COMMUNITY WATCH

Starting a Community Watch is simple to do.  Most communities begin their community watch program with a start-up meeting.   This start up meeting is designed so the community can meet the Police Officers assigned to their area and so the Crime Prevention Officer can provide general information about crime prevention.     

The primary goal of a Community Watch program is to unite the community in theft and crime prevention.   It is crucial for the lines of communication to be open, to ensure information is provided to all in the community.  To help with this a Chair Person and Block Leaders are needed.  

The purpose of a Chair Person is to be the liaison for the community with the Police Department.  The Block Leaders will assist the Chair Person with disseminating information throughout the community.  

A Block Leader may be one person per apartment building or street (10 to 20 homes).

If the street is short, it is suggested to merge it with another street, and if it is long split it into smaller sections.  Each Community Watch Group will be issued a Huntersville Police Department Community Crime Watch sign (one for every entrance to the community).  

A Community Watch Group can meet as often as they wish; once a month, every other month, once a quarter, semester or year.   The key to having a community watch is to know what your community will support.   You as a group do not want to meet so often that you burn out, but you don’t want to meet so rarely that you lose interest.   

A good way to keep the interest is to provide community newsletters and activities.   These activities need to be at least twice a year if possible.   The activities also need to be community oriented, not just for singles, couples, families, young or old, but all if possible.

It could be a community dance, block or community parties, child programs, community fireworks in the summer (permits needed) or cookouts.

If we can be of assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the Huntersville Police for support.  You and the Huntersville Police Department, partners for a safer community. 

To request an officer to come to your community watch meeting, please click here.