Help Reduce Crime with FBCSO's Neighborhood Watch Program
July 18 2023
Did you know that the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office offers a Neighborhood Watch Program?
Neighborhood Watch promotes citizens involvement in discouraging and preventing residential and property crime.
The program uses citizen involvement to:
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Secure their own homes and personal property
- Report any suspicious activity to the Sheriff’s Office
- Increase public awareness through education.
Since its creation, it has brought a dramatic drop in the local residential crime rate.
Neighborhood Crime Facts
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Burglary, auto theft, rape, child molestation, and arson are the most prevalent neighborhood crimes.
- Household burglary is one of the easiest crimes to commit and prevent, but one of the hardest to solve.
- Over one-half of Law-Enforcement’s time is spent on investigating burglaries.
- Most home burglars are young amateurs and looking for easy targets.
- Statistics show that a large number of household burglaries are by non-forced entry.
- A majority of household burglaries occur during daylight hours.
- Household burglary has a high potential for death and/or injury in cases where a burglar is surprised by the homeowner.
- Read more about Fort Bend County Criminal Statistics.
Neighborhood watch operates to educate participants in the principles of:
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Deterrence
- Delay
- Detection
The Program depends on a communications network organized with four levels of participants:
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Residents
- Section Coordinators
- Block Captains
- Local Law-Enforcement Representative
Vigilante actions are in no way condoned by the Neighborhood Watch Program. No one is asked to take personal risks and/or be a hero.
Organizing a Program
- Visit your neighbors and tell them you are interested in discouraging crime in the neighborhood. Ask for help toward this goal.
- Organize a neighborhood meeting, and contact the Fort Bend County Crime Prevention representative and address the group. The phone number is 281-238-1536.
- Elect Block Captains and Section Coordinators.
- Block Captains should prepare a watch map listing, which includes names, addresses, telephone numbers, and license plate numbers and vehicle descriptions, for each residence in their block.
- Fifty percent and/or participation are recommended!
- Each homeowner must schedule a home security inspection. (Passing the inspection will qualify the homeowner to receive up to a 20% reduction off their homeowners insurance).
- Section Coordinators must provide the Sheriff’s Office with the names, addresses, and phone numbers of all block captains.
- Each Group must provide funds for the Crime Watch Signs, stickers, and engravers.
- Since awareness and involvement are the keys to a successful program, keeping interest high and continuing the groups Crime Prevention Education must be a primary focus of all participants.
Specific Duties
Block Captains/Section Coordinators
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Schedule periodic group meetings and encourage each homeowner to attend.
- Coordinators are required to forward minutes of each crime watch meeting to the crime prevention deputy
- Act as a liaison between homeowners and the Sheriff’s Office.
- Invite your Crime Prevention Deputy to address the group on other crime prevention programs.
- Coordinate home security inspections and Operation Identification.
- Contact new neighbors about the program.
- Keep the watch map data current.
Residents (Homeowners)
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Attend the program meetings and read the newsletters.
- Secure your homes and personal property. Follow the recommendations from the security inspection and participate in Operation Identification.
- Be Alert to Suspicious Activity and Report it Immediately to the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s Office Dispatch.
Neighborhood Crime Watch is a proven crime reduction program, but like any self-help activity, its success depends upon YOU and YOUR NEIGHBOR. For more information, please visit the FBCSO Neighborhood Watch Program webpage.
Source: FBCSO
