SECOND OPINIONS : A Chill in the Fervor to Keep the Streets Safe : The slaying of Keith Brown has made people hesitant to join Neighborhood Watch. But the program remains a key component of the broad- based fight against crime.

Recent news articles suggest a drop in Neighborhood Watch participation due to the death last month of Keith Brown, the husband of a Neighborhood Watch block captain who responded to a dispute between neighbors. But this tragic shooting should not cause panic about this successful community-based public safety program.

As cities struggle to reclaim neighborhoods from crime, it is apparent that traditional law enforcement methods alone will not be successful. I believe neighborhoods will be taken back through joint community and law enforcement efforts like Neighborhood Watch and community-based policing. At the community meetings I attend, I share this viewpoint with residents and encourage the formation of Neighborhood Watch or block clubs.

The Neighborhood Watch program, created by former Los Angeles Police Chief Ed Davis, has been a strong crime-fighting tool in Los Angeles and across the nation. This program ties government, law enforcement and citizens together, making them jointly responsible for building communities that are strong, safe, blight-free and thriving.

The Neighborhood Watch program is also a component of community-based policing--a public safety philosophy that encourages police involvement with the community at the grass-roots level. Neighborhood Watch supports community policing efforts and brings more public safety tools to our streets.

The strength of Neighborhood Watch and the need for its block club leaders must not be lost because of the death of Keith Brown. That was a singular and avoidable tragedy, and the first death since Neighborhood Watch originated 20 years ago. Standard warnings about procedures were not followed in the Brown case: The police should have been called immediately and no Watch member should have intervened in the dispute.

While figures suggest a drop in crime, the public at large may not feel any safer. Now, needed participation in Neighborhood Watch can be undercut as people feel more threatened by crime. As people feel more threatened, they often turn inward and withdraw from partnerships that can make our communities safer.

Now is the very time our residents must get re-engaged in fighting crime. While people’s fears may keep them in their homes, we must acknowledge that the police cannot operate effectively without citizen support. Every citizen, not just the full-time police professional, has the responsibility to see that our laws are enforced.

To help in this effort, people should join Neighborhood Watch programs and consider signing up for block captain responsibilities--and honor the memory of Keith Brown by building the partnership in which he so fervently believed. The Valley only has about 2,900 block captains, but we have more than 1 million people living in the area. There is a tremendous opportunity for growth and involvement.

Community members and the police--as partners--must continue to identify and prioritize problems, as well as share responsibility for the development and implementation of proactive problem-solving strategies. We will do this with active Neighborhood Watch programs and more block captains.