Neighborhood Watch

A neighborhood watch program is a group of people living in the same area who want to make their neighborhood safer by working together in conjunction with local law enforcement to reduce crime and improve their quality of life. Neighborhood Watch does more than fight crime -- it prevents crime. 

The Alhambra Neighborhood Watch Program enlists the community's active participation to work cooperatively with the Alhambra Police Department to reduce neighborhood crime and learn about the latest crime prevention techniques, tools, and crime trends. Studies show a significant reduction in burglaries and auto thefts in those neighborhoods with active Neighborhood Watch groups.

How It Works

1. Recruit and Organize as many neighbors as possible.
   Get together and schedule a meeting date, time, and location. The meeting can be held at your house, front yard, community park, etc. Try to keep your watch group confined to your immediate neighborhood. Coordinate with surrounding streets, and if they are interested, help them form a group! If your block is mostly single-family homes, invite neighbors on both sides of the street and adjacent corners. If you live in an apartment or condominium complex include everyone in your building and in the adjacent buildings as space permits.
2. Contact your Alhambra Police Department
   Fill out the form below to have your Area Commander attend your first meeting. We will present crime statistics in your area and answer any questions you may have. Be sure to follow your Alhambra PD on social media for information happening throughout the City. Flyers announcing the date, time, location, and topic of your meeting can be made available to you and should be distributed in person 7 to 10 days prior to the meeting. Solicit the help of neighbors to pass out the flyers.
3. Discuss Community Concerns and Develop an Action Plan
   Talk about what is going on in the community. Invite speakers from the Fire Department, Code Enforcement, Alarm Companies, Contractors, and security specialists to your meetings. 
4. Create a Communication Plan
   It is important to decide what type of communication will work for your watch group. Join your neighborhood on Nextdoor. Your group should meet on regular basis at alternate locations. Everyone in the house should have an active role, even children.

• Know Your Neighbor Brochure in English
• Know Your Neighbor Brochure in Chinese
• Know Your Neighbor Brochure in Spanish
• Know Your Neighbor Brochure in Vietnamese

Responsibilities of a Block Captain

As a Block Captain, you are the main point of contact for your neighbors and the Alhambra Police Department. We will occasionally send out information to you, and it is your responsibility to distribute that information accordingly to your group. 

• You will be required to keep all contact information current and up-to-date. 
• Welcome new residents into your neighborhood, provide them with Neighborhood Watch information, and invite them to join your next meeting.
• Each group is different. How you manage your group is entirely up to you. Meet on a regular basis, host a block party, create a neighborhood newsletter, etc. 
• Designate a co-captain or alternate the post of Block Captain annually. 
• If your neighborhood is experiencing problems, we ask that you maintain a log of the issue and contact your Area Commander. 

While this does sound time-consuming, the reward is well worth the effort. You are ensuring a safer community, peace of mind, and being part of the solution.