Calling all concerned citizens. Do you have a Block Watch program in place on your block? If you do THANKS! If not, we here at the Wauwatosa Police Department need your help. We need your help in starting up a Block Watch program on your block and being a Block Watch Captain. At no cost to you and just a little effort, you and your neighbors can help reduce the opportunity for criminals to commit crimes in your neighborhood.

What is a Block Watch? It is a crime prevention program that enlists the active participation of citizens, in cooperation with law enforcement, to reduce residential crime. You may hear it call Neighborhood Watch, Block Watch, Home Alert or Citizen Crime Watch; but they are all the same idea with the same goals in mind.

What is a Block Watch Captain asked to do?

 

1. We ask that you take a blank block watch map and go door to door, introduce yourself and the Block Watch Program to your neighbors and gather each household’s name, address and phone number. After you gather the information you will return it to the Wauwatosa Police Department’s Community Support Division. Once the information is entered into our database you will receive several type written copies for every neighbor’s record

 

1. Either you or a Co-Capitan, (Co-Capitan is not a requirement), would be asked to host an introductory Block Watch Meeting in which one or two Community Policing Officers from the Wauwatosa Police Department would come and speak to everyone attending. At the meeting we will further explain the Block Watch Program and the Police Department’s expectations. We will also address any current crime trends as well as home and personal safety and will answer any questions posed by the participants. At this meeting Block Watch signs will be distributed to all participants. If  no one wants to host a meeting, that meeting may be held here at the police department.

 

1. Deliver our quarterly newsletter to the Block Watch participants on your block. We will deliver a package of newsletters to your home at the time of publishing. These newsletters are chock full of information that includes crime prevention tips, crime trends and upcoming community events.

That’s it, that’s all it takes! This is a proven program with proven ideals that can help in preventing crime in your neighborhood. A strong orgnainzed neighborhood will send the criminals to a neighborhood that is not as strong and organized.

Do you have further questions? Do you want to get a Block Watch started? Do you want to revitalize a current Block Watch? Then call the Wauwatosa Police Department at 414-471-8430 and ask to speak to someone in Community Support!

Wauwatosa is a great city with an abundance of beautiful, safe and peaceful neighborhoods. In Wauwatosa’s neighborhoods we tend to practice the traditions that those of us born 35 plus years ago learned from our parents and neighbors as we were growing up; we get to know our neighbors. Getting to know them builds mutual respect. We are also more inclined to help out when we can and sometimes we even make life long friends. Getting to know our neighbors also lends itself to us being more conscious of our behavior and how it might impact those living around us.

Recently it has come to the attention of the Wauwatosa Police Department’s Community Support Division that some of our neighbors are, on occasion, forgetting how to be good, respectful neighbors. This little dilemma brings up two discussion points:

First, how should neighbors behave when living in a tight urban setting like Wauwatosa?

• If you should be out enjoying the night life and come home late at night, or early the next morning; please remember to turn off the music in your car and all conversation should be held in a whisper.

• When talking outdoors remember there may be young ears tuned in, please use appropriate language.

• Pets should not be allowed outside unattended. Noisy pets need to be trained; the excessive pet noise ordinance is enforceable 24 hours a day.

• When walking your dog, you must have some means to pick up the dog’s waste on your person. And, you must pick up any dog waste.

• When returning home from work or errands in your vehicle and traveling on residential streets, turn your music down and become more aware of the fact that children may run out into the street after errant balls or other toys.

Second, how do we handle the situation if our neighbors are not being good neighbors?

• Talk to them, if you are not comfortable going alone take another neighbor along.

• Be courteous and diplomatic when explaining your concerns.

• If after attempting to resolve the issue with them the problem persists; then you should contact the police the next time the nuisance or disturbance is taking place.