The Neighborhood Watch Program is a major crime prevention effort of the Pueblo Police Department. This national program is showing results within our own community and many jurisdictions around the country. Your interest in the Neighborhood Watch Program will be the beginning of an experience that will allow your neighborhood to be as secure as possible. Through the organized efforts of each and every member of the neighborhood, our community can combat crime and violence one block at a time. Our commitment to community policing makes the Neighborhood Watch Program important to all officers.

The program is intended to make citizens more informed and aware of crime prevention methods from a community, neighborhood, and individual perspective. It involves meetings that incorporate crime prevention education, personal property identification, meet and greet with neighbors, and home/apartment security options to consider.

The importance of your Neighborhood Watch meetings and strong participation by your neighbors cannot be overemphasized. You and your neighbors are encouraged to get together, meet each other, establish a communication chain, and develop a sense of responsibility for each other and your area. Signs, stickers, alarms, cameras, lighting, and good locks are not the cure-all for crime. You need the cooperation of your neighbors to develop trust, so everyone looks out for one another to improve the quality of life in your neighborhood.

HOW TO START A GROUP? 

The first step to starting a group is to establish a Group Leader. Depending on the size of your area it may call for an Assistant Group Leader(s). Once this is established, begin talking with your neighbors to see who else is interested. Once you have enough interest, contact the Pueblo Police Department Crime Prevention Officer, Officer Roger  Schneider at 719-553-3359 or email him at rschneider@pueblo.us  to schedule your initial presentation from the police department. Questions/concerns related to your area will also be addressed at the first meeting.

Other meeting discussion topics include: Conditions in parks, vacant lots, vacant buildings, traffic conditions, noise, gangs, scams, zoning violations, Health Department issues, Neighborhood Watch logs, citizen/police cooperation, updated news, statistics, crime maps of area, etc.

The Pueblo Police Department will do the following to help you ensure a successful program:

1. Attend/present at the initial meeting and guide the discussion
2. Share great resource information from within the department and community
3. Explain the Neighborhood Watch Log and its value
4. Provide up to date crime prevention information and options to consider Revised 3-12-20 5. Identify problems or other concerns you want to address in your area
5. Provide invite forms, sign-in sheets, and other necessary documents to the Group Leader
6. Provide information on signage, stickers, and other options to enhance your visibility
7. Organize and present three Group Leader meetings a year

REQUIREMENTS AS A GROUP: 

There are three main requirements to be considered an official active group in conjunction with the Pueblo Police Department. Establish a Group Leader and submit a completed application form to Officer Meagan Chapman rschneider@pueblo.us or drop off at front lobby-200 S. Main St.
Organize a minimum of one meeting a year with your group. (This could even be a neighborhood block party).
Attend three yearly Group Leader meetings hosted by the Pueblo Police Department.

SIGNS

The Official Neighborhood Watch street signs are not a requirement but only an option for your group to purchase. They are a 2' x 2' fully reflective, highly visible, aluminum signs with an antigraffiti film applied. The purchase price includes the required hardware (post if needed), and installation by the city. These signs are an obvious deterrent to neighborhood crime since they directly communicate the intended message to a potential criminal that the area is under the watch of neighbors working with the Pueblo Police Department. They also indicate the boundaries of the area where trained and concerned neighbors are working together with the police to keep potential problems out. These are only available to active-established groups and its members.

If we work together to watch out for one another we can have an impact on crime not only within the blocks we reside in but our entire city. We urge you to discuss this information with your neighbors, select a Group Leader, and get your initial Neighborhood Watch meeting scheduled!