Neighborhood Watch

Since 1975, the Palatine Neighborhood Watch program has increased community awareness, enhanced residents’ power of observation, and encouraged mutual assistance and concern among neighbors in an effort to prevent crime. In harmony with the philosophy of Neighborhood Based Policing, Neighborhood Watch encourages strong working relationships between patrol officers and the citizens they serve.

Education & Awareness

Palatine’s Neighborhood Watch program focuses on education and awareness. Watch groups are not vigilantes, nor do they assume the role of the police. Citizens are only asked to be more alert and observant to serve as extra eyes and ears for the police. Each Neighborhood Watch group has a president who serves as a contact person who distributes necessary safety information and coordinates the group. The president would be contacted by the police to alert the neighborhood of any serious crime patterns via an email tree.

Training

The Palatine Police Crime Prevention Unit is responsible for developing and training new Neighborhood Watch groups. Once established, each Neighborhood Watch group will be run by its members and overseen by the police department in order to best serve the needs of each particular area. Currently, there are 46 established Neighborhood Watch groups in Palatine, with several thousand homes participating in the program.

Palatine’s Neighborhood Watch Groups