NCJ Number
96543
Date Published
1984
Length
46 pages
Annotation
Neighborhood Watches in one police district in Washington, D.C., were studied to determine how actively blocks were participating and the effectiveness of the watch program in reducing crime.
Abstract
A sample of 25 watches was randomly selected, all of which had been established by January 1982. Phone interviews with residents and onsite evaluations helped to guage the activity levels for these blocks. The Metropolitan Police Department provided a computer-generated run of reported crime data for the blocks in the sample. There was some evidence that, within relatively high crime areas, watches were more likely to be formed in more prosperous blocks and in those with a higher percentage of white residents. A significant minority of those blocks sporting Neighborhood Watch signs no longer had active, organized watch programs, and some may never have participated in any but the most limited manner. Most block watch captains believed that the watch program made residents feel more secure, and many believed that the program succeeded in deterring criminals. When reported crime figures were examined, there was no clear evidence that crime had dropped more rapidly in participating blocks than in those that were not participating in the Neighborhood Watch program. Reports of crime did not fall more rapidly in blocks with active watches than in those with inactive watches. Tables and 31 footnotes are provided.