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safety - what’s up!
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH, C.O.P. & TIPS
Safe neighborhoods are one of the highest-ranking responses on the list of why many Horizon Westers chose this
area to live with their families. But accidents and crime are possible everywhere in today's world, so let's look at
ways you and your neighbors can be involved in helping to make your own home, neighborhood and village as safe
Orange County Sheriff's Office (OCSO) offers two
volunteer-based programs for residents: Neighborhood
Watch and Citizens on Patrol.
Neighborhood Watch
The best crime prevention device ever invented is, and
always will be, a good neighbor! The security steps you
and your neighbors take as a group are just as important
as the things you do individually. This joint effort is called
Neighborhood Watch, and all you need to get started is
a group of residents willing to participate in the program
and work together to prevent crime.
Once you have a group interested, you can schedule a
meeting with a Crime Prevention Specialist from the
Orange County Sheriff's Office. At the meeting, the Crime
Prevention Specialist will work with the neighborhood's
residents to determine a starting point for their Neighborhood
Watch program based on the size of the
neighborhood, the number of blocks and the number of
interested participants. Crime Prevention Officers will also
offer tips to increase participation so the Neighborhood
Watch program can continue to grow.
Your homeowners' association board members can be
involved, but it's not required. Neighborhood Watch
operates independently of any association.
What's needed are:
• Neighborhood Program Coordinator - One person
to act as the Neighborhood Watch coordinator
• Neighborhood Participation – As many resident
volunteers as possible
• Block Captains – Individuals designated to welcome
new neighbors and encourage participation
The Coordinator is the liaison between the Crime
Prevention Specialist and the residents of the neighborhood.
They maintain a list of participants, report problems
and concerns and disseminate information to homeowners.
Coordinators also attend Neighborhood Watch
training sessions and recruit/assign Block Captains. Each
Block Captain is responsible for a
group of nearby homes and helps
with keeping a contact list up to
date for those homes. They can
help to create a communication
chain throughout the neighborhood
to keep residents informed of
any safety concerns.
Considering a Neighborhood
Watch Program?
Contact the OCSO Crime
Prevention Unit at: 407-254-7384
or ocsocrimeprevention@ocfl.net
OCSO.com/En-Us/Crime-
Information/Crime-Prevention
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as possible.
/Crime-
link