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375th SFS seeks Neighborhood Watch members

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Justin Heitzmann
  • 375th Security Forces Squadron
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  

The 375th Security Forces Squadron is dedicated to ensuring the safety of our community and those who depend on active crime prevention methodologies throughout the installation. 

For this reason, the 375th Security Forces Squadron is calling on you to be part of Scott AFB’s Crime Prevention Program via the Neighborhood Watch Program, also known as the Crime Watch Program. 

WHAT IS NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH? 

Since 1972, when the National Sheriffs’ Association implemented the program, Neighborhood Watch has meant neighbors looking out for each other, working on neighborhood problems, and making themselves safer. Members learn how to work with law enforcement, report suspicious activity, prevent or reduce crime and become the "eyes and ears" for law enforcement. 

The goal of Neighborhood Watch is to reduce crime by educating the community, increasing reporting, and improving communication among neighbors.  Communication is also vital between the neighborhood itself and Security Forces. 

Neighborhoods that are willing to communicate and interact with each other are better able to identify and report suspicious activity, therefore deterring potential criminal activity. 

You and your neighbors are the ones who really know what is going on in your community.  By cooperating with each other and Law Enforcement, citizens can help fight crime in their neighborhood in the most effective way:  before it begins. 

WHY GET INVOLVED? 

You and your family will be safer. Neighborhood Watch will provide guidance on leading your family through a fire drill, preparing a disaster preparedness plan, and assembling a disaster supplies kit. When you work with your neighbors in Watch activities, you’ll learn to look out for latchkey children and neighborhood patrons and, in return, you’ll learn who’s looking out for you.  

You’ll help reduce crime. An empty house in a neighborhood where none of the neighbors know the owner is a prime target for burglary. Throughout the country, dramatic decreases in burglary and related offenses are reported by law enforcement professionals in communities with active Watch programs. 

You’ll have a way to get help addressing neighborhood problems that concern you. Neighborhood Watch serves as a springboard for efforts that address concerns such as recreation for youth, child care, and traffic safety. 

You can learn new skills and get experience using them. You’ll learn crime prevention skills, including the ability to be the eyes and ears for law enforcement.

Your whole family can get involved.  There’s a role for everyone in Neighborhood Watch. Young children can pick up litter and take part in safety programs designed just for them. Youth can teach younger children how to stay safe. Retirees can operate telephone trees, write newsletters, and keep an eye out for daytime problems. 

If you are interested in becoming a valued member of the crime prevention team, and would like to become certified as your neighborhood’s Crime Watch representative, please contact the NCOIC of Police Services, Staff Sgt. Justin Heitzmann at (618) 256-3674 or via official email.  You can also anonymously report crime through our Crime Stop Hotline at (618) 256-1160. 

Pre-requisites for participation consideration: 

1)      Must reside in one of Scott’s housing districts (on-base)

2)      Must attend certification training provided by Security Forces Crime Prevention Manger 

NOTES FROM THE 375 SECURITY FORCES CRIME PREVENTION MANAGER: 

Let's all work together to help eliminate neighborhood crime. Please watch out for these activities in our neighborhood: 

1) Someone running from a car or home.

2) Someone screaming. If you can't explain the screams, call law enforcement and report them.

3) Someone going door-to-door in the neighborhood or looking into windows and parked cars.

4) Someone asking about past residents.

5) Someone who appears to have no purpose wandering through the neighborhood.

6) Unusual or suspicious noises that you cannot explain, such as breaking glass or pounding.

7) Vehicles moving slowly without lights or without an apparent destination.

8) Business transactions conducted from a vehicle. This could involve the sale of drugs or stolen goods.

9) Offers of merchandise available for ridiculously low prices. The merchandise might be stolen.

10) Someone walking or running while carrying property at an unusual time or place.

11) Someone removing property from unoccupied residences.

12) A stranger entering a neighbor's home which appears to be unoccupied.

13) A stranger in a car who stops to talk to a child.

14) A child resisting the advances of an adult.