For over four years the Sheriff’s Office has offered a Neighborhood Watch program to the citizens of Forsyth County. Currently we have over 150 neighborhoods certified or in the process of being certified throughout the county.
It is important to point out that a Neighborhood Watch Program is by no means a guarantee that crime will cease within your subdivision. It does however inform residents on how to reduce the chances from becoming a victim of a crime. It also acts as a strong deterrent to criminals that might want to choose your subdivision to commit their crimes.
Once a neighborhood completes the certification process, signs are placed at the entrance to the subdivision to let potential criminals know that this neighborhood has an active neighborhood watch program. FBI statistics show that a subdivision that has an active neighborhood watch is 43% less likely to become a target of criminal activity in the area.
Neighborhood Watch is not just about the signs, but the education process behind the program. For example, there are three things that must be present for a criminal act to occur:
- A criminal must have the DESIRE to commit a crime.
- A criminal must have the ABILITY to commit that crime.
- A criminal must have the OPPORTUNITY to execute the crime.
There is little we can do as citizens to proactively address a criminal’s Desire and/or Ability to commit a crime. However, there are easy steps we can take as individuals and neighbors to reduce a criminals Opportunity to act. Through the Neighborhood Watch Program residents will have the opportunity to learn how not to become victims of crime.
We utilize a series of effective crime prevention presentations (Home & Personal Crime prevention, Child Abduction Prevention, Rape Prevention, Identity Theft, Child Identification/Fingerprinting, Child Stranger/Danger, Ladies Self Defense, Internet Safety for children etc.) residents are taught easily applied steps on how to protect themselves, their family, and their neighborhood from becoming victims of crime.
On top of the presentations, residents are also informed of issues and precautions in their neighborhood and surround areas through an effective communication tree between the Sheriff’s Office and the citizens of Forsyth County. This will allow all Residents who participate in the Neighborhood Watch Program to:
· Be informed, and know the facts, thus reducing rumors from spreading.
· Take precautions so that they will not fall victim to the same crime.
· Be on the lookout, and notify the Sheriffs Office (911) if you see suspicious activity.
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