Neighborhood Watch Program

One of the best ways to prevent crime in residential neighborhoods is to organize a Neighborhood Watch Program. Several neighborhoods in City of Vicksburg have organized watch groups since the program began, and these communities continue to enjoy the safety and protection that comes with the program.

Neighborhood Watch groups are not difficult to organize. You can pick up information packets from the City of Vicksburg Police Department's Community Resource office during regular business hours. Share the information with your neighborhood. Once at least half of the residents in your neighborhood have agreed to participate, you can register your neighborhood with the police and select a president and block captains. The president will work directly with the Vicksburg Police Department to provide information to the block captains, who in turn communicate with the residents through newsletters and telephone calls. They, in turn, provide information to the police.

Neighborhood Watch participants' duties include arranging for a home security survey, practicing operation identification (engraving items to deter crime and quickly identify stolen property), exchanging identification with neighbors, reporting all crimes and suspicious activity to the police, and participating in passive patrol in your neighborhood. Watch group participants should never attempt to arrest an offender. To learn more about the program, or to obtain an information packet, contact the City of Vicksburg Police Department main offices, located at 820 Veto Street, between 8:00 AM and 5:00 PM, or call them at (601) 636-2511.