Special Programs for Residents

What is Neighborhood Watch?

Neighborhood Watch is a program that joins the residents of Mukwonago and the police officers sworn to protect Mukwonago. Our goal is to work together to deter crime, reduce crime and feel safe in our community. As a member of your neighborhood you may notice a stranger or cars that are out of place at your neighbors’ house.

How does Neighborhood Watch work?

Years ago, people would live in their neighborhoods for years and never move. Communities often had the “small town” feeling, neighbors looking out for neighbors. However in today’s society we are more mobile and fewer people are in a position to protect their home and property 100% of the time. Employment, vacations, business trips, shopping trips or just an evening out, will leave our homes and valuables unattended, vulnerable to burglary or theft.

If you notice suspicious activity or a suspected crime being committed call the police department. If you dial 911 on your cellular phone, that call first goes to Waukesha Communication Center then to the Mukwonago dispatch. But if you dial 911 on a landline or our direct line, 363-6434, you immediately get Mukwonago Dispatch. Mukwonago dispatch will ask you questions and get as much information from you as they can. Your Mukwonago Police Department will respond and quickly investigate the activity.

As a member of Neighborhood Watch you contact your block captain and alert your neighbors. This gives the police department extra sets of eyes and ears and you help keep your neighbors safe.

Neighborhood Watch program is for you to be a good witness for the police. Your safety is important to us so we don’t want you to try to apprehend a suspect or go out to the scene.

How can you be a good witness?

Call the Mukwonago Police Department immediately and provide the dispatcher with as much information about the suspicious activity or suspected crime. If you can get the make, model, color and license plate of suspicious cars. If it’s a suspicious person let the dispatcher know of a clothing description, gender, height and weight. Another helpful hint, is to provide a direction of travel and if the activity is still ongoing. But please remember, don’t take any personal risk to get this information. After all it is still the police department’s responsibility to apprehend the subject(s).

Does Neighborhood Watch really work?

The Neighborhood Watch program works, but only if you are involved. As a resident, you know what is “out of the norm” or suspicious in your neighborhood. The police department is counting on you to call us, and let us know when it is occurring so we can send an officer to check it out.

How much time will it require?

Participation in Neighborhood Watch will not infringe upon your valuable time. We simply ask you to be observant while conducting your normal everyday activities. At the very most, 1 hour a month would be the amount of time required to fulfill the duties of Coordinator or Block Captain. Your Neighborhood Watch program will choose how many meetings they would like to have each year.

What do you have to do to get started?

The first step to creating your own Neighborhood Watch program is to talk with your neighbors. Find out who would be interested in participating and set up a meeting. Meetings can be held at someone’s home, community meeting room or the police department. Once you have a location, date and time, contact Assistant Chief Chris DeMotto at (262)363-6436.

Assistant Chief DeMotto will listen to your concerns, coordinate patrol strategies for your neighborhood and provide crime prevention tips.

During your meeting neighbors’ will get a chance to meet each other, talk about concerns, select block captains and Neighborhood Watch locations.

Some tips to keeping your Neighborhood Watch active.

Your Neighborhood Watch group will have high interest at the start-up and for a few meetings thereafter. The real trick is keeping the group meeting and involving all the neighbors. Here is a list of ideas to help you maintain regular activities, in which all the participants have fun, socialize and attempt to solve neighborhood problems.

Information Sharing

Write your own block newsletter or create your own Facebook page. Keep people up to date on crime or other subjects of interest including the goings-on within your own group. Involve several neighbors in gathering information to share.

Block Garage Sale

Buy an ad in the local paper and post signs advertising your big block-wide garage sale. Conduct it on the same Saturday and get the whole block involved.

Booster Meeting

Arrange for a speaker to come to your Neighborhood Meeting. You can always get a politician who is running for office or just been elected come to your meeting.

Operation Reassurance

Help seniors sign up with the Mukwonago Police Department’s Operation Reassurance. This free program has seniors contact the Mukwonago Dispatch Center, daily, to make sure they are all right. If we don’t hear from them, we will check on them.

Duties of All Neighborhood Watch Participants

• Be alert and aware.
• Report any suspicious activity or possible crimes to the Mukwonago Police Department, immediately.
• Attend Neighborhood Watch meetings.
• Encourage your neighbors to join Neighborhood Watch.

Don’t hesitate or assume someone else called the police department. Together we can fight crime as a community.

Chief Daniel J. Streit
Village of Mukwonago Police Department
627 South Rochester St
Mukwonago, W 53149

Emergency Phone Number:
911

Non-Emergency Phone Number:
363-6435

TTD Phone Number:
363-6453

Fax Number:
363-6438