Is Neighborhood Watch really effective? You bet it is! The reason is simple: Desire. Opportunity. Ability. Criminals must have all three if they are to be successful. Neighborhood Watch groups deny the criminals the Opportunity and Ability they need by refusing them the chance to operate undetected.
Neighborhood Watch is a crime prevention program, which enlists the active participation of citizens in cooperation with law enforcement to reduce crime in their communities. It involves neighbors getting to know each other and work together in a program of mutual assistance, citizens being trained to recognize and report suspicious activities in their neighborhoods to police, and implementation of crime prevention techniques.