Golden Valley Neighborhood Watch Program

"Concerned Neighbors Can Prevent Crime!"

Neighborhood Watch is one of the most effective means available for keeping crime out of our neighborhoods. It relies on the best crime fighting tool ever invented—a  good neighbor.

When neighbors work together with the Golden Valley Police Department (GVPD), it creates the best crime fighting team around. Be a good neighbor and make our community safer from criminals by participating in Neighborhood Watch. It can be the basis for an ongoing dialogue and cooperative relationship with the GVPD and other City departments.

What is Neighborhood Watch?

Started in 1972 by the National Sheriff’s Organization, Neighborhood Watch is the cornerstone of all crime prevention programs. It enlists the active participation of residents, in cooperation with police, to reduce crimes in the community.

Neighborhood Watch is a critical communications tool for our community. It helps the GVPD inform you about crime in Golden Valley and how criminals are operating. There are many misconceptions, often supported by stories from other parts of the country, about how criminals operate. Neighborhood Watch educates you about local crime trends and criminals.

Why Neighborhood Watch?

The GVPD cannot have an officer on every corner, so involvement from residents is essential in preventing crime.

The more you know about crime, the better you’ll be able to recognize suspicious activity in your neighborhood and report it by calling 911. That gives police the opportunity to check out what may or may not be a crime and perhaps prevent a criminal from making another victim in our community. Neighborhood Watch also gives the GVPD the opportunity to answer your questions and learn about your concerns so we may serve you better.

Neighborhood Watch window stickers and street signs warn criminals that they are in an active Neighborhood Watch area and that neighbors are watching out for each other and will call the police.

Starting a Neighborhood Watch

To begin, work with the GVPD to arrange an introduction meeting between neighbors and the GVPD. The GVPD will talk about crime in Golden Valley, how local criminals operate, what to recognize as suspicious, how to use 911, how to protect yourself and your home, and what a difference Neighborhood Watch can make.

Maintaining Neighborhood Watch

We ask that you and your neighbors attend the annual meeting for your zone with the GVPD and have one social gathering each year. The annual meeting  will include a crime prevention refresher, an update on crime patterns and trends in Golden Valley, and more. You and your neighbors can choose your own social gathering—the idea is to get the neighbors together.  (Many groups use their Minnesota's Night To Unite celebrations as a social gathering.)

Block Captain Responsibilities

Neighborhood Watch block captains are responsible for keeping up-to-date block maps, distributing meeting information, encouraging attendance, and organizing National Night Out and any other social gatherings. If desired, block captains can schedule business meetings with the GVPD.

Benefits to Neighborhood Watch

The GVPD keeps Watch members informed about crime and trends that may affect the community.

Once the GVPD receives a copy of your block map, Neighborhood Watch street signs will be posted in your neighborhood. Provided by the Golden Valley Crime Prevention Fund, these signs warn criminals that your Neighborhood Watch group immediately reports all suspicious activity and communicates with the police. 

All Neighborhood Watch members also receive the quarterly Neighborhood Watchdog newsletter, keeping them informed about safety and security issues, prevention programs, and available resources.

Neighborhood Watch Meetings

The GVPD hosts annual Neighborhood Watch meetings by zone (see below). New groups or groups that wish to meet on their own may hold individual meetings in addition to the annual meeting.

The GVPD will organize these meetings and notify participants by mail about six weeks in advance and again a few weeks before the meeting date. The GVPD does its best to hold the meetings at a central location for each zone.

Zone(s)	Meeting Month
1	Mon, Sept 20, 2010—7 pm Golden Valley Police Department Training Room 7800 Golden Valley Rd
2 & 4	Tues, Oct 12, 2010—7 pm Golden Valley Police Department Training Room 7800 Golden Valley Rd
3	Tues, Nov 16, 2010—7 pm Golden Valley Police Department Training Room 7800 Golden Valley Rd
9 & 10	January 2011 Brookview Community Center
8a	February 2011 Meadowbrook Elementary School
6	March 20110 Noble Elementary School
5a	April 2011 Noble Elementary School
5b & 7	May 2011 Noble Elementary School
8b	TBD
8c	TBD

If you would like to know if there is a Neighborhood Watch group in a specific area, or for more information on the program in general, contact the GVPD's Crime Prevention Unit at 763-593-8058 or jpaul@ci.golden-valley.mn.us.

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