Neighborhood Watch Program

The Terrorism Awareness and Prevention Program was originally developed at the request of and in support of Pennsylvania’s neighborhood and crime watches. For over 30 years, the Neighborhood Watch Program has brought together community residents and local law enforcement to help prevent crime in our neighborhoods. Working together, citizens of the Neighborhood Watch Program and officers have raised awareness of criminal activity within their communities and within the nation.

Within the past 10 years, Neighborhood Watch Programs have gone beyond protecting their community and reporting suspicious individuals. Members of a Neighborhood Watch Program have helped organize community activities for seniors and children, rewrite local government policies, and have managed local food and clothing drives. Some Neighborhood Watch Programs have started safe houses and emergency units within their communities.

More recently, members of the Neighborhood Watch have taken on a new role, the defense of our homeland. With the growing threat of terrorism in the U.S., it seems natural to ask our Neighborhood Watches to add terrorism to the list of crimes they are alert for. After all, does it matter whether that suspicious activity is leading to terrorism, illegal drugs, or a burglary. All are crimes and should be reported.

Members of neighborhood and crime watches are our first line of defense! For more information on starting a Neighborhood Watch Program contact the National Sheriffs’ Association.