Block Watch Workshop
Basic Information
What
is the Block Watch Workshop all about?
Some folks picture a neighborhood block watch as citizens out in the
streets with their baseball bats and brass knuckles, waiting for someone to
“mess around” in their neighborhood. In
actuality, a block watch is simply a group of concerned citizens that have
organized, gotten to know one another, and decided use problem-solving to better
their neighborhood. They decide that
their neighborhood is not going to be the place for criminal activity. They consciously decide to care for and look
out for one another, just like in the “old days”, and it works to reduce crime.
To start a block watch in your area, someone must
decide to host a block watch workshop.
The host calls Officer Mark Young of the Proactive Policing Unit at the
Bellingham Police Department
On the night of the block watch, a Crime Prevention Officer comes to the host’s home and facilitates a 2-hr workshop. The workshop consists of sharing information with each other, identifying neighborhood concerns, and generating action plans to address those concerns.
These meetings are crucial in order for a productive communication system to be established on the block. The participants get the opportunity to meet the crime prevention officer and get to know their neighbors. Knowing those that live around you is the most important part of a block watch. Increased communication leads to decreased crime. This workshop is definitely worth your time and energy.
There are three basic goals for the Block Watch Workshop:
1. The participants gain a greater awareness of their neighborhood (people, cars, habits)
2. The participants identify areas of concern or improvement that they want to address.
3. The participants realize that by organizing and becoming involved, they can have an impact on reducing crime and improving their neighborhood.
For more information, or to schedule a Block Watch Workshop, email Officer Tara
Fleetwood at tfleetwood@cob.com or call
(360)676-6924
Crime Prevention Unit