USAOnWatch

In 2002, the National Sheriffs' Association (NSA) was awarded a grant to expand and enhance the National Neighborhood Watch Program, in part as a result of September 11, 2001. In the aftermath of the tragic events of that day, the need for a strategy to strengthen and secure our communities became even more critical. As a result, President Bush announced that as part of his Citizen Corps initiative, the Neighborhood Watch Program would be taking on added responsibilities and greater significance. In addition to customary neighborhood crime prevention, programs would also be developed to address terrorism prevention. One of the ways National Sheriffs' Association has sought to educate Neighborhood Watch groups on this issue is through the dissemination of information that teaches them how to incorporate terrorism prevention into the mission of their Neighborhood Watch programs and make preparedness a part of their daily lives. These resources arm private citizens with knowledge that can play a potentially crucial role in the detection and prevention of terrorist acts.

In addition, National Sheriffs' Association was called upon to work with the Administration to double the number of Neighborhood Watch groups throughout the country by January 2004. To assist law enforcement agencies and citizen organizations in meeting the goal of doubling the number of current Watch groups, National Sheriffs' Association launched this website, USAonwatch.org, immediately following the President's State of the Union address. The site not only provides information on Neighborhood Watch and the enables browsers to download National Sheriffs' Association's Neighborhood Watch Implementation Manual, which contains information on how to start a Watch group, but also features success stories and articles on Neighborhood Watch, a weekly email newsletter, and live audio interviews with government officials, law enforcement officials, and others involved in Neighborhood Watch.

The newest feature of the site, Meet the Challenge, was launched in early June 2002, and allows each new or revitalized Watch group to record their group. This enables National Sheriffs' Association to keep track of Neighborhood Watch numbers as we work to achieve our goal of doubling the number of groups around the country. So please take a moment to Register Your Watch or Start a New Watch. You may also Search for an Existing Watch inside our national database.