TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Talyn Mirzakhanian, Acting City Manager
FROM:
Rachel Johnson, Chief of Police
Kelly Benjamin, Police Lieutenant
Andy Abreu, Police Sergeant
SUBJECT:Title
Discussion on the City’s Neighborhood Watch Program (Police Chief Johnson).
(Estimated Time: 30 Mins.)
DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
Body
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council receive the report and discuss and provide direction on next steps, if any.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There are no fiscal implications associated with the recommended action at this time.
BACKGROUND:
On September 3, 2024, the Manhattan Beach City Council directed staff to provide information regarding the structure of the City’s Neighborhood Watch Program. Specifically, the City Council requested clarification on the Program’s association with the Police Department and an analysis of City personnel time devoted to supporting the Program.
Neighborhood Watch was started nationally in the 1960s to combat an increasing burglary rate. Since its genesis, Neighborhood Watch has grown from its "extra eyes and ears" approach toward crime prevention to a much more proactive, community-oriented endeavor. It provides a unique infrastructure that brings together local officials, law enforcement, and citizens to safeguard their communities. The Manhattan Beach Neighborhood Watch (MBNW) program was developed in 1980 by residents passionate about reducing crime and increasing the quality of life for residents.
The MBNW divides the City into eleven areas, with each area having a designated Area Coordinator who oversees the block captains within their area. There are approximately 400 block captains in the City. Neighborhood Watch has an Executive Committee including a Director, Assistant Director, Area Coordinator Chair, Data Manager, Treasurer, Secretary, City Council Liaison, and a CERT member, who assists with Map Your Neighborhood (MYN). MYN is a disaster preparedness and response program for residents that provides training on the immediate steps to take after an area wide disaster. The MBNW is not a 501(c)(3) organization; however, they are guided by bylaws. They are a separate entity from the Police Department, but they do work in partnership with the Police Department.
The Police Department assigns a liaison to MBNW, who attends Neighborhood Watch Executive Committee Meetings and takes notes, however the liaison is not a member of the Executive Committee. The liaison solicits interest in the MBNW program by signing up block captains and facilitates the purchase of stickers, signs, pencils, other promotional items, neighborhood watch branded flashlights, and safety items. The Liaison position is currently assigned to the Community Affairs Office Assistant; however, the Community Affairs Officer and the Community Affairs Sergeant also collaborate with MBNW throughout the year by scheduling and holding weekly meetings with the Neighborhood Watch Director to discuss Neighborhood Watch concerns, in addition to meeting with community members throughout the year. The Office Assistant position is a full-time position wherein approximately 50% of their time is allocated to the MBNW Program and 50% is allocated to other Community Affairs Office support. Materials and supplies for MBNW are funded by proceeds from Police Department auctions.
To support the partnership between MBNW and the Police Department, weekly meetings with the Neighborhood Watch Director are scheduled through the Community Affairs Office to plan and address any issues. The Community Affairs Office has attended five Neighborhood Watch Area Coordinator meetings this year.
DISCUSSION:
The Police Department’s Community Affairs Office surveyed South Bay Police Departments to determine how their community-based outreach programs are structured. This review revealed a multitude of ways community outreach programs are structured:
Redondo Beach Police Department
The Quality-of-Life (QOL) office is the liaison for Neighborhood Watch in the City of Redondo Beach. The Neighborhood Watch Block Captains hold quarterly meetings that Redondo Beach Police Department personnel attend; however, block captains are empowered to hold meetings without Police Department knowledge or attendance.
The QOL office has a civilian staff member who attends Neighborhood Watch meetings and takes notes for the use of the Police Department regarding quality-of-life issues. All quality-of-life concerns are brought back to QOL unit, and any patrol concerns are relayed to patrol officers. There are no set hours for the work dedicated to Neighborhood Watch. The assignments are done during the normal course of the workday.
Gardena Police Department
The Neighborhood Watch program in the City of Gardena is separated into three areas that Gardena Police Department (GPD) lieutenants oversee. Each lieutenant is responsible for addressing quality-of-life issues and hosting regular meetings in their area. The meetings are in a town hall-style format where officers and supervisors answer questions.
As there is no dedicated community relations unit, GPD Police Explorers and Volunteers hand out flyers door to door if there is a matter that requires additional community outreach. Block Captains also hand out flyers and advertise meetings.
Gardena Neighborhood Watch (GNW) is not a 501(c)(3) and does not have an executive board. GNW is a group of residents that work in partnership with the Gardena Police Department.
Torrance Police Department
The Torrance Police Department (TPD) has a Community Affairs Office that, in the past, was staffed by full-time lieutenants, sergeants, officers, and civilians. Current staffing challenges have necessitated those personnel to be allocated elsewhere. Civilian personnel and Community Lead Officers (CLO) now handle most of the Neighborhood Watch meetings as a collateral assignment in addition to their regular duties. TPD is currently trying to grow its Neighborhood Watch Program to where it was pre-Covid. TPD staff attend four to five Neighborhood Watch meetings a month, when able, and the meetings are typically approximately one to two hours long.
A volunteer who works in the Community Affairs Office handles the request for residents who wish to start a Neighborhood Watch program in their area.
Torrance Neighborhood Watch (TNW) is not a 501(c)(3) and does not have an executive board. TNW is a group of residents that work in partnership with the Torrance Police Department.
El Segundo Police Department
The El Segundo Police Department’s (ESPD) Neighborhood Watch program is coordinated by their Crime Prevention Analyst who compiles crime statistics and facilitates community events. The ESPD Neighborhood Watch program started approximately one year ago. ESPD does not have a community relations office. Two Neighborhood Watch meetings are scheduled each year.
The Crime Prevention Analyst estimated approximately 20 to 30% of their workload is dedicated to supporting Neighborhood Watch through the creation of a monthly newsletter that outlines crime trends and provides crime prevention information.
El Segundo Neighborhood Watch (ESNW) is not a 501(c)(3) and does not have an executive board or bylaws. ESNW works in partnership with the residents.
The Hawthorne Police Department, Inglewood Police Department, and the Hermosa Beach Police Department were contacted regarding their Neighborhood Watch programs. Those police departments either did not have a Neighborhood Watch program or did not respond to requests for information.
The MBNW program has long been a leader in community engagement and outreach. The relationship between MBNW and MBPD remains strong. While the methods of communication and outreach have changed, the commitment to collaboration remains unchanged. The current allocation of staff resources to MBNW is at or above that of local agencies and at present, this allocation appears sufficient to meet the needs of the program.
CONCLUSION:
Staff recommends that the City Council discuss and provide direction on next steps, if any.
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW:
The City has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and has determined that the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is necessary.
LEGAL REVIEW:
The City Attorney has reviewed this report and determined that no additional legal analysis is necessary.