Racine Neighborhood Watch
RACINE — In July 2023, Racine Neighborhood Watch Inc. (RNW) will celebrate its 40th anniversary — four decades committed to working with residents to create and maintain “safe, friendly, and attractive neighborhoods throughout the Racine community.” Helping neighbors establish neighborhood block watches is the heart and cornerstone of the organization.
The roots of neighborhood watch as a program go as far back as colonial times when night watchmen patrolled the streets to keep settlers and settlements safe. In 1972, the National Sheriff’s Association, in response to increasing home burglary rates, created National Neighborhood Block Watch. The strategic program was initially developed as a partnership between citizens and law enforcement to remedy robberies and break-ins. In its first two years, the program distributed information about the nature and volume of burglaries and provided education about securing residential properties.
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Organized blocks
Today’s neighborhood block watch provides crime prevention and safety information far beyond burglary prevention. An organized block is one where neighbors have received education and training from RNW about personal and neighborhood crime prevention and safety, how and when to report suspicious people and activities to law enforcement, and best practices for keeping neighbors engaged, connected and informed.
A neighborhood block watch is comprised of a majority of neighbors who want to make their neighborhood safer by working with each other and alongside local law enforcement to reduce crime and improve their quality of life. A traditional block watch boundaries include all residents of one city block, odd and even sides of the street, corner to corner.
COP houses
In some urban neighborhood areas with socioeconomic and safety challenges, it is difficult to identify neighbors with a vested interest in collaborating on a neighborhood block watch program. The number of troublemakers or bad actors residing in a neighborhood may outnumber those families and homeowners who are committed to the neighborhoods they call home. RNW is directly involved in providing the same neighborhood block watch education and best practices for those who don’t live in a neighborhood that fits the “typical” description. RNW facilitates monthly meetings at six City of Racine and one Village of Mount Pleasant COP houses.
COP house meetings focus on developing resident participation in crime prevention and community building. Most meeting participants reside in larger areas around COP house locations: however, RNW meetings are open to the public. The meetings provide a positive and safe place for neighbors to meet, share experiences, discuss neighborhood issues and concerns with each other and law enforcement, group problem-solve solutions and put those ideas into action, and build a relationship with the assigned COP officer. A local resident serves as a volunteer chairperson and conducts the interactive meeting following an agenda that includes information sharing and reports from neighbors, the COP officer and RNW.
Building relationships
RNW organizes and empowers residents to take responsibility for the neighborhoods in which they live — wherever they live. RNW is a catalyst for long-term stabilization in all neighborhoods by building relationships with residents, improving the quality of life, reducing crime and empowering citizens to take back their neighborhoods.
RNW promotes positive law enforcement-neighbor communication and relationships to reduce crime. RNW provides educational and informational materials that build observation and reporting skills, enhance knowledge of local concerns, and addresses issues of current interest for residents through neighborhood block watch organizational meetings, RNW meetings held at COP houses and monthly emails sent to block watch captains.
For more information about RNW and its mission, the neighborhood block watch program or a schedule of monthly RNW meetings held throughout the community, email [email protected], call 262-637-5711, or message on the RNW Facebook page, facebook. com/RacineNeighborhoodWatch.
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