Community Family Police Public Safety

How to Set Up a Neighborhood Watch in L. Saucon

Est. Read Time: 2 mins

The following is an interview with Lower Saucon Township Police Department D.A.R.E. Officer Kyle Haggerty about the department’s neighborhood watch program. For more information about setting up a watch in your Lower Saucon neighborhood, call 610-317-6110 or email da**@lo*****************.org.

  1. What are the goals of the Lower Saucon Township Police Department’s Neighborhood Watch Program?

The goals of the program are to inform and educate residents as to what to watch for in their neighborhoods (observe, report and deter criminal activity) and to help build community and police relations.

  1. Briefly describe how the program works.

The neighborhood watch program is designed to have neighbors looking out for each other and to be the additional eyes and ears of the Police Department.

  1. Have there been any tangible results since the first neighborhood watch group was formed last year? If yes, please describe them.

To begin, this is NOT the first Neighborhood Watch community (there were two previous Crime Watch neighborhoods) in the township. But, it is the most recent. Unfortunately, there is no ‘hard data’ for crimes NOT committed. We do feel that if there are no spikes in crime and the neighborhoods feel safe and secure, then the program is a success.

  1. Who benefits from a neighborhood watch, and how do they benefit?

Primarily the community, through every household receiving crime prevention information, as well by helping to create a better sense of community. The Police Department along with the community benefits by creating stronger ties with each other through open lines of communication.

  1. Are there any requirements for participating in the program? For example, do you need a minimum number of families?

There is no minimum number of participants; although smaller groups may actually be better to ensure all participants know each other by name and sight. It is necessary to have a contact person (preferably persons) from the neighborhood to channel information through, and who will ensure that the crime prevention information from the police department is distributed to all residences in the neighborhood, and who will help facilitate a Neighborhood Watch meeting for which all residences are invited.

  1. How should township residents interested in setting up a neighborhood watch in their neighborhood get the ball rolling? What do they need to do first?

First, talk to the people in your neighborhood. See how much interest is out there and who would be willing to participate. Then, contact your local police department and set up a time to speak to a Crime Watch Officer about the program. There is also a lot of information about neighborhood watches on the Internet.

  1. What are the ingredients for a successful neighborhood watch?

Residents who are concerned about the well-being of their homes and neighborhood. Additionally, open communication and a willingness to participate are two important ingredients.

  1. If there are any program expenses, how is it funded?

There are no required costs. The police department provides crime prevention information. Additional items (Neighborhood Watch signs, extra booklets, etc.) may be shared by the participants in the neighborhood.

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About the author

Josh Popichak

Josh Popichak is the owner, publisher and editor of Saucon Source. A Lehigh Valley native, he's covered local news since 2005 and previously worked for Berks-Mont News and AOL/Patch. Contact him at josh@sauconsource.com.

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