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Madison Police Department
Policing in partnership with our community

HOW TO START A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

  1. A representative/block captain of a targeted area should contact the Madison Police Department Crime Prevention Office at 266-4238.
  2. The representative/block captain will then meet with the Crime Prevention Officer to determine the number of homes represented in the target area on the date and time of the first Neighborhood Watch meeting.
  3. The Crime Prevention Officer will then provide the representative/ block captain with Neighborhood Watch meeting invitations and the Neighborhood Watch pamphlets.
  4. The representative/block captain will then fill out and deliver invitations, pamphlets, and a cover letter to each resident in the targeted area, announcing the date, time and place of the Neighborhood Watch meeting.
  5. The Crime Prevention Officer will then attend the Neighborhood Watch meeting with the representative/block captain and residents, explaining the requirements of the Madison Police Department Neighborhood Watch Program, including the merits of Operation Identification, Home Lighting and the proper way to report crime.

    Madison Police Department
    Neighborhood Watch Requirements

    1. Attend a presentation on Neighborhood Watch (either by Crime Prevention Officer or trained block captain), thus making a commitment to report crime.
    2. Complete a Burglary Prevention Checklist.
    3. Participate in Operation identification.
  6. The block captain will then go to each house in the targeted area.

    Block Captain Responsibilities

    1. Explain program (to those who did not attend meeting), discussing the requirements of the program including the need for each resident to commit to reporting crime.
    2. Drop off Security Checklist, instructing resident to complete.
    3. Drop off Operation Identification engraver; pick up when finished.
    4. Keep records of participating residents.
    5. Act as liaison to the police department.
  7. When each resident has completed Operation Identification, the block captain will re-contact the Crime Prevention Officer with completed block maps in order to obtain stickers.

    Neighborhood Watch Sticker Requirements

    1. If less than 50% of targeted area participates, each participating resident will receive an Operation Identification sticker.
    2. If 50% or more of targeted area participates, each participating resident will receive a Neighborhood Watch sticker.
  8. If the targeted area has 70% or more participation, the Crime Prevention Officer will then meet with the representative/block captain in the targeted neighborhood to help identify possible locations for placement of Neighborhood Watch street signs.

    Neighborhood Watch Sign Requirements

    1. The cost of the Neighborhood Watch signs will be the responsibility of the neighborhood.
    2. The Madison Police Department Crime Prevention Office in conjunction with the City of Madison Traffic Engineering Department will assist the neighborhood in obtaining the signs.
    3. It is the responsibility of the neighborhood to maintain a minimum of 70% participation in the program in order to keep the signs Posted.
    4. The Madison Police Department Crime Prevention Office will provide periodic checks to insure 70% participation in the Neighborhood Watch program.
    5. If a neighborhood falls below 70% participation, the Madison Police Department Crime Prevention Office will make arrangements for the signs to be removed until 70% participation is once again obtained.
  9. After sign locations have been determined, the Crime Prevention Officer will contact the City of Madison Traffic Engineering Department requesting confirmation and cost of sign placement.
  10. Upon receiving confirmation and cost of sign placement the from the Traffic Engineering Department, the Crime Prevention officer will then re-contact the representative/block captain to inform him/her of cost and placement of the signs.
  11. The representative/block captain will collect money from the residents from within the Neighborhood Watch targeted area and will turn the money in to the Crime Prevention Officer.
  12. The Crime Prevention Officer will request Traffic Engineering to install the sign(s), and Traffic Engineering will in turn bill the Crime Prevention Office.
  13. The Crime Prevention Nicer will also regulate the number of signs to be posted in any given area, taking into consideration the size of the area and strategic locations of signs.
Capt. Wheeler
Jim Wheeler
Captain of Police