Neighborhood Watch - Door To Door

Sixth Street Neighborhood Crime Watch The Sixth Street Neighborhood Crime Watch is a crime prevention program which enlists the active participation of the residents, business owners and property owners in and around Sixth Street in cooperation with the Austin Police Department with the goal of reducing criminal activity in our community. The Crime Watch program is the most effective means available for keeping crime out of your community. It relies on the best crime fighting tool ever intended . . . . a watchful neighbor. THE COMMUNITY CRIME WATCH PROGRAM INVOLVES: Getting to know your neighbors and taking the time to care about them while working together in a spirit of mutual assistance. Becoming the “eyes and ears” of law enforcement by being trained to recognize and report suspicious activities in your community. Learning crime prevention strategies such as home security surveys, Personal Property Inventory Booklets, and others being implemented. WHAT A COMMUNITY CRIME WATCH IS NOT: A vigilante force working outside the normal procedures of law enforcement. A program designed for participants to take personal risks to prevent crime. A 100% guarantee that crime will not occur in your neighborhood. WHY HAVE A COMMUNITY CRIME WATCH? There can’t be a law enforcement officer on every corner at all hours of the day, so your involvement as a citizen is essential to combat criminal activity. We are the ones who really know what is going on in our community. As a Crime Watch member you help make your community a safer place to live by adopting a more observant and active attitude and as a result, become more aware of strange cars, people, and circumstances around you. This does not take a lot of time and should soon develop into a daily habit of being more aware of what is going on in our neighborhood. By cooperating with your neighbors and local law enforcement officials, we can help fight crime in our community in the most effective way . . . . . . . . . . . before it begins.

CRIME WATCH MEMBER’S RESPONSIBILITIES 1. Learning your neighbor’s names and being able to recognize them and their vehicles without any hesitation. 2. Keeping personal Block map, family data sheets, email list and telephone tree in an easily accessible place and continue to update them with any new information. 3. Attending all Crime Watch meetings. 4. Implementing security measures suggested by your law enforcement officials. 5. Properly identify all of your property using the guidelines suggested in the Personal Property Inventory Booklet. 6. Keeping an eye on your neighbor’s homes and businesses and reporting any suspicious activities to the Austin Police Department Police as well as your neighbors. 7. Teaching your employees crime prevention. 8. Not taking any risks to prevent crime or trying to make an arrest. It is more important to have a good witness. 9. Testifying in court if you are a witness to a crime. 10. Notifying your Block Captain and neighbors that you are going away so your home or business can be watched while you are gone.

NEIGHBORHOOD CRIME WATCH ACTIVITIES The following are some of the kinds of programs and activities that may be incorporated in your Crime Watch cell. Just think of how beneficial they would be for your own community. 1.

Compose and distribute a local Crime Watch newsletter throughout your community to keep your friends and neighbors updated on crime trends, prevention tips, or any other information you would like to make available. Your District Representative is available to assist you with ideas and information, if needed.

2.

Have a security survey performed on your business, to help detect and prevent your home from being burglarized. Upon successful completion of a survey, you may be entitled to an insurance discount. To have a survey done, contact the District Representative’s Office at 512974-DTAC(3822).

3.

Welcome new members in your community and encourage them to join the Crime Watch cell.

4.

Post Neighborhood Crime Watch signs on street corners and other conspicuous locations, letting the would-be criminals know that your community is an active Crime Watch cell and that they are being watched.

5.

Participate in filling out a Personal Property Inventory Booklet and mark your valuables, so they can be more easily recovered, if stolen.

6.

Start a neighborhood patrol in your community.

7.

Get to know your community. You should know things such as who lives where, what vehicles belong to which house, work schedules of the families, etc.

8.

Remember . . . the criminals are counting on you having a complacent and uncaring attitude about your neighbors and friends. If you show them that you care about your community and are watching out for it, the bad guys will go somewhere else for an easier target.

REPORTING SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITIES WHAT IS A SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY? A suspicious activity is an event taking place that is out of the ordinary or should not be occurring. Knowing your neighbors, their habits, and the composition of their households will make it easier to recognize and report any suspicious activities occurring in your community. HOW TO OBTAIN A SUSPICIOUS PERSON’S DESCRIPTION When describing a suspicious person or suspect, you need to be as complete and detailed as possible. Each time you list a different identifier, you will greatly narrow down the pool of possible suspects. Ideally, a person should be described as follows: 1. NAME

Always give the person’s name, if known.

