How to start a Neighborhood Watch

LIHU‘E — Organizing a Neighborhood Watch program isn’t difficult, said Kaua‘i Police Lt. Dan Miyamoto.

Here are the steps:

— Write a letter to KPD Chief Darryl Perry expressing desire to start a Neighborhood Watch program once there are four or five interested neighbors (letters may be mailed to 3990 Ka‘ana St., Suite 200, Lihu‘e, HI 96766);

— If a coordinator has identified a team captain or captains who will work with a certain number of neighbors (five, 10 or 20), informing them about the program, they will be given a handbook on how to start and maintain a healthy Neighborhood Watch program;

— Miyamoto meets with team captains, has them fill out basic data sheets that include names, telephone numbers, vehicles owned, workplaces and other information, and encourages them to map the neighborhood and start e-mail or telephone trees to contact neighbors about meetings, suspicious activities and similar things;

— Once the Neighborhood Watch leadership is organized, a meeting is called where interested neighbors will get participant handbooks;

— The individual community tailors its Neighborhood Watch program to its distinct needs.