How to Start a Neighborhood Watch in Lubbock, Texas

The neighborhood watch is always something I've been curious about. I like to imagine it's some deep underground secret society who has members throughout the town that constantly monitor for signs of crime. While that might be a bit of an exaggeration, it's not too far from the truth.

How Does a Neighborhood Watch Start?

Good question. In Lubbock, it all starts with interest. Neighborhood watch is not mandatory, so if you are interested in starting a program, you'll need volunteers. These can't just be some random friends you know either, the group of neighbors should all have a reasonable view of each other's homes.

Once you have the group established, you then have to figure out what parts of the neighborhood you want to monitor. The main goal is to keep an eye out for any suspicious or legally questionable behavior.

One member of the group will most likely be elected to organize regular meetings and stay in contact with the local police department.

What Does the Neighborhood Watch Do?

It's important to remember that neighborhood watch is not the same as the police department. Those in the group cannot walk through the community with a gun and a badge arresting those they feel are guilty of crimes. Not only is this the role of police officers, but it also can put you in an unsafe situation that trained officers are prepared to handle.

Read More: Texas Police Codes You Should Definitely Know

The two main functions of neighborhood watch are to watch and report. Keeping an eye out for the safety of those in your community by reporting any illegal behavior is the key to a strong neighborhood watch program.

When contacting authorities, you will have three main options: request an officer checks the area, make reports about criminal behavior, or submit online crime tips through the city.

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Other things that members within a neighborhood watch group can do to improve their community's safety is to notify the city of the need to improve street lights, potholes, stray dogs, or even electrical dangers. These can be reported by dialing 311 in Lubbock. 

Always remember that anyone, even if they aren't a part of the neighborhood watch, can and should call 911 for any instances of criminal activity that they witness in their community.