Neighborhood Watch
Neighborhood Watch is a great way to stay engaged with your neighbors and promote safety and security at the same time. While the APNA does not coordinate individual watch groups, we encourage the use of both national and local established resources as you develop your plan to form your own group.
Nationally: National Neighborhood Watch provides standardized resources you may find helpful.
Locally: In the Sacramento region, neighborhood watch(NW) programs are supported by local law enforcement. NW groups are typically groups of 8-15 houses/families, close enough that you can keep a physical eye on each other, and small enough that you can manage regular communication. You may opt to start an NW group on your street/block or group of connecting streets that are conducive to this kind of activity.
The following has been provided by the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department:
Neighborhood Watch Coordinator Responsibilities
To start a Neighborhood Watch (NW) group, a dedicated person will be required to take on the role of Neighborhood Watch Coordinator. The NW Coordinator will be responsible for organizing the group and helping to foster communication between neighbors. Ideally the NW Coordinator will serve as the liaison between sheriff’s office Crime Prevention Specialist and your group. Please refer to the Neighborhood Watch Coordinator Manual (link below) for additional guidance to get you started. The Manual provides more detail on critical pieces of forming a NW group on your street or block.
Neighborhood Map and Roster
Includes a map of your neighborhood group, along with a roster of neighbors which includes basic contact information (name, address, phone number, and email) for those interested in participating in the group. This is an important step in helping to establish the group and ensure effective communication. To gather this information, the NW Coordinator should go door to door and ask neighbors if they are interested in participating. If a neighbor chooses not to participate, please simply mark their address on the map as "Not Participating." For elderly neighbors, please consider their situation and offer to keep them informed by email or through a personal visit. Additionally, please note any relevant details such as:
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- Pets
- Security/alarm systems
- Surveillance systems (if applicable)
(This information is strictly confidential and will only be used for Neighborhood Watch purposes.)
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Meetings and Communication
You as the NW Coordinator should set the pace with your group, a kickoff meeting is often a great way to get everyone started. Once the roster is completed and submitted, the Sheriffs dept works with you as the NW Coordinator. Your group should establish regular communications that work for all - via email, or text, or in-person gatherings - and keep each other abreast of what is going on.
Local Tools and Info:
Local contact phone numbers:
For additional questions relative to Arden Park, please use the Contact Us feature here.