Kentwood Police Department
Crime Prevention Tips

Neighborhood Watch

You and your neighbors can be the most effective means of preventing crime and minimizing fear in your neighborhood.  Neighborhood Watch is simply a mechanism for networking with other residents on your block, street, subdivision, or section.  Any resident can join.  Typically, a single neighborhood coordinator works to organize meetings, acting as a liaison between residents and the Police Department.  Block captains are the primary contact between the residents on a street and the neighborhood coordinator.  Some of the most effective crime prevention activities that watch groups can organize are picnics and block parties.  These social events encourage communication between neighbors.  They foster information exchange and build relationships that bind the community.

A watch group works closely with an area assigned police officer.  The Community Service Officer will provide assistance in raising awareness of home security  and encourage effective reporting of criminal activity.  The Police Department can also provide you with safety information and crime patterns in your neighborhood.  Neighbors caring for neighbors build safer communities.  

For further information about starting a Neighborhood Watch, please contact officers in the Community Services Bureau at 656-6561.