Neighborhood Watch Programs & Community Policing

One of the most successful programs for community empowerment has been Neighborhood Watch. The nationwide promotion of Neighborhood Watch evolved from a two-year study conducted during the mid-1980s entitled the Block Booster Project: "The study found that active block associations substantially reduced fear of crime, encouraged crime reporting, stimulated members' involvement in crime prevention, inhibited drug trafficking, and spurred beautification activities" (Neighborhood, 1993, p. 1).

The three basic types of Neighborhood Watch are passive watch, mobile patrols, or walking patrols. Passive watches are established from stationary points and are well-suited for dense neighborhoods. Residents observe activities while in their homes or while conducting business outside the home. Mobile patrols involve citizens trained by law enforcement officials to observe and report on criminal activity using CB radios or cellular telephones. Walking patrols are usually conducted in pairs of specially trained residents equipped with two-way radios. In each type of watch, residents are cautioned against becoming physically involved with perpetrators of crime (U.S. Congress

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p. 3). Although the community accepts the lion's share of the burden in crime prevention, effective coalitions with law enforcement agencies are mandatory. Toward this end, many municipal police departments have enacted community policing strategies. One of the obstacles the police face in becoming community partners is an attitude of distrust: "To begin with, some communities may see the law enforcement officer not only as an outsider but as a mistrusted outsider . . . Even if law enforcement is given the benefit of the doubt by some groups, others may continue to be skeptical and even hostile" (National Crime Prevention Council, 1994, pp. 2-3). To encourage community trust in its community policing strategy, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has established a program which embodies a foundation of citizen oversight and public accountability. One of the principles of this strategy is decentralization. LAPD officers are accessible because they are headquartered in the community. Another principle is permanency. The officers are assigned to fixed geographical areas on a longterm basis, thus allowing them to become familiar with their territory, residents, and criminal elements. Community policing is based on a pro
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Approximate Word count = 2041
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)

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