NJLM -Neighborhood Watch

NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH – A FRESH PERSPECTIVE

by: Howard E. Butt, New Jersey Citizen Corps State Coordinator

The Neighborhood Watch initiative has been in existence for over 30 years and is well known throughout America. The active involvement of citizens participating in organized activities with their local law enforcement authorities is a critical component of efforts to build a sense of community / neighborhood safety, the reclaiming of high-crime neighborhoods, the promotion of an overall sense of being more secure and less fearful of crime and the strengthening of relationships between the police and the citizenry. In the aftermath of September 11, 2001 the need for strengthening and securing our communities and critical infrastructure has taken on even greater significance.

With these points in mind, the New Jersey State Police, Office of Emergency Management, in partnership with the New Jersey Citizen Corps State Council, the League of Municipalities, the Chiefs of Police Association and the Sheriff’s Association have introduced a new initiative - “NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH – NEW JERSEY”. The Program goals are to strengthen and re-vitalize existing Neighborhood Watch groups and to establish new groups in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies.

The Program builds upon the basic concept of crime prevention that has been the mainstay of Neighborhood Watch, and adds new information focusing on Disaster Preparedness and Terrorism Awareness. The training curriculum for the Program 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

All these materials are available to a requesting department at no cost. To receive these materials your department must register on the USAonWatch national website at www.usaonwatch.org - follow the easy instructions to complete this simple process. Once registered, contact :

Mr. Howard E. Butt at 609-538-6064 or email lppbutth@gw.njsp.org

SFC Joseph Geleta at 609-538-6060 or email lpp4054@gw.njsp.org

to arrange for your training materials to be mailed to your department designated contact person.

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.