Neighborhood watch

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A warning sign indicating a neighborhood guard
English speaking neighborhood guard sign

A neighborhood watch is a privately organized group of citizens who voluntarily seek to prevent vandalism and other criminal activity in their neighborhood . According to its self- image , it does not practice vigilantism : Its members should not intervene instead of the state in the event of suspicious incidents, but rather inform the authorities. The members are neither state-appointed nor do they have powers that go beyond the rights of any other citizen ( e.g. self-defense ). They are also only allowed to carry weapons if this is otherwise permitted in the respective country.

This concept should not be confused with the German voluntary police service or security guard (Bavaria and others), which is part of the regular state police or at least reports to it. Neighborhood guards are also to be separated from the historical, paramilitary vigilante groups.

Situation in different states

United States

In the USA the concept goes back to the colonial times. At that time, citizens were used as city guards. From the 1960s onwards, the current system of neighborhood guards developed after Kitty Genovese was raped and murdered without any witnesses present. The National Sheriffs' Association promoted the concept nationwide from the 1970s. In 1979 the Guardian Angels were founded in New York, which also spread to other cities in and outside the country.

On February 26, 2012, in Sanford , Florida, the unarmed African American Trayvon Martin was shot dead in self-defense by George Zimmermann, a member of a neighborhood guard, which led to nationwide protests against racial discrimination in the United States. On July 13, 2013, Zimmerman was declared innocent ( not guilty ) by a six-person jury after 16 hours of deliberation on the charge of second degree murder and acquitted.

The New York Times reported in June 2012 that neighborhood guards in New York City were picking up again after decades of decline.

Austria

In Austria there is a nationwide initiative founded by Karl Brunnbauer, proNACHBAR . The association has set itself the task of improving communication between the immediate neighbors and the police. Citizens' awareness of property crimes in their immediate vicinity measurably reduces criminal activity. Since it was founded in 2007, the association has had several thousand members. Members are regularly informed about new forms of crime as well as preventive and behavioral measures.

proNACHBAR is based on three pillars:

  • Information - this is offered on the proNACHBAR website , current situation reports are sent to the members' e-mails via newsletter.
  • Prevention - the involvement of the neighborhood is the focus, as is the closest possible cooperation with the authorities, associations or private initiatives in order to be able to take active precautions against property crimes.
  • Communication - fundamental point, required for all activities described above as well as cooperation with authorities or partners. Online forms, the association's “hotline”, e-mail, the proNACHBAR coordinators or simply a neighborly conversation over the fence serve as a means .

With the establishment of the EUNWA (European Neighborhood Watch Association) in Vienna in October 2014, a milestone was created in the worldwide networking of associations for the "prevention of crime". As founder and president of proNACHBAR, Karl Brunnbauer wanted to improve knowledge and communication internationally. Various associations with a similar structure (neighborhood guards) and police organizations from 19 countries were present and signed the founding document.

Namibia

The Swakopmund Neighborhood Watch was introduced in the Namibian coastal town of Swakopmund in mid-2012 . Since then, crime in Swakopmund has decreased by up to 80 percent. So far, around 300 people have joined the neighborhood watch. These patrol every night and during the main holiday season in December and January also during the day in all parts of the city with the exception of DRC , Mondesa and Tamariskia .

Since then, numerous neighborhood guards have been set up in the capital Windhoek , including Avis . These are always registered with the Namibian police , receive a police officer as a direct contact person and the members of the neighborhood guard receive appropriate IDs and shirts with a logo. As of September 2015, there were 24 neighborhood guards in Windhoek. Alternatively, you can also register with the Windhoek City Police .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Frances Robles: Shooter of Tray by Martin a habitual caller to cops . In: The Miami Herald , March 17, 2012. 
  2. ^ Neighbors describe watch leader , CNN. March 13, 2012. 
  3. ↑ SPON of July 14, 2013: Judgment in the Trayvon Martin case: acquittal for Zimmerman neighborhood guard
  4. ↑ FAZ July 14, 2013: “A slap in the face for the American people” - civil rights activists, especially from the black population, speak of a “tragedy” - the American right, on the other hand, is relieved.
  5. ↑ Süddeutsche Zeitung: In the realm of unlimited self-defense
  6. ↑ Interview with the president and founder of proNACHBAR on ORF Konkret Das Servicemagazin - about proNACHBAR. ORF TVTHEK, February 5, 2010
  7. ↑ Crime: the police seek proximity to the citizens. The press, December 22, 2009, accessed on February 22, 2013
  8. ↑ Comparative results of the security surveys 2007 and 2009 in the districts of HERNALS and HIETZING Federal Criminal Police Office (.BK) Office 1.6 - Crime Prevention and Victim Support, April 12, 2010
  9. ↑ Quiet holiday season in Swakopmund. Allgemeine Zeitung, January 9, 2013 ( Memento of February 1, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Retrieved on February 4, 2013
  10. ↑ Safe city stroll. Allgemeine Zeitung, January 10, 2013. Retrieved on February 4, 2013
  11. ↑ Interview with the head of the neighborhood watch on Hitradio Namibia on December 19, 2012
  12. ↑ Avis defies crooks. Allgemeine Zeitung, November 17, 2014. Retrieved January 16, 2015
  13. ^ How to start a Neighborhood Watch Group. NAMPOL, date unknown ( memento of January 18, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) accessed on January 16, 2015
  14. ↑ September 16, 2015 - News at noon. Hitradio Namibia, September 16, 2015