Neighborhood Watch Program

In 2013, The Auburn Police Department along with community members developed a program, hosted training sessions, and launched the Neighborhood Watch program in a few areas of town. The results have been very positive.

The Watch Program is one of the oldest and best-known crime prevention concepts in the United States. It empowers residents to become active in community security efforts with the emphasis on recognizing unusual activity and reporting it accurately.    Neighborhood Watch is a crime prevention program that stresses education, awareness and proper action. The program informs citizens how to keep communities safe by identifying and reporting suspicious activity in their neighborhoods.  Most neighborhood crime prevention groups organize based on geography and neighborhood boundaries.

The success of the Neighborhood Watch relies on dedicated community members who are willing to keep their eyes and ears open, identify problems, strange activity and/or suspicious persons in their neighborhood and report it to the police department.

Those participating in the Neighborhood Watch are not a group of vigilantes or lawless people taking the law into their own hands nor do they take the place of police officers with enforcing law or apprehending criminals.  Rather the volunteers are partners with the police department in identifying behavior that may threaten community safety.