The following article is the first installment on Community Safety by Travis County Sheriff Outreach Deputy James Kitchens.
Neighborhood Crime Prevention: A Joint Responsibility
The prevention of crime – particularly crime involving residential neighborhoods – is a responsibility that must be shared equally by law enforcement and private citizens. The fact is, the impact on crime prevention by law enforcement alone is minimal when compared with the power of private citizens working with law enforcement and with each other. NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH is based on this concept of cooperation, and nationwide statistics prove that it works. When citizens take positive steps to secure their own property and neighbors learn how to report suspicious activity around their homes, burglary and related offenses decrease dramatically.
Neighborhood Watch programs develop citizen awareness and proper response to suspected or actual criminal activity.