Neighborhood Watch Academy

Riverside, Ca- The Riverside Police Department Community Policing Unit is training a new generation of Neighborhood Watch leadership in a comprehensive approach to keeping communities safe and improving quality of life. Free training is being provided to neighborhood volunteers for the new Neighborhood Watch!

The Neighborhood Watch Academy will take place over an eight-week session of three-hour courses held on Wednesday nights, 6-9 p.m., beginning May 17 to June 21, and resuming July 12 and 19, at California Baptist University Staples Room.

“Neighborhood Watch are proven successes at reducing crime and increasing the comfort and safety everywhere these programs enjoy genuine community support and tangible action,” said Police Chief Russ Leach.

In its current Strategic Plan, RPD introduced the phrase “co-producers of public safety,” which best sums up the way a city and its residents maximize their resources – and the benefits – in maintaining the livability of our communities.

Neighborhood Watch – the added eyes, ears and awareness on our city streets – is critically important to reducing crime and improving quality of life in each of our neighborhoods. “Safety and security are everyone’s concerns,” said RPD Community Policing Lieutenant Tim Bacon. “The Neighborhood Watch Academy will provide exciting and useful tools for new block captains and their volunteers.”

There is no fee for the classes. Registration is now open. For more information and to arrange necessary background checks, please contact Police Service Representative Tina Shook at (951) 715-3429 or email tshook@riversideca.gov or apply online by clicking here.

Classes will include neighborhood organizing and communication, leadership development, personal, home and vehicle safety strategies, awareness of gang, narcotics and graffiti issues, working with Police and City government.