Watching the Neighborhood

Any well-publicized crime wave can be expected to mobilize residents into forming the Neighborhood Watch groups that in the past have proved themselves so effective in reducing crime.

In Orange County, the most dramatic example thus far has been in Santa Ana, where in 1974 the release of the latest statistics showed the city with a larger increase in crime than any other in the state. That startled residents, who, working closely with police, managed in a little more than a year to see a dramatic reduction in the number of rapes, robberies and burglaries, and an overall cut in the crime rate of about 19%.

Even more frightening than not being safe in the streets is the horrifying feeling of not even being safe at home.

That fear was all too evident during the recent wave of sadistic and brutal attacks and murders attributed to the serial killer dubbed the Night Stalker.

So it comes as no real surprise to see that so many Orange County residents have been contacting police to find out how to organize their blocks into Neighborhood Watch groups.

Police in Irvine have reported an increase of nearly 800% in the number of calls from people not previously associated with the Neighborhood Watch program. Fullerton and Huntington Beach police report similar responses. One community-services officer is already booked for meetings with interested residents every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday through the middle of October.

Police as a rule do not seek out such volunteers. They wait for people to become interested enough in wanting to help control crime to contact them. Those are the people who not only realize that it takes a partnership between the police and the public to fight crime effectively but who also are willing to assume their responsibility in the effort.

Thousands of families throughout the county already belong to Neighborhood Watch groups. It’s encouraging to see many more people willing to get involved by looking out for each other and reporting suspicious circumstances and crimes in progress. The Santa Ana statistics demonstrate the potential value of the program.

The Neighborhood Watch attitude helped police identify and capture the man suspected of being the Night Stalker. It’s also the attitude that each day helps keep neighborhoods safer and residents feeling more secure in their homes.