Block Watch History
The National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC), founded in 1982 by Carl M. Loeb, Jr., is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to crime prevention. The council's mission is to help people create safer and more caring communities by addressing the causes of crime and reducing opportunities for it to occur.
A central part of its history and efforts is the management of the long-running, iconic public service campaign featuring McGruff the Crime Dog® and his famous slogan, "Take A Bite Out Of Crime®." Today, the NCPC continues to serve as the national voice for crime prevention, providing resources, programs, and training to communities across the country.
The modern concept of a neighborhood watch was popularized in the 1960s.
The National Neighborhood Watch Program (NNW), a division of the National Sheriffs' Association (NSA), is one of history's oldest and most well-known crime prevention efforts. While its roots trace back to Colonial-era night watchmen, the modern concept gained prominence in the late 1960s to combat rising burglary rates.
The NSA formalized the program in 1972 with federal funding, initially focusing on securing residential property. Today, it has evolved beyond just being "extra eyes and ears" to a proactive, community-oriented endeavor. It serves as a unique infrastructure where local officials, law enforcement, and citizens partner to reduce crime, address neighborhood issues, and improve the overall quality of life in their communities.
Many traditional Block Watch programs are designed first and foremost in response to burglaries. They are groups of neighbors actively participating to watch out for each other—in cooperation with law enforcement—to reduce crime and improve quality of life in a neighborhood.
Police simply can’t be everywhere at all times.
Working together with your neighbors can be a very effective way of deterring and disrupting crime & other anti-social activity in the neighborhood.
How it works:
Become acquainted with your neighbors.
Work together to identify & solve problems in the neighborhood.
Act as “eyes & ears” for police by being aware of and reporting unusual or suspicious activity. (Trust your gut, you know best what’s “normal” activity in your neighborhood.)
Implement crime prevention techniques for home and personal security.
Citizens leave apprehension to police.