The Neighborhood Watch Program is a partnership forged between neighbors and the Oakland Police Department to improve safety and prevent crime.
Forming a Neighborhood Watch group on your block is the first step towards making and keeping your neighborhood safe. Anyone who lives in Oakland can participate in Neighborhood Watch whether you live in an apartment, condominium complex, townhouse, or a single family home.
Oakland Police Department representatives lead neighbors through two training sessions: 1: Preventing Burglaries and 2: Self-Protection and use of the 911 emergency line. Subjects covered include:
- Who your neighbors are and how to work with them to prevent crime
- How to use a neighborhood map and roster to communicate
- How and why crime happens
- How to improve home security and personal safety
- How to recognize and report suspicious activity
- How active Neighborhood Watch groups with visible Neighborhood Watch signs can deter crime
- What the Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) in your beat is and what it does.
Once residents on a block finish the training, they select one or more block captains to schedule meetings and keep communication flowing. Block captains also work closely with the OPD Neighborhood Services Coordinator for their beat.
Your Neighborhood Services Coordinator would also be more than happy to help canvas your block with you to start building face to face relationships and encourage turnout for the Neighborhood Watch training meetings.
If you have further questions, please contact Neighborhood Services Coordinator, Hoang Banh, at 238-6566 or hbanh@oaklandnet.com.
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Comments
I’ve responded off-line to Elbert, sending him a couple of contacts for community members who were involved in the successful battle to close Al’s Liquors in West Oakland in the fall of 2004.