plate numbers and makes and models of suspicious vehicles.

  These volunteers must also learn what is considered typical behavior within their own neighborhoods and to be on the lookout for behavior that is out of the ordinary.

Don'ts

• Neighborhood block watch participants do not attempt to stop crimes themselves or take the law into their own hands in any manner. They are not authorized to pull over official patrol cars or cars operated by other members of the neighborhood block watch team.

  Members are taught not to approach suspicious people but rather to immediately report their activities and to never intervene if they know a crime is taking place. Jeopardizing their own safety or the safety of others isn't ever a consideration and must be avoided at all times.