# Neighborhood Crime Watch Programs



## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

The local cops are wanting to start a crime watch in our part of da hood..and advertised for folks who want to help on the neighborhood chat program on the net. I sorta volunteered the Warden and I to go see what its all about. Anybody ever been in one? Know it caused the Z man a bunch of grief after he shot the poor young man with the tea and skittles. I also not sure I want to run around with any magetic signs on my sled to let the evil liberals know that I am part of the group. Who has some good advice? Thanks.


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## StratMaster (Dec 26, 2017)

I would watch and see just what kind of folks end up volunteering. Look out for wannabes, blowhards, and little napoleon complexes. Besides being tedious, sometimes they're serving agendas within themselves which might get you in hot water just because you were there standing next to them. I saw one get all chesty, for example, and actually punch a relatively harmless homeless guy looking for cans/bottles in a garbage container streetside. Even if these types perturb somewhat, I don't think the LEO's recruiting members are going to approve of punching someone in the nose. Could blow back on you (no pun intended).
Don't know if any of that helps.
Cheers!


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

bigwheel said:


> I sorta volunteered the Warden and I to go see what its all about. Who has some good advice? Thanks.


You looking for advice on the crime watch gurus or the Warden?


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

A "Neighborhood Watch" used to be known as what normal good neighbors just did. Watch out for other people's kids and property and actually talk to one another. Sad we've gotten to a point where people don't just do this naturally.


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## Illini Warrior (Jan 24, 2015)

only benefit would be the opportunity to better evaluate the neighborhood people - the joiners would have the correct mindset to form an ad hoc MAG around for a more serious SHTF ... 

abilities and further qualities would be a different matter ....


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

Illini Warrior said:


> only benefit would be the opportunity to better evaluate the neighborhood people - the joiners would have the correct mindset to form an ad hoc MAG around for a more serious SHTF ...
> 
> abilities and further qualities would be a different matter ....


What's a MAG? Just need to know before I agree 100%.


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## jim-henscheli (May 4, 2015)

Mutual assistance group, it’s what makes America great....


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

jim-henscheli said:


> Mutual assistance group, it's what makes America great....


OK.

Then, @Illini Warrior, I agree 100%.


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## Inor (Mar 22, 2013)

There was a "watchdog" group in our neighborhood when we lived in suburbia Minnesota. That one was mostly a political stepping stone that people used to get elected to the school board. The school board was a political stepping stone democrats used to get elected to state office.

Now that we are in rural Arizona, there is no "watchdog" group. But folks do watch out for each other, just because that is what neighbors do (as Squatch said). It is crazy! In the 9 months we have been staying at our build house, we have been invited to many times more BBQs, yard parties and get togethers than we ever were in over 21 years in our house in MN. And the folks here just want to get to know us well enough so they know what to look out for on our land and let us know what to look out for on theirs.

At first I thought they were nosey. They are not. Then I thought they were going to hassle us about living like white trash ********. They don't. As near as I can tell, they just want to know us well enough to know what is normal and what is not...


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## StratMaster (Dec 26, 2017)

Inor said:


> There was a "watchdog" group in our neighborhood when we lived in suburbia Minnesota. That one was mostly a political stepping stone that people used to get elected to the school board. The school board was a political stepping stone democrats used to get elected to state office.
> 
> Now that we are in rural Arizona, there is no "watchdog" group. But folks do watch out for each other, just because that is what neighbors do (as Squatch said). It is crazy! In the 9 months we have been staying at our build house, we have been invited to many times more BBQs, yard parties and get togethers than we ever were in over 21 years in our house in MN. And the folks here just want to get to know us well enough so they know what to look out for on our land and let us know what to look out for on theirs.
> 
> At first I thought they were nosey. They are not. Then I thought they were going to hassle us about living like white trash ********. They don't. As near as I can tell, they just want to know us well enough to know what is normal and what is not...


Awesome.


