NCJ Number
129974
Journal
Police Chief Volume: 58 Issue: 5 Dated: (May 1991) Pages: 42-44
Date Published
1991
Length
3 pages
Annotation
In response to rising crime rates and increasing fear of crime among citizens, several types of community safety programs have arisen, the two best known of which are Neighborhood Watch and the Guardian Angels.
Abstract
Neighborhood Watch programs are usually initiated by citizens or police; members attend police-run classes on safety and self-protection and often organize neighborhood patrols while the police provide free security surveys, mark valuables with coded numbers, and designate the area through signs and decals. While participation in Neighborhood Watch programs is largely supported by police, the risk exists that members will take on a self-appointed vigilante role if police lack resources to follow-up on their initial crime prevention recommendations. Guardian Angel groups are more controversial because, although unarmed, they attempt to arrest felony suspects and hold them for police. They are also basically untrained and are uninsured against civil suits. A third alternative is volunteer police forces which are accountable to the police agency they serve, are trained and insured, and learn about the criminal justice system from the inside. 12 references