Neighborhood Watch

Local Police

No Neighborhood Watch program – whether it is a business, an apartment building, or a neighborhood – is a true Neighborhood Watch program unless it is built on a partnership with local law enforcement.

Local police departments that are interested in participating are asked to visit the National Neighborhood Watch website at www.usaonwatch.org to register their existing or new Neighborhood Watch Programs.

Once registered, local departments must contact the NJ Office of Emergency Management at 609-538-6064 or 609-538-6060 to receive training materials. These materials will allow local departments to deliver Neighborhood Watch training presentations in their communities. The training curriculum has 5 component parts:

• Home & Family Safety
• Personal Safety
• Terrorism Awareness
• How to Report Suspicious Activity
• Local Community / Neighborhood Concerns

Home & Family Safety will focus on a review of basic safety practices to safeguard your home, how to establish an emergency communications plan and how to prepare a disaster supplies kit.

Personal Safety provides information to emphasize alertness, awareness and having an “action plan”. Information on Identity Theft, one of the fastest growing crimes in the nation, including tips on how to prevent becoming a victim, are included in this block.

Terrorism Awareness includes an overview of the Homeland Security Advisory System and what you should do at each level of alertness. Information on how to identify suspicious mail and packages, and what to do if you find one, is also reviewed. The Terrorist Planning Cycle is reviewed, along with information about potential targets of terrorist acts.

How to Report Suspicious Activity requests that citizens become the eyes and ears of law enforcement. Be Alert – Be Specific – Be Accurate – Notify your Local Police are the main focus of this segment, along with how to report information…who – what - where –when - why.

The Local Community / Neighborhood Concerns segment allows the presenter to add any community specific information on local problems, programs, items of interest.

All training materials are available upon request on a CD-ROM disc that includes a copy of the Power Point Presentation, an accompanying Instructor Reference Guide and copies of all handout materials referenced in the presentation. In addition, all citizens who participate in a Neighborhood Watch program will receive

• A Portfolio pad / folder with Citizen Corps / Neighborhood Watch / Emergency Management logos
• A Pen with USAonWatch logo
• A USAonWatch lapel pin

Working in cooperation with local Departments and the Program partners, Neighborhood Watch – New Jersey can play an important role in our Homeland Security efforts. All Police Departments in New Jersey are encouraged to evaluate the benefits this program can provide to their community.