crime prevention
Neighbors Unite to Prevent and Reduce Crime in Estrella
Written by Resident Jen Barber
Social media lights up whenever criminals attempt to target the Estrella area. We live in a growing city and that means growing challenges. The good news is that Estrella residents have a way of watching out for each other to reduce - and even prevent crime.
Goodyear’s Neighborhood Crime Watch program is meant to help residents just like us.
Seven years ago, our community made this program, then called “Block Watch”, a goal for each and every neighborhood. It was wildly popular and widely discussed, but less than 10% of the neighborhoods got involved.
After a recent rash of home and vehicle break-ins, Arroyo Vista became the third neighborhood in Estrella to kickstart an active watch program. They join La Mirada and Serenity neighborhoods. “Overall, EMR is one of the communities within Goodyear that tends to operate like one big “block watch.” It has that “small town feel,” as many neighbors and business owners know one another,” says Lisa Kutis, Public Information Officer with the Goodyear Police Department. Goodyear has a total of 20 neighborhoods participating in watch programs.
Written by Resident Jen Barber
Social media lights up whenever criminals attempt to target the Estrella area. We live in a growing city and that means growing challenges. The good news is that Estrella residents have a way of watching out for each other to reduce - and even prevent crime.
Goodyear’s Neighborhood Crime Watch program is meant to help residents just like us.
Seven years ago, our community made this program, then called “Block Watch”, a goal for each and every neighborhood. It was wildly popular and widely discussed, but less than 10% of the neighborhoods got involved.
After a recent rash of home and vehicle break-ins, Arroyo Vista became the third neighborhood in Estrella to kickstart an active watch program. They join La Mirada and Serenity neighborhoods. “Overall, EMR is one of the communities within Goodyear that tends to operate like one big “block watch.” It has that “small town feel,” as many neighbors and business owners know one another,” says Lisa Kutis, Public Information Officer with the Goodyear Police Department. Goodyear has a total of 20 neighborhoods participating in watch programs.
“REMEMBER: Community members only serve as the extra “eyes and ears” of law enforcement. They should report their observations of suspicious activities to law enforcement; however, citizens should never try to take action on those observations. Trained law enforcement should be the only ones ever to take action based on observations of suspicious activities,” USAonWatch - National Neighborhood Watch Program
One of the benefits of having a neighborhood crime watch is the one-on-one communication with our local law enforcement. Kutis says, “Often, the Community Services Officer is the first point of contact for block watch residents to turn to with non-emergency related items. The residents themselves build better relationships and trust with law enforcement when they get to know their Community Services Officers.”
Communication is the key to a successful neighborhood watch. To find out how you can kickstart a neighborhood watch on your street, please visit the Goodyear Police Department’s website at http://www.goodyearaz.gov/government/police-department.
For more info about the program in Arroyo Vista:
Arroyo Vista Neighborhood Crime Watch
http://avnwatch.weebly.com/
Contact: [email protected]
Communication is the key to a successful neighborhood watch. To find out how you can kickstart a neighborhood watch on your street, please visit the Goodyear Police Department’s website at http://www.goodyearaz.gov/government/police-department.
- Click on “Community Policing”
- Click on “Neighborhood Watch” and follow the instructions
For more info about the program in Arroyo Vista:
Arroyo Vista Neighborhood Crime Watch
http://avnwatch.weebly.com/
Contact: [email protected]
Steps to setting up a crime watch in your neighborhood
1. As neighbors, talk about the interest level in starting an active neighborhood crime watch.
2. Contact the Goodyear Police Department. We were put in touch with Officer Nottingham who met with a handful of us to talk about the do's and don'ts of the program.
3. We contacted the Starpointe Residents Club to reserve a meeting room and scheduled a date and time we thought would work for most neighbors.
4. The coordinating residents met several times to set an agenda and prepare a PowerPoint presentation.
5. We accessed a resident email list and established a private Facebook group page to keep neighbors informed.
6. We met and had a successful meeting. The Goodyear Police officer was our guest speaker. We also explained the benefit of using RAIDS Online as a crime tracking tool.
2. Contact the Goodyear Police Department. We were put in touch with Officer Nottingham who met with a handful of us to talk about the do's and don'ts of the program.
3. We contacted the Starpointe Residents Club to reserve a meeting room and scheduled a date and time we thought would work for most neighbors.
4. The coordinating residents met several times to set an agenda and prepare a PowerPoint presentation.
5. We accessed a resident email list and established a private Facebook group page to keep neighbors informed.
6. We met and had a successful meeting. The Goodyear Police officer was our guest speaker. We also explained the benefit of using RAIDS Online as a crime tracking tool.
