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CNN Live Today

Neighborhood Watch Programs on Rise

Aired July 04, 2002 - 12:40   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Americans are celebrating the Fourth of July with a new sense of caution this year in the wake of 9/11. That extends right down to the neighborhood level. Neighborhood watch programs are on the rise once again.

Matt Peskin heads the National Association of Town Watch, which organizes watch programs. And he's with us from Philadelphia this morning.

Matt, good morning to you. Happy Fourth of July.

MATT PESKIN, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF TOWN WATCH: Good morning, Daryn. How are you?

KAGAN: I'm doing great.

A lot of folks on this Fourth of July, though, are a little bit nervous. They are afraid that something is going to happen. What I like about your organization, it's not just about sitting around being scared. It's about doing something. You're encouraging people to kind of take back their own neighborhoods.

PESKIN: Right.

I've had the opportunity over the last several months to talk with law enforcement officials at all levels. And one of the things that comes out of those talks is that now, more than any other time in our history, law enforcement is looking for neighborhoods, citizens to get involved. Their eyes and ears are going to play an important part in our history in the next few years.

And you can understand why when you realize that 95 percent of police arrests are the direct result of a citizen's phone call. So, people, citizens, neighborhood groups play a major role in preventing crime. In this post-9/11 era, people are more important than ever.

KAGAN: Let's focus on this holiday in particular. People will be in their neighborhoods, perhaps having cookouts and celebrating with their neighbors. Maybe they are going out to see fireworks. What kind of thing should people be looking for?

PESKIN: Well, the obvious targets are things that people have talked about all day and in the weeks leading up to this holiday. And, really, it's -- someone that is going to cause a problem is going to go after a symbolic place, or a place where there's a lot of people involved. But citizens, like beginning today, should use this holiday to begin practicing their observation techniques.

KAGAN: Let's try one of those, this things called CYMBOLS (ph) that you guys are talking about.

PESKIN: Right.

That's a way to -- when you take the acronym CYMBOLS, and you look at color, year, make, model of a car, it's a way for people to begin to really become good observers.

We've had these neighborhood watch groups for over 20 years now in the country. And what law enforcement is saying now, we need to be real good observer. You've got to look at a car. And don't just say, "There was a suspicious car in my neighborhood," but tell me that it was a blue car, with a Pennsylvania license plate, with white male 5 foot, 7 inches driving. That's how we can -- citizens in neighborhoods can make a difference.

KAGAN: It's not terrorism, but we saw that in the Elizabeth Smart case, some very alert -- an alert milkman noticed a suspicious car. And I think that was able to help investigators a little bit with that investigation. And, of course, we're not just talking about terrorism. We're talking everyday crime. And nobody wants to see that come into their neighborhood.

PESKIN: Right.

And you have to realize that, when you use that 95 percent number, that's where the calls are coming from. And law enforcement is just stressed to the max now. And they just really need citizens to step forward. And that's why we're encouraging people to get involved in their neighborhood watch programs.

KAGAN: And then where do you draw the line between being a very alert neighbor and a responsible citizen and going the next step and turning into, like, vigilante justice?

PESKIN: Well, from day one, when you get involved in these watch programs -- and law enforcement does the training in these -- you realize that you do not get physically involved.

This is an eyes-and-ears program. And it can be anywhere from the milkman to a utility guy to a housewife. These are people who use their eyes and ears, pick the phone up, and report. So, in all my years in this program, we have never had anybody get physically involved. So, they know that it's their eyes and ears are their weapons in fighting crime and terrorism.

KAGAN: In all your years of being a good neighbor, do you think you specifically have stopped a crime?

PESKIN: There have been incidents where I and those in my local program have reported information that has been valuable.

And you will see, as these programs roll around, and we get towards the August 6 National Night Out, there will be more people that get involved. And that's what we're looking to do between now and National Night Out and the coming year, is, we're hoping to at least double the number of neighborhood watch groups.

KAGAN: Yes, tell me about August 6.

PESKIN: Well, it's August 6. It's National Night Out, the first Tuesday each August. It will involve somewhere around 10,000 communities, about 33 million people. And this is a night where people...

KAGAN: Thirty-three million people?

PESKIN: Yes, 33 million people go outside. They have block parties, cookouts, parades. They host visits from local police. And the idea is to really get out, meet one another, meet with local law enforcement, celebrate your efforts for the past year, and plan for the coming 365 days.

The biggest problem that we have and that we had in leading up to our big crime problems in this country is, people don't even know people that live on their own street. So, we designed National Night Out to be a night where you could go out, talk to your neighbors under the National Night Out umbrella, have some fun and learn about local programs.

And it really has sprung into -- I mean, some of the cities and towns that are involved have three-, four- or five-day events just leading to National Night Out.

KAGAN: Yes, and I know, at least in our neighborhood, you put out a sense and a feeling that we know each other, and we know what's going on, and we're watching each other's houses. And I think it just kind of sets an attitude that crime is not welcome on our block.

PESKIN: Yes.

I mean, a criminal of any type will not go into a neighborhood where people know each other. He or she is just afraid that someone's going to pick the phone up and call. So, at the very simplest level, meeting your neighbor, getting involved in these programs is the biggest thing we have going for us. And now law enforcement really needs us. So, we really need to step forward.

KAGAN: Absolutely, everyone doing their part.

Matt Peskin from National Night Out, thank you so much. We appreciate your help and your tips today. And you have a great and safe rest of your holiday.

PESKIN: Thanks, Daryn.

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