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Take a Stand

You’ve already talked with some neighbors—at the grocery store, on the sidewalk, over the back fence, at the bus stop, across the kitchen table. You know people are unhappy about the way things are, that they’d like to see something done.

The next step—make that discussion a bit more purposeful and organized. Set up a meeting to decide how you want to change things. Here are some tips for that first session. Organize a small planning committee of neighbors to discuss needs, the level of interest, and possible community problems.

What does a Neighborhood Watch do?

  • A Neighborhood Watch is neighbors helping neighbors. They are extra eyes and ears for reporting crime and helping neighbors.

  • Members meet their neighbors, learn how to make their homes more secure, watch out for each other and the neighborhood, and report activities that raise their suspicions to the police or sheriffs' office.

  • Mark valuable property with an identifying number (Operation I.D.) to discourage theft and help law enforcement agencies identify and return stolen property.

What are the major components of a Watch Program?

  • Meetings. These should be set up on a regular basis such as bi-monthly, monthly, or six times a year.

  • Citizens' or community patrol. A citizens' patrol is made up of volunteers who walk or drive through the community and alert police to crime and questionable activities. Not all neighborhood watches need a citizens' patrol.

  • Communications. These can be as simple as a weekly flier posted on community announcement boards to a monthly newsletter that updates neighbors on the progress of the program to a neighborhood electronic bulletin board.

Who can be involved?

Any community resident can join - young and old, single and married, renter and homeowner. Even the busiest of people can belong to a Neighborhood Watch -they too can keep an eye out for neighbors as they come and go.

 

Stay Safe

In the Stay Safe section of our website, you can find a number of tips and ideas to do just that. Stay safe! We believe at the Lincoln Police Department that education is a key factor in crime prevention. In this section you can find ways to keep yourself, your children, you homes, and your businesses safe.

You can also take a look at crime statistics, recent activity, and crimes that have taken place in your neighborhood. Just go to the Special Services tab on the left and you can take advantage of the tools we've provided on our site.