Neighborhood Watch is one of the most effective ways to help deter crime in your community. In order for police to do their job, they require information and more importantly need help from the citizens they serve. Citizens are a valuable resource to law enforcement. Quite often citizens provide information that assists law enforcement in preventing and solving crime.

Criminals have a tendency to target neighborhoods where it appears there are opportunities for crime. By belonging to a Neighborhood Watch group, you will be sending a message to potential criminals that you will not tolerate their activity in your neighborhood and that you will call the police. You and your neighbors are the people who are most familiar with what is going on in your neighborhood. You are also the eyes and ears of the Manteca Police Department. With Neighborhood Watch, your neighborhood will collaborate with the police to help you retain the neighborhood you desire.

Start a Neighborhood Watch Group in Your Neighborhood

Recruit and organize as many neighbors as possible.
The first step is talking to your fellow neighbors about starting a group. In order for neighborhood watch to be effective, you need participation from your neighbors. You need to contact as many as you can to determine if they are willing be become involved.

Contact the Manteca Police Department and schedule a meeting.
Call the crime prevention unit at 209-456-8164 and ask to start a Neighborhood Watch in your area and invite them to meet with your group. The Community Resource Officer will talk about how the police department works with the community on preventing crime, how they respond to crimes in progress, and how the investigation process works. The neighborhood participants also learn valuable information on how to prevent and deter common crimes, how to safely report suspicious activities, and how to develop their program into a continual success.

Once the neighborhood has completed its meeting and 50% of the neighborhood has attended the orientation meeting, the City of Manteca will put up Neighborhood Watch signs. These signs are placed at strategic locations in and around the neighborhood.