TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Mark Danaj, City Manager
FROM:
Eve R. Irvine, Chief of Police
Tim Hageman, Police Captain
Julie Dahlgren, Sr. Management Analyst
SUBJECT:Title
Report on the Manhattan Beach Police Department Neighborhood Watch Program (Police Chief Irvine).
RECEIVE REPORT
Line
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Recommended Action
RECOMMENDATION:
Receive the report regarding the Manhattan Beach Police Department Neighborhood Watch Program.
Body
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
There is no fiscal impact associated with the recommended action.
BACKGROUND:
Neighborhood Watch is a crime prevention program which enlists the active participation of residents, in cooperation with law enforcement, to reduce crime in the community. It involves neighbors getting to know each other and being trained to recognize and report suspicious activities in their neighborhood, and to take preventative measures to protect their homes and property.
Neighborhood Watch has been active in Manhattan Beach since 1980, prompted by a significant increase in property crime in Manhattan Beach - over 100 residential burglaries a month. Now, the program is more than 400 block captains strong and residential burglaries have been reduced to less than 15 a month on average, an 85% decrease - a credit to the value of this outstanding partnership with the community. These block captains act as liaisons between the Police Department and the block, sending out weekly crime information and coordinating block meetings.
DISCUSSION:
Manhattan Beach's Neighborhood Watch Program epitomizes the best in community policing. Citizen involvement is key to preserving and protecting the quality of life in Manhattan Beach, and the Neighborhood Watch Program allows the community to work together in partnership with the Police Department at achieving this important goal. The Police Department's dedicated Neighbor...
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