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Inor said:


> There was a "watchdog" group in our neighborhood when we lived in suburbia Minnesota. That one was mostly a political stepping stone that people used to get elected to the school board. The school board was a political stepping stone democrats used to get elected to state office.
> 
> Now that we are in rural Arizona, there is no "watchdog" group. But folks do watch out for each other, just because that is what neighbors do (as Squatch said). It is crazy! In the 9 months we have been staying at our build house, we have been invited to many times more BBQs, yard parties and get togethers than we ever were in over 21 years in our house in MN. And the folks here just want to get to know us well enough so they know what to look out for on our land and let us know what to look out for on theirs.
> 
> At first I thought they were nosey. They are not. Then I thought they were going to hassle us about living like white trash ********. They don't. As near as I can tell, they just want to know us well enough to know what is normal and what is not...


Inor, so glad you have found home.


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## Ken S LaTrans (Jul 24, 2018)

Neighborhood watch groups all seem to start of with the best intentions. As an officer who had to answer MANY calls from them, I can tell you they often devolve into little cliques of people who want to play cop or to try to "enforce" some sort of control onto neighbors who are not part of the group. We would even get calls from people who were NOT part of the neighborhood watch complaining about watch members knocking on doors late at night to issue "warnings" about dogs barking, cars parked "illegally" and even making threats to have them towed !?! None of which were within their purview as a neighborhood watch. Hell...the towing wasn't even within the scope of authority of the department.

So...approach a neighborhood watch with great caution.

A far better plan is to try to get to know your immediate neighbors and form some sort of positive relationship with them. That way, you know what is out of place, who is out of place, and what is not in their "normal" and they will get to know what is in and out of yours.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

We moved to the country to get away from nosey Crime Watch people, and HOA's. 
Home Owners Associations are the spawn of the Devil. Little Nazi's. Himmler and Hitler would be proud.


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## Ken S LaTrans (Jul 24, 2018)

rice paddy daddy said:


> We moved to the country to get away from nosey Crime Watch people, and HOA's.
> Home Owners Associations are the spawn of the Devil. Little Nazi's. Himmler and Hitler would be proud.


We live on 100 acres of desert heaven in our primary residence...and our only neighbor is one and one half miles away.

Our other home is in the mountains of northern Arizona on 300 acres...and our closest neighbor is nearly a mile away.

I like that.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Well thanks for the input on that. Im supposed to go to the four hour training session in August...but think I done chickened out. We stay pretty tight with most of the neighbors..say most cause the lady next door sold out a month or so ago to a couple where he is a Palestinian and shes an American. Making me nervous..he hasnt caused any problems yet but ya just never know about those devils.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

Ken S LaTrans said:


> We live on 100 acres of desert heaven in our primary residence...and our only neighbor is one and one half miles away.
> 
> Our other home is in the mountains of northern Arizona on 300 acres...and our closest neighbor is nearly a mile away.
> 
> I like that.


The one big problem where we are is both of the closest emergency rooms are both over one hour away.


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## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Thats rough for seasoned citizens. Wife got elderly kin who moved to the boon docks to retire about 20 years ago..now they are in the 80s and sickly. Still way too far to the ER the store etc. Everybody needs to live in big towns. lol. We are five mins to anything.


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## Lunatic Wrench (May 13, 2018)

Seems wherever I live anymore these days I am the neighborhood watch.
Most everyone around me is the close the blinds and check that the door is locked type when they hear something. I'm the guy outside letting the undesirables know that it would be in their best interest to move on.


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## Ken S LaTrans (Jul 24, 2018)

rice paddy daddy said:


> The one big problem where we are is both of the closest emergency rooms are both over one hour away.


My wife is a trauma surgeon. I was cross trained as a medic on our SWAT team a hundred years ago. We have a bunch of US Army trauma kits. It lessens the impact of ER distance...provided she is home. But in actuality...there is an urgent care within 30 minutes.


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