Neighborhood Watch

What Is Neighborhood Watch?

Neighborhood Watch brings residents and police together with a shared goal: preventing crime. The program advises individual neighborhood groups on the best strategies to discourage, deter, and prevent crimes such as burglary, auto theft, and identity theft. Presentations are tailored to each neighborhood's specific needs and can include discussions on personal safety, crime-fighting technology, and effective neighborhood networking.

How It Works

Neighborhood Watch is built on a simple principle: communities and police working together accomplish more than either can alone. Through this proactive partnership, participants learn:

• How police officers are deployed and assigned throughout Redwood City

• The routine and extraordinary duties of officers and detectives

• Current crime trends in their area

• How to recognize and respond to suspicious or criminal activity

• How the 9-1-1 system works and how to work effectively with dispatch

• Recommended home security measures, including locks, lighting, alarms, and video systems

• Effective observation and reporting strategies

Sustained engagement through Neighborhood Watch often leads to stronger familiarity between residents and the officers who serve their area, along with the posting of Neighborhood Watch signage identifying a neighborhood as actively engaged in crime prevention.

Starting a Neighborhood Watch Group

Interested in starting a Neighborhood Watch group in your area? A few requirements apply:

• At least 10 individual households must be represented at the initial kick-off meeting

• Meetings can be scheduled on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday evenings

• Meeting locations must be arranged by requesting community members

• Food and refreshments are optional and may be provided by the group

To request a kick-off presentation, contact RCPD's Community Coordinating Activities Team (CCAT) at 650-780-7104 or community@redwoodcity.org.