Abstract
Neighbourhood watch (also known as block watch, apartment watch, home watch, citizen alert and community watch) is a crime prevention programme that aims to reduce residential burglary by encouraging neighbours to look out for suspicious activities and report these to the police. It is intended that increased neighbourhood surveillance will deter potential offenders by altering their perceptions of the area and decision making. It might also reduce crime by enhancing informal social control and improving police detection.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | The Sage Dictionary of Policing |
Editors | Alison Wakefield, Jenny Fleming |
Publisher | SAGE Publications |
Pages | 204-206 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781412930994 |
Publication status | Published - 1 Jan 2009 |
Keywords
- neighbourhood watch
- evaluation
- crime
- prevention