Crestview neighborhood watch groups help reduce crime

CRESTVIEW — Crestview Police Department community service officers have begun working closely with residents to reduce the amount of crime that occurs in different neighborhoods.

The Neighborhood Watch program asks for active participation from citizens in reporting crimes and suspicious activity.

Currently, there are only two neighborhood watch groups in the city.

“Depending on the neighborhood you live in, you might have people that like to walk a lot,” said community services officer Sam Kimmons. “They live there and they know who the normal people are in the area.”

The groups hold meetings where they discuss updates and new information. A community services officer will sometimes go to the meetings to answer any questions a citizen may have.

“A lot of people will see something but they don’t know if it may be a potential crime,” Kimmons said. “In the meetings we discuss a number of things like what might be a crime and I can also direct them toward the services we have to offer.”

According to the police department’s website, the neighborhood watch program “teaches citizens how to work together in creating the strongest crime prevention technique… neighbors looking out for each other.”

Members of the neighborhood watch should not take action when discovering suspicious activity, except to call 911.

“We want to teach them what to report and be able to get an officer out there,” Kimmons said.

For more information about neighborhood watch groups, contact Kimmons at 850-612-1832 or kimmonss@crestviewpd.org.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview neighborhood watch groups help reduce crime