Neighborhood Watch Program 10 Tips on How to Observe: Knowledge By knowing who belongs in each unit, their hours of work, and their automobiles, you can observe what is happening and become suspicious of anything that does not fit your neighbor's habits.   Secrecy Observe as secretly as possible.  Do not make the suspicious person aware that you are watching them.  Look out for your neighbors and be the eyes and ears of our police.  Remember, you are the eyes and ears, not the strong arm  of the law.   DON'T CONFRONT A SUSPECT.....call 911.   Observe at Home Determine which locations are best for observing normal and suspicious activity.   Ideal locations are upstairs windows, windows that face the street, and windows that allow you to observe your neighbors areas.   Observe on Foot Observe your surroundings as you walk, jog, or take your pets for a walk.  Be alert to anything unusual taking place in the neighborhood.   Observe in your Vehicle This takes you further from home and you must rely on your knowledge of suspicious activities and sounds. Be prepared to call the police if you recognize anything suspicious.   Be Prepared Have binoculars, cell phone, flashlight, paper and pen readily available.   At Night When observing at night, don't look directly at what you are observing.  Look to the side, above, or below the subject and your vision will be more clear than looking directly at the subject.   Trust your Judgement Recognize and understand what you are observing.  When your instinct tells you something is wrong or about to happen, call 911 immediately - Don't hesitate.   Notes Write down immediately what you see, including the time.  If you remember something later, add it to you notes.  Record the suspect's description and activity, license plate number, description of the vehicle, and other important notes.   Practice You will learn a great deal in you Neighborhood Watch Program.  Practice what you learn!   BLOCK WATCH The idea behind the Block Watch Program is for neighbors to look after and out for neighbors.  Block Watch dovetails nicely with the concept of community policing-of citizens and police working together to solve neighbor crime and to educate neighbors. To be more aware of what constitutes suspicious behavior.  Some examples of suspicious activities are: Unfamiliar persons loitering in you're neighborhood. Slow moving vehicles that circle the block or unfamiliar parked vehicle, especially if someone remains in them. Unusual noises, screams, glass breaking, barking dogs, etc. Persons going from to door, (especially back doors) Persons looking in parked cars. DON'T ASSUME SOMEONE ELSE CALLED THE POLICE...........CALL 9-1-1 IMMEDIATELY. Help the police help you. Keep emergency phone numbers handy. Do not leave notes that indicate you are not home. Note license numbers of suspicious vehicle in the neighborhood and descriptions of suspicious persons. If you find a door or window force or broke, Don't enter because the criminal may still be inside, (Call Police) Do not touch anything or clean up if a crime has been committed until the police have inspected for evidence. Engrave you're property with you're PA. drivers license number, Not you're social security number.