CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — Throughout the City of Corpus Christi, you may spot a sign that warns criminals of "Neighbors On Watch." The Corpus Christi Police Department is hoping they can put up more of those signs by bringing in more neighbors throughout the city.
Neighborhood Watch is concept used throughout the country. Local police, like CCPD, organize and facilitate those groups.
In Corpus Christi, Neighborhoods on Watch has been around since the 1970s.
However, the program slowed down during the pandemic. There were 60 Neighborhood on Watch groups pre-pandemic. There are currently 35 to 40 Neighborhood on Watch groups in the city.
“They’re the first boots on the ground they’re the ones that know who lives where, what they drive..." Melissa Castor, a crime Prevention Specialist for CCPD said. "So, we bring this program to bring the neighborhoods together first of all for everyone to know their neighbors and then that way they can help each other out when one’s not there.”
The program organizes neighbors to come together, communicate and keep an eye out on their respective neighborhoods to help themselves and police. Then when they see something, they say something.
Castro said this has proven to stop some crime.
“There’s been Neighborhoods on Watch that have actually saw the crime, produced video, given us offender information. To where the officers basically go out there, they’ve got pretty much the whole investigation with them and they’re able to solve the crime,” she said.
CCPD is getting ready to host a few meetings to give neighbors some more information on taking part in the program. The first such meeting will be at the Flour Bluff substation on Waldron Road, on Thursday at 6 p.m.
When they finalize details, CCPD plans to post other meeting info on their social media pages.
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