OPERATION CRIME WATCH
Build a Safer Baltimore Block by Block
Recently, a tragedy claimed the lives of a family working to free their neighborhood from drugs. But thanks to our Mayor's determination to "never let anything like that happen again," there is now a program that allows citizens to take action and also provides the highest level of personal protection. Operation Crime Watch unites the citizens of Baltimore and the Baltimore Police Department to prevent crimes of opportunity or drug related crimes by engaging citizens in community crime prevention activities. This joint venture is destined to become the very foundation on which safe neighborhoods are built. To protect those who have the courage to get involved, most of this vital work is done anonymously.
What is a crime watch number?
A Crime Watch number also known as a “Block Watch” number, is a unique seven-digit number issued to you by the Baltimore Police Department. It is a confidential identification number that you give to the 9-1-1 Operator after dialing “9-1-1” if you do not want the officer responding to your call to come to your door. Once the Crime Watch number is entered into the 9-1-1 computer system your phone number and address, which normally are sent by the 9-1-1 system to the responding patrol car does not know who made the call.
Is the Crime Watch Number a special telephone number to call?
No, it is not a telephone number. Think of it as a confidential membership number in the Operation Crime Watch program that you give to the 9-1-1 Operator after you dial “9-1-1”.
If the officer in the patrol car does not know who made the call to “9-1-1”, how will the officer know where to go?
When you give your Crime Watch number after dialing “9-1-1”, the 9-1-1 Operator will ask several questions, including the location of the incident about which you are calling. The 9-1-1 Operator will pass on information about the location of the incident to the patrol car, but will not pass on information about the location of the person calling “9-1-1”. Thus, the officer will go to the location of the incident, not to the caller. Even if the incident is right in front of you house, the responding officer will not know if the call came from your house or the house of one of your neighbors.
What if I really need help and I want the officer to come to my door?
If you need the officer to come to your door, do not use your crime watch number. Simply dial “9-1-1” as you normally would and the questions asked by the 9-1-1 Operator.
How do I get a Crime Watch Number?
To get a Crime Watch Number contact the Community Relations Officers at the Southern District Police Station at 410-354-5169. You will need to supply your name, address and telephone number to receive a Crime Watch Number. You will receive your number in the mail. You may also complete the electronic application at the bottom of this page.
What can Operation Crime watch do for my neighborhood?
Although Operation Crime Watch is a citywide initiative, crime prevention activities will reflect the challenges of a specific neighborhood. That's why Block Watch may be initiated in some communities while Citizens on Patrol is used in others.
What's the difference between Block Watch and Citizens on Patrol?
Both programs involve trained citizens who want to make their neighborhood safe and be an extra set of eyes and ears for the police. Block Watchers report information and activity anonymously to the police from the privacy of their own home or anywhere they happen to be. Citizens on Patrol maintain high visibility as they drive or walk through a neighborhood, most often using a direct communications link to the police to report suspicious activity.
I want to be part of Operation Crime Watch, but I am scared. What can I do?
First, realize that you are not alone. Many feel as you do. However, once you have a Block Watch number, your participation can be as private or as open as you wish. That way, you can help make our neighborhoods safe and feel personally safe, too.
Operation Crime Watch Mission
To prevent and reduce crime in Baltimore by developing neighborhood-based public safety strategies, including block watch and citizen patrol programs through a collaborative partnership between the citizens of Baltimore, the Baltimore Police Department, the Mayor's Office of Neighborhoods and the Washington/Baltimore High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. Citizens and police officers will support each other in preventing and reducing crime through more effective communication and by creating problem-solving relationships appropriate to each community.
Crime Watch Application /Documents/Crime Watch Application NEW 2.doc