A New Slate of Block Captains

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with our new Neighborhood Watch (NW) Coordinator, Chris Gareis, to discuss the Neighborhood Watch program, the new block captains, the services NW provides, and how we as a community can assist and participate in the program.

Here’s a shout out to Mike Motes who filled the role before Chris took over. Thanks, Mike, and the former block captains, for all your work over the past few years.

Before I get into the details of our Neighborhood Watch program, let’s look straight at the elephant in the room.

Is Neighborhood Watch a Creepy Vigilante Organization?

I am acquainted with someone who thinks Neighborhood Watch is a white supremacy organization, sponsored by law enforcement, whose goal is to trick fearful dupes into becoming informants so as to undermine our democracy and turn the US into a police state. When you look at the National Neighborhood Watch website, you can kinda, sorta see how she gets that idea.

Reading the above, and looking at the logo, may give you a queasy feeling. It does sound a bit like NSA are recruiting informants. But only on the surface. Look even one level down and you see the idea of local citizen involvement in crime prevention grew out of The Chicago School‘s Social Disorganization Theory. An influential study by Shaw (no relation) and McKay in 1942 showed that immigrant communities, perceived at the time as crime ridden because they were full of immigrants, were actually crime ridden for other reasons. (Unfortunately I can’t find a copy of the original paper, so I’m paraphrasing from secondary sources.)

Jumping to the results – street crimes committed by delinquent young men from immigrant communities stopped when the young men moved from high-turnover, socially disorganized, and economically insecure environments into stable and highly organized environments. (The study focused on young males as the predominant source of rising neighborhood crime.) Therefore, environmental factors rather than innate moral failings of the immigrant populations were enabling and even fostering criminal behavior.

What do you do if you want to prevent crime? Eliminate one or more of the causes. It’s a no-brainer.

High neighborhood turnover is not under direct control of the residents. Nor is economic insecurity. Social disorganization, however, is something local residents can change. And this objective is the basis for founding a Neighborhood Watch program. It isn’t about racism. It’s not about enforcing homogeneous behavior. It’s not about hounding students out of the neighborhood. It’s not even about enforcing laws. (More on this point later.) It’s about developing an organized community dedicated to looking out for each other, thereby eliminating one of the leading enablers of street crime.

Neighborhood Watch Has Changed Since the 1970s

NW has evolved into more than just a crime-prevention initiative. Neighborhood Watch has also become active in the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program, part of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). From the website:

What Does Our Neighborhood Watch Do for the Community?

Given that Neighborhood Watch initiatives in general have two primary goals of crime prevention and disaster preparedness, what about our NW program? I think that is best summarized by text from the Block Captain Responsibilities document. (I’ve posted a copy on the website.) Block captains:

1. Serve as a point of contact for neighbors regarding issues of safety in the
   neighborhood;
2. Support neighbors in addressing concerns, as appropriate, namely through:
   a. Providing a copy of the City’s “When to Call Guide,” if applicable to the concern
   b. Sharing concerns with the NW Coordinator and other Block Captains if there is a
   need to address a concern more broadly;
3. Meet periodically (quarterly or as needed) to share any concerns, contribute to
   monitoring any persistent issues, and to problem-solve;
4. As appropriate and necessary, participate with the NW Coordinator and other Block
   Captains in communicating and problem-solving with:
   a. Our Neighborhood Resource Officer and/or other members of the WPD
   b. The BLRA Board;
5. In support of the mission of CERT and under the direction of our CERT Leads, check on
   the well-being of neighbors prior to, during, and/or after a community-wide emergency
   ; and
6. Respect the boundaries of the NW.  Block Captains do not:
   a. Patrol the neighborhood
   b. Intervene directly in stopping illegal behavior.

Read the above and you might be surprised by some things not listed as responsibilities of the NW. Let me be clear. NW block captains are not first responders. They are primarily responsible for communication and coordination between residents and official government agencies. So

• If you witness a crime, call the police.
• If you see a fire, call the fire department.
• If you have a medical emergency, call the paramedics.
• If you see persistent and disruptive parking violations, call the city.

However, if you are unsure whom to call or do not know whether you have a legitimate problem even after consulting the When to Call document, then yes, please call your block captain. Preferably not in the middle of the night.

Additionally, the NW team members keep a list of neighbors with equipment potentially useful in emergencies. They won’t cut up fallen branches blocking your driveway after a storm, but can point you to a neighbor with a chainsaw.

You might also wonder which residents are included in the NW program. After all, only owner residents are allowed to join the BLRA. Do the same conditions apply to the Neighborhood Watch? The answer is that all residents are included in our neighborhood safety program. Student, renter, owner-occupant, part-time resident, … If you live here, NW looks out for you. So while Neighborhood Watch may coordinate with BLRA, it is an independent organization and is in no way beholden to the BLRA.

Neighborhood Watch Map

You may be wondering, “Who is my block captain?” Good question. This map, also posted on the BLRA website, shows the areas of responsibility for the block captains. Unlike past years, we no longer include unprotected contact information on the website. Please consult the neighborhood directory if you need contact information for the block captains. The file is password protected, so get in touch with a board member if you’ve mislaid the file Ted sent earlier this month. (Thanks for continuing to maintain the directory, Ted.)

How Can We Help NW Keep Our Community Safe?

Local law enforcement can’t be everywhere all the time, and neither can the NW block captains. A successful neighborhood safety program depends on each one of us. If you want to help keep our neighborhood safe, Chris has these suggestions.

• Don’t be afraid to call the police if you see unsafe or illegal behavior. You won’t be considered a nuisance or a busy-body. The police depend on residents to let them know when there are problems in the neighborhood.
• If you do call, always, always, always request a callback. Not only does this hold law enforcement accountable, it closes the loop so you will know whether or what was done to resolve the issue.
• If you call the police or the city to report an issue, let your block captain know. The BCs can consolidate information to detect and address problematic trends before they become overwhelming problems.
• Review the When to Call Guide so you know the rules, especially the helpful Q&A section at the end of the document.

If You Read Nothing Else…

A “takeaway” section is odd because it logically belongs at the end of an article to conclude and wrap up the ideas. But if someone is only going to read one little bit, it belongs at the beginning. A conundrum. Nevertheless, here it is, at the end, as usual.

Chris has three takeaways he’d like the neighborhood to remember:

• Neighborhood Watch is a reminder that we are not alone in the community. We have shared values. We have shared concerns for safety and quality of life. And we should, can, and do help each other.
• As a resident of the Burns Lane neighborhood and the City of Williamsburg, you have resources: When to Call, The BLRA. CERT radios manned by two of our neighbors, the Neighborhood Watch, our Neighborhood Resource Officer, city first responders, and other city agencies. Use them.
• Never be afraid to reach out when there is a need. If you aren’t sure, call your block captain and have a chat. He may have an idea where or whom to contact to help solve your problems.

As always, let me know in the comments if you have other ideas about how we can help the NW keep our neighborhood safe.

BLRA Webmaster