A sticker in your window might just be what deters crime in your neighborhood.
That’s according to Williston Park Mayor Paul Ehrbar and his wife, former mayor Doreen Ehrbar, who say joining the village’s neighborhood watch program will make the community safer for everyone.
The pair is pushing for people to put blue and red neighborhood watch stickers on their home windows, which the village recently sent out to everyone in the neighborhood. They say they hope people will take the initiative to put them up and join in the spirit of community safety
“The decal on the door shows a presence. It shows there are people who are watching,” said Doreen, who started the program during her tenure as mayor in 2000. “I think that promotes a sense of security in the village.”
The push for people to join the program is motivated by a desire to keep the community safe. Doreen said she is looking for more block captains or hyperlocal leaders in the program, particularly north of Willis Avenue.
“We had about 75 block captains in the beginning stages,” she said. She said the number has fallen off in recent years as people have had less time to volunteer, but she encourages people to join, promising the work isn’t too strenuous.
Doreen explained that block captains typically serve just the block they live on and are primarily responsible for distributing certain pieces of public safety-related information from the village to their residents.
“The block captain is really to give out information and maybe listen to some of the neighbors if they have an issue. But, if there’s an emergency, we tell people they need to call 911,” she said.
Doreen said the program’s goal is to deter crime and promote connectivity and general safety within the community.
“The idea is to be watching the neighborhood, but also to watch your neighbor, to help your neighbor,” she said. “The goal is to encourage the neighborhood to watch out for each other.”
“We pass things around to say that if your neighbors are away, watch their house,” she continued. “If the garbage can is out in the morning while the people go to work and you’re home, take the garbage can, put it in the backyard. Ask your elderly neighbors if they need help, or just help to shovel their snow.”
The Ehrbars are not the only ones who say neighborhood watch programs can improve safety. A Department of Justice study found that communities with neighborhood watch programs can experience up to a 16% decrease in crime.
“Potential offenders might be deterred from committing a crime if they believe that neighborhood watch areas are too risky, and improved police investigation and enforcement will incapacitate offenders,” the study states. “It remains unclear whether neighborhood watch deters offenders or enhances police investigation.”
Ehrbar said anyone who needs a window decal can call or stop by the village hall to pick one up.
