Neighborhood Watch
What Is Neighborhood Watch?
Neighborhood Watch is a non-confrontational, crime prevention program that enlists the active participation of neighborhood residents in cooperation with law enforcement to reduce crime in their community.
Neighborhood Watch participants serve as eyes and ears only. They observe and report suspicious activity. They do not act as law enforcement.
It is about keeping an eye on each other, opening communication on your block, and hardening the target for criminals.
It is neighbors getting to know each other and taking the time to care about each other.
It is a program of mutual assistance and security.
It is neighbors trained to recognize and report suspicious activity.
The Neighborhood Watch program employs the best crime fighting tool ever invented.... a watchful neighbor.
Residents are the people who really know their neighborhood and may recognize when someone or something is suspect. APD officers cannot be on every block - Neighborhood Watch members can be.
District Representative John Gabrielson 512-974-5963
Getting involved in the Watch is easy!
Be A.L.E.R.T. and do the ‘Five’.
ALERT
I know who my neighbors and who their kids are. I know what cars belong on my street.
LIGHTS
My house is well lit at night. I have installed motion detectors or dusk to dawn lights in areas where people may walk.
EMERGENCY
I am ready for a crisis and keep neighbors phone numbers handy, just in case. I know neighbors’ kids would come to my house for help. I could tell the firefighters how many pets and kids to save if there was a fire on my street.
RESPONSIBLE
I call 311 and 911 when I see a potential issue. I ask for an incident number and report it to the Watch so it can be recorded. I bring bigger issues to my Neighborhood Association so the community is aware of what is happening.
TIDY
I keep my street and my home neat. I trim my bushes and trees so windows and doors can be seen. I keep my drive and porch free of clutter. I pick up trash on my street, handle graffiti, and pitch in to help other neighbors who need a hand. I want criminals to see that my street is loved and their activities will not be tolerated!
Dial 911
9-1-1 is only to be used in emergency situations. An emergency is any situation that requires immediate assistance from the police, the fire department or an ambulance.
(If you are ever in doubt of whether a situation is an emergency you should call 9-1-1. It's better to be safe and let the 9-1-1 call taker determine if you need emergency assistance.)
Dial 311
Call 3-1-1 to report any type of crime where there is no immediate threat to life or property.
Free Apps
Free APD and 311 apps for Android and Apple devices. Go to your app store and download them today!
Resources
CLASP - Citizen Lead Austin Safety Partnership
Non-partisan group dedicated to encouraging and sustaining a county-wide network of Neighborhood Watch and Patrol leaders. Includes links to APD.
SpotCrime is a crime data aggregator. We map the crime incidents, plot them on Google Maps, and deliver alerts via email, Facebook, Twitter, SMS, RSS and a multitude of other platforms. The data comes from police departments, news reports and user-generated content. Our goal is to provide the most accurate, timely geocoded crime information to the public. We map crime and deliver alerts.
Krimelabb's core value is Working together, let's make Austin the safest city in the nation. So by knowing about crime in your neighborhood, you are in a better position to partner with law enforcement to deter crime. And krimelabb has no political agenda, so it tries to present "just the facts, ma'am" (or sir).
Austin Police Department Website
Visit the APD website for up to date information.
Commander's Forums - We are in Region 2
Commander's Forums are held every few months to give the public (that's us!) an opportunity to interact with and ask questions of our local police.
The Austin Police Department conducts Commander Forums to share and discuss issues and concerns with residents and business owners to improve the quality of life within the area commands. Topics covered are concerns voiced by the community, crime prevention, guest speakers, crime statistics, and getting to know your APD District Representative.
If you attend, please feel free to share your notes and thoughts on the LONA Yahoo group.