You Asked, Patch Answers: Neighborhood Watch

With in the past month, that active neighborhood watches would help prevent crime.

We decided to look into best practices for neighborhood watches, and on Thursday, . 

Now, we've talked to Corporal Elena Dominguez-Brennan to get the best tips on how to create an effective neighborhood watch.

According to Dominguez-Brennan, the responsibility to organize these groups lies with community members, not the police department. But once the groups are organized, the police department begins to assist the groups by attending meetings and supplying information.

“Ideally, you want to have a group of at least 10 to 15 people for it to be effective,” Dominguez-Brennan said. “Once we get a group, I encourage them to meet at least quarterly, unless they have a crime trend and there’s a specific issue going on.”

caused several neighborhoods to push the panic button, and Dominguez-Brennan is encouraging the community to reverse its trend of simply being reactive.

“What I tell everyone that I talk to is that they need to be proactive before the problems start,” Dominguez-Brennan said. “It’s kind of pointless to have these meetings after the fact.”

Dominguez-Brennan suggests that once communities do organize neighborhood watch groups, they should adopt a strict meeting schedule based on their specific needs.

She also suggests that meetings be held in the evening on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays.

One concern expressed by Dominguez-Brennan is that some neighborhood watch groups encounter roadblocks when neighbors are hesitant to share personal information with others, such as email addresses and inviting others into their homes.

“That’s just kind of the culture we’re in nowadays,” Dominguez-Brennan said.

Dominguez-Brennan suggested that neighborhood watch groups adopt some form of hierarchy system, such as appointing a president or board members. From there, create an email tree that keep the Corporal and other group members in the loop.

“The most effective groups that I have, they usually keep me in the loop,” Dominguez-Brennan said. “I’m cc’d on all the emails."

IN BRIEF: To get the most out of your neighborhood watch, Dominguez-Brennan suggests:

• Be proactive: don't wait for a crime to occur before starting your neighborhood watch
• Organize a group of 10-15 people
• Appoint a president or board members
• Set up a regular meeting on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday evenings, and meet at least every three months.
• Notify Dominguez-Brennan about your neighborhood watch and copy her on group emails: elena.dominguez@ssf.net

For more information on organizing a neighborhood watch in your community, you can contact Corporal Elena Dominguez-Brennan at (650) 829-3931 or Elena.dominguez@ssf.net.