Neighborhood Watch

Getting Started

The Sheriff's Office will help you get started and will provide ongoing training and support. 
http://sheriff.snoco.org/Our Community/Neighborhood Watch.htm

Every month Snohomish County Sheriff's Office presents Neighborhood Watch orientations at each of our three precinct stations in Mill Creek (South Precinct), Marysville (North Precinct), and Monroe (East Precinct). 

We also hold monthly Precinct Partnership meetings to provide additional training for Neighborhood Watch captains and to give captains an opportunity to share ideas. Click Here for a schedule of upcoming Neighborhood Watch orientations and Precinct Partnership meetings. For more information email neighborhoodwatch@snoco.org or call 425-388-7375.

Talk to Your Neighbors

• Determine the geographic area of your Neighborhood Watch. It should include only the homes on your   street. It may include a cul de sac in the middle of your block.

• It is not recommended to have any more than twenty-five to thirty homes be in any one Neighborhood Watch. Large neighborhoods could have multiple Neighborhood Watch Block Captains and one overall Captain.

• Canvass your neighborhood for interest. Discuss crime problems in your area and how neighbors working together can help to prevent
  crime.

Be sure to mention that:

• Neighborhood Watch does not require frequent meetings.

• It does not ask that anyone take personal risks to prevent crime.

• Neighborhood Watch leaves the responsibility for apprehension of criminals where it belongs--with the   police

Be a Good Witness

• Pay attention to what is happening in your neighborhood!

• Keep your curtains open. Windows are the eyes into your neighborhood. Closed curtains tell the bad guys that nobody is paying attention.

• Take walks through your neighborhood. It's good for your health and will help deter crime. As you walk, say hello to those you pass. Bad guys don't want to be noticed. But never be confrontational. That's a job for the deputies.

• Keep a journal. This is key. It doesn't have to be fancy, just a notepad where you can record dates, times and note the events as they occur.

• Take pictures or video of suspicious activity, if you can safely do so.

A Neighborhood Watch Success Story

An experienced Neighborhood Watch Captain tells this story.

One night about 11:00 p.m. a neighbor spotted a couple of kids climbing into his car. They ripped out his stereo and ran away. A second neighbor, just around the corner, saw two kids running fast through her neighborhood around 11:00 that night and noted in her journal the time and description of the kids. A bit further down the street, the Neighborhood Watch Captain just happened to be working at her computer late that evening. She looked out her window and saw two kids duck behind her shrubs. She recognized one of the kids who lived just across the street. When she opened up her window and asked what he was doing, he jumped up and ran home. She made a note of that in her journal. At their next Neighborhood Watch meeting, the three neighbors compared notes and realized they had all witnessed small bits of the same crime. They reported to the Sheriff's Office what they had seen. Because of the combined power of those three journals, a deputy went to that kid's house to talk to him. Long story short - they found a lot of stolen property in that kid's room and he and his friend were caught.

How to Spot Suspicious Activity

Watch for people:

• With any sort of weapon

• Behaving strangely

• Removing valuables from homes or vehicle

• Fleeing while carrying something

• Going door to door, especially if they go to the rear of the house

• Creating foot traffic to a particular place, with short visits

• Loitering around schools, parks or on your street

• Offering items for sale at very low prices

• Being forced into a vehicle

Listen for:

• Cries for help

• Continuous screaming

• Activated alarms

• The sound of breaking glass of shattered wood

• Pounding coming from a nearby residence

• Gun fire

• Unusual sounds

Watch for vehicles: 

• Slow moving vehicles without lights on at night

• Leaving a location at night with their lights off

• Unattended, with the motor running

• Vehicles being loaded with valuables if parked buy closed business or unoccupied house

• Abandoned or in bad condition, with signs of being in an accident

• Problems driving their vehicle especially if it is an expensive model

• Strange to your neighborhood or acting suspiciously

When and How to Call 911

• Don't be afraid to "bother: the police! Calling won't guarantee that the police can fix the problem, but NOT CALLING GURANTEES THEY WON'T. Call 911 if...

• You know a crime is happening at the time, or 

• You suspect something dangerous or suspicious is going on.

During the Call...

• Stay calm.

• Try to be specific with your information.

• Give the exact location, and good descriptions of the suspects and their vehicle.

Questions you'll be asked...

• What does the suspect look like?

• What was he/she driving?

• Did you get the license plate number?

• Always try to note the important physical features of the suspect, such as sex, height, weight, race, physical impairments, and approximate age.

• Always get the vehicle license plate number, if you can!  Make note of the vehicle details such as:

  • Kind of vehicle: SUV, sedan, van, truck

  • Color: light, dark, metallic

  • Make: Ford, Honda, Mercedes, etc.

  • Model: Camry, Mustang, Explorer, etc.

If you have information about a crime or suspicious activity that is in progress, and you with to remain anonymous, call the Sheriff's Office Tip Line at 425-388-3845.