2. RACE

White, Black, Hispanic, Asian.

3. SEX

Male or Female.

4. AGE

Use their date of birth or estimate age as close as you can. If you cannot guess a number for age, use terms such as: Teenager, Middle aged, etc.

5, HEIGHT

Estimate suspect’s height by comparing him/her to yourself or someone you know. Use terms such as: Tall, short, average, etc.

6. WEIGHT

Estimate suspect’s weight by comparing him/her to yourself or someone you know. Use terms such as: Heavy, thin, average, muscular, etc.

7. HAIR

Note the color of the hair, its length, hair style, and any headgear worn. Also note any facial hair, if worn.

8. EYES

Note the color of the eyes and any characteristics such as: Bloodshot, watery, etc. Note if the person is wearing any type of eyeglasses or sunglasses.

9. CLOTHES

Note the color, type, style, condition of the suspect’s shirt, pants, coat, shoes, etc. Note if the suspect wearing any jewelry and what type.

10. MARKS

Note if there are any scars, tattoos, amputations, deformities, etc., as well as their location.

HOW TO OBTAIN A VEHICLE’S DESCRIPTION When you observe a suspicious vehicle in your community, it is very important that you obtain the BEST DESCRIPTION of that vehicle. You must be as accurate as you can in describing the vehicle, so the Austin Police Department will be able to locate it and the suspicious person(s) involved. You can remember a vehicle description by learning the word CYMBAL. Associate each letter of this word with these values: C = color Y = year M = make B = body style And L = license plate

EXAMPLE:

C = red Y = late 80’s M = Ford B = 4 door passenger car L = TEXAS 123ABC

COLOR

Try to be as specific as you can regarding the color. EXAMPLE: If you see a car that is red in color and you know it is the shade of “Fire Engine Red”, make a note of it. Also describe any two-tone or multi-colored vehicles as best you can.

YEAR

If you don’t know the exact year model of the vehicle, estimate as best you can.

MAKE

What is the brand of the vehicle? Ford, Chevy, Dodge, etc.

BODY STYLE

Note if the vehicle is a pickup, passenger car (sedan, station wagon, etc.) or van. Note the number of doors (2 door, 4 door)

LICENSE PLATE

This is the most important information needed for the vehicle. You should write down the plate number before anything else. If you cannot get the whole number, a portion of it is better than none at all. Also be sure to write down what state the plate is issued from.

ACCESSORIES

Note if the vehicle is equipped with any accessories such as: Running boards, toolbox, under/over sized tires, tinted windows, etc.

HOW TO REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY: Upon observing a suspicious person or vehicle: A. Write down all the available information possible in a booklet. B. Is the person/vehicle posing an immediate threat or involved in a crime in progress? If YES. . . . Contact the Austin Police Department immediately by dialing 911. If NO. . . . . Determine whether or not an officer needs to be sent to the scene. If YES . . . . Contact local law enforcement by calling the non-emergency number. (311) 1. Give your name and identify yourself as a member of your Crime Watch cell. 2. Give all the necessary information to the dispatcher. 3. Keep a watch on the suspicious activity if possible and update the dispatcher on any changes of the situation. If NO. . . . Utilize your notes booklet to obtain all the necessary information and forward it to your Block Captain, who will send it to the District Representative’s Office. This information will be cross-referenced through the computer system to determine if the person or vehicle has been previously reported by another Crime Watch cell or law enforcement officer. If the person or vehicle has been previously reported, it may be further investigated to determine if said subject is involved in any potential criminal activity. Your information may not always turn out to effect an arrest, but do not get discouraged: You might be the key factor in solving a string of burglaries or some other criminal conduct. WHEN DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT TO CALL THE AUSTIN POLICE REMEMBER . . .

WHEN IN DOUBT, CALL IT IN UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE SHOULD YOU TAKE ANY PERSONAL RISKS OR ATTEMPT TO APPREHEND A PERSON WHO IS COMMITTING A CRIME. YOU WILL BE OF MOST VALUE AS A GOOD WITNESS.

AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT CRIME WATCH FAMILY/BUSINESS DATA SHEET

Owner:

Age:

Cell:

Owner:

Age:

Cell:

Manager 1:

Age:

Cell:

Manager 2:

Age:

Cell:

Manager 3:

Age:

Cell:

Manager 4:

Age:

Cell:

Other Occupants: VEHICLES License Plate #

Year

Make

Body Style

Business Name:

Bus Phone:

Hours:

Days Off:

Emergency Contact:

Address:

Home Phone 1:

Home Phone 2:

MEDICAL OR HEALTH PROBLEMS: Name:

Condition:

Name:

Condition:

Name:

Condition:

Special Training / Skills:

Color

BURGLARY/THEFT PREVENTION TIPS 1.

Display your business address where it can be easily seen from the street during the day or night.

2.

Replace all locks when moving into a new home or business.

3.

Use your locks. An unlocked lock is not a lock. Habitually close and lock all doors, windows, and garage doors at night or when you are away. Dead bolts are recommended for exterior doors.

4.

Do not hide keys in obvious areas, such as on top of the door frame.

5.

Alter your daily routine occasionally, to confuse any would-be burglar who may be watching your home or business.

6.

Use adequate lighting for your home or business. Exterior lighting or motion detection lighting is also recommended for off-hours.

7.

Install solid core doors with rugged frames on all exterior doors.

8.

Engrave or mark all your valuables and keep a record of (including serial numbers if applicable) in a safe place.

CAPITAL AREA CRIME STOPPERS MISSION The mission of Capital Area Crime Stoppers, Inc. is to assist area law enforcement agencies in the fight against crime in the City of Austin and Travis County. HISTORY The very first Crime Stoppers program began operation on September 8, 1976 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. By mid 1977, Albuquerque could see a significant increase in its case clearance rate of violent crimes; as well as a decrease in their rate of occurrence. In June of 1979, Austin recognized the value of such a program. Joe Jerkins, then General Manager of KVUE-24 Television, approached Austin Police Chief Frank Dyson who not only supported the idea, but immediately assigned then Sgt. George Vanderhule to begin studying the program's effectiveness in other communities. Jerkins then approached the Austin Chamber of Commerce President Bill Archer, and received the Chamber's support and endorsement. Soon after, a civilian Crime Stoppers Board of Directors was established and Austin Crime Stoppers, Inc. was chartered as a non-profit tax exempt corporation. Official operations began on October 30, 1979. Now called Capital Area Crime Stoppers to better reflect the area we service, the program offers cash rewards and anonymity to citizens who utilize the tips hotline to report information on criminal activity. If the tip leads to an arrest or charges filed, the caller may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $1,000. OVERVIEW Capital Area Crime Stoppers, Inc. continues to be successful because it is a grassroots community action program involving citizens, media, and law enforcement - all working together to solve serious felony crimes. It encourages citizen involvement in making our community a safer place in which to work and live. Together we are making a difference! The organization is maintained by three entities: 1. The Media: Responsible for featuring the "Crime of the Week" and the "Most Wanted" in order to generate tips from their audiences. Also, the media promotes upcoming special events and fund-raising activities. 2. The Law Enforcement: Responsible for responding and following up on the tips received through the hotline. 3. The Community: Represented by a volunteer Board of Directors. Responsible for overseeing the operation and administration of funds for the program. REVENUE GENERATION Capital Area Crime Stoppers, Inc. is a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization. The funds needed to operate the program are generated by individual and corporate donations. In addition, Capital Area Crime Stoppers, Inc. is involved in various fund-raising events such as Fight Back Austin, a multi-media publicity campaign. RESULTS Since it began in Austin in 1979, Crime Stoppers has assisted law enforcement agencies in solving more than 9,100 crimes, recovering more than $32,500,000 in stolen property and narcotics, and paid almost 925,000 in rewards. Each day of operation, a felony case is cleared. One a day. Every day.

Capital Area Crime Stoppers, Inc. P.O. Box 5841 Austin, TX 78768 www.austincrimestoppers.org

Telephone: Administrative - 512-452-5223 TIPS Hotline - 512-472-TIPS (8477) OR 1-800-893-TIPS (8477) Fax Number - 512-452-4262

WHO BENEFITS? THE COMMUNITY: All citizens benefit. There is a greater awareness of crime in the community and stronger contributions in solving crime, making Austin and Travis County a safer place to live.

THE POLICE: Communications between law enforcement officials and the community working in cooperation with the Crime Stoppers program.

THE MEDIA: Better media relations and cooperation between the police and community.

EVERYONE BENEFITS EXCEPT THE CRIMINALS!!!

Capital Area Crime Stoppers Hotline 1-512-472-TIPS (8477)