Littleton Police Department revamping Neighborhood Watch program

The Littleton Police Department is revamping the Neighborhood Watch program in which citizens actively participate in the detection and prevention of criminal activity. A newly designed Neighborhood Watch sign will be available for purchase by active watch groups that wish to replace any existing signs, or add new signs to their watch area.

Neighborhood Watch has long been recognized as one of the most effective tools to prevent criminal activity in a community. In Neighborhood Watch, citizens are trained to recognize criminal activity and report these actions to the police department. By working with the police, and allowing them to apprehend criminals and stop criminal activity, citizens can directly affect the safety of their homes, their neighborhoods, and their city.

Criteria for a Neighborhood Watch program are:

• 50 percent participation of neighbors in the watch area.
• One meeting per year of the watch group participants.
• Three individuals to serve as block captains/group coordinators.

Neighborhood Watch participants will also receive a regular email of criminal activity in the city, along with crime prevention tips. Upon request, police personnel will attend community meetings to address ongoing concerns.

Those interested in developing a Neighborhood Watch program should survey their neighbors to establish a list of interested participants, designate three residents to serve as block captains and then contact the Littleton Police Department Community Outreach Unit, Sergeant Mitchell, 303-795-3712, or Officer Hoak at 303-734-8266.

A revitalized Neighborhood Watch will make Littleton a safer city by actively involving concerned citizens in a joint effort to detect and prevent criminal activity. The Littleton Police look forward to working with residents in a partnership to achieve this goal.