San Diego County Sheriff’s
Office
Neighborhood Watch
Program Overview
Why Neighborhood
Watch?
Heather Mitchell, Crime Prevention Unit
June 3, 2025
• The Importance of Neighborhood Watch-
Strong and Healthy Neighborhoods
• History of the Program
• What is Neighborhood Watch
• Starting a Neighborhood Watch
• Reporting Suspicious Activity
• Get Connected
Strong and Healthy
Neighborhoods
• Creating a sense of security is a vital
feature of neighborhood safety
• About one in four residents enjoy
formal and informal connections to the
communities they live in
• People are willing to be part of the
solution when it comes to
neighborhood safety
Background
• Neighborhood Watch is a community-based
program in partnership with your local law
enforcement agencies
• Since it’s inception in 1972, thousands of
communities have established a Neighborhood
Watch and reduced crime in their
neighborhoods
• According to a 2008 report from the U.S. Justice
Department, “there was a 16% decrease in crime
within NW communities”
Neighbors Working in a Program of
Mutual Assistance with Local Law
Enforcement
Citizen Training in Reporting
Suspicious Activity
Implementation of Crime
Prevention Techniques
Neighbors Looking Out for One
Another
What is
Neighborhood
Watch
Starting A
Neighborhood
Watch
• Talk To Your Neighbors
• Create A Neighborhood Team Captain
• Contact Your Local San Diego County Sheriff’s Office Crime Prevention Unit • Set A Date For Your First Meeting
• Establish A Communication Plan
Reporting Suspicious
Activity
Report incidents
immediately
Suspicious vehicle,
person, package
Briefly Describe
(who, what, when,
where, how)
Type of vehicle,
direction of travel
Do not hang up until
directed by the
dispatcher
Answer the
dispatcher’s questions
Reporting Suspicious Activity
9-1-1 Emergency
Crimes in Progress
Medical Emergencies
Fire Department
Getting Connected
Creating Your Communication
Plan
Who is in your Neighborhood
Watch Group?
Stay Connected with
us @SDSOPoway
Ensure your group can
easily access information
Keep your contacts,
and information
current
Home Security Assessments
It is one of the most
important steps to keeping
your neighborhood and
residence crime free
Contact your Crime
Prevention Specialist for a
free security assessment of
your residence
“If it’s
suspicious to
you, it’s
suspicious to
us”
-SDSO Crime Prevention Unit
Questions
Heather Mitchell, Crime Prevention Unit
(760)451-3124
Thank You
www.sdsheriff.gov
[email protected]
(858)276-8785
[email protected]