BVNA, working in partnership with SJPD, has taken steps to set up a neighborhood watch meeting. Neighborhood Watch focuses on informing the community how to discourage, deter and prevent crimes such as burglary, auto theft, car break-ins, and personal crimes which often occur in or near homes. Issues such as vandalism, graffiti, drug dealing and gang activity are also addressed when applicable.
Neighborhood Watch groups usually start with a two-hour meeting with police, where they discuss police districts and beats, crime trends in the area and how to react to suspicious activity. Neighbors can exchange phone numbers and e-mail addresses to alert each other if they see suspicious activity, and they can plan future meetings on their own. Authorities also talk about such home security measures as lighting, alarms and types of locks, and residents can get Neighborhood Watch stickers for their front windows and street signs if enough people participate.
The San Jose Police Department's Crime Prevention Unit has provided Neighborhood Watch Presentations to neighborhood groups for nearly 25 years. Although crime trends have changed since the 1970's, the basic principle behind Neighborhood Watch remains the same; to bring communities together with the police to achieve the common goal of preventing crime.
The meeting will be open to the public and will be held at someone’s home; specifics about the time and location will be made available as they are hammered out.
As a lead-in to the event, we are looking to collect information from neighbors so we can understand what the neighborhoods areas of concern are. Please take a moment to fill out the survey:
The Santa Clara County DA's Office has penned an open letter to the community regarding how to properly respond to criminal activity which is available online here.