The Wilkes Barre Crime Watch Coalition was formed in 1995. The Coalition consists of 13 Crime Watch groups that meet on a monthly basis to resolve problems in their neighborhoods through educational programs. The Coalition works closely with the Police and Fire Departments along with City administration.
There is a $1 yearly membership fee to join the Wilkes-Barre Crime Watch Coalition.
Each individual Crime Watch consists of a:
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Coordinator,
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Block Captains,
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and individual members.
The Coordinator:
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serves as a liaison between the Police Department's Crime Prevention Officer, who attends all monthly meetings, and the block captains
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Is responsible for disseminating information from the Police Department to the block captains.
The Block Captains:
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serve as a liaison between the Coordinator and the residents,
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help to recruit new members,
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and assist the coordinator in planning and conducting meetings and activities.
New Block Captains are always welcome and needed.
The individual members are responsible for:
Crime Watch is one of the most effective and least costly ways to prevent crime.
The purposes of the Wilkes-Barre Crime Watch Coalition are:
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Prevention of crime
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Greater awareness of crime
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Reporting of suspicious activities
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Promote neighborliness by encouraging neighbors to observe the properties of others
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Serve as a network by which the Police Department can collect information on crime
Neighborhood Watch fights the isolation that crime both creates and feeds upon. It forges bonds among area residents, helps reduce burglaries and robberies, and improves relations between police and the communities they serve.
Crime Watch is extremely effective because we are the "eyes and ears" for the police. People who live in a particular area are more sensitive to who belongs there and who doesn't. They can recognize a "new face" or a "different car" frequenting the neighborhood. Generally, they know when their neighbors are away on vacation or at work. They also know when something is suspect.
An alert and cooperative neighborhood is the greatest single defense against crime. By getting to know your neighbors and their vehicles, suspicious people, vehicles and/or sounds will alert you to the possibility of criminal activity. Promptly reported to the police, your alert cooperation may save a neighbor from the trauma of burglary, vandalism or assault.
In addition to recognizing potential suspicious activities, Neighborhood Watch participants report such activity by calling 911.
All of this doesn't make you a nosey neighbor - it makes you a good neighbor in the old-fashioned sense of the word.
Many people don't want to bother the police because they are afraid that it may not be a real emergency or that they may be embarrassed if their suspicions turn out to be unfounded.
The police would much rather be called out to investigate than to be called after a crime has been committed. When in doubt, always call 911. The 911-dispatch center is staffed with trained operators who will evaluate your call, rank its priority, and dispatch it to the appropriate officer.
Neighborhood Watch does NOT mean being a vigilante. Participants do not confront suspects or take any personal risks at all.
EDUCATION LEADS TO CRIME PREVENTION!!!!!
Plan to attend every neighborhood watch meeting that is held by the Wilkes-Barre Police Department and your local neighborhood.
If you have any questions please see our Frequently Asked Questions page or call the Wilkes-Barre Crime Watch Coalition at 570-208-8900.
Remember to close your curtains in the evening when your lights are on so strangers can't see into your home. See more Safety Tips here.
