MPD says block watches are key to safety. Here’s how to build one

It all starts with noticing something unusual.

Lights left on too long. A garage door left open for hours. A vehicle creeping down the street. Someone yelling several houses away.

For Maricopa Police Department’s community support specialist, Jim DeVenezia, that’s how most neighborhood watch groups begin: with a neighbor who decides to pay attention.

It starts with going across the street to talk to your neighbor about, ‘Hey, I’m going out of town,’ or ‘I saw your garage door open yesterday,’” he said. “That starts the conversation of, ‘Hey, let’s watch out for one another.’ And if people did that section by section, then it would form a safety net.”

In May, MPD hosted an informational meeting for residents interested in starting their own neighborhood watch programs. The session cam