Posted by Adam Marshall

What is a Block Watch Captain?

Let’s first dispel a few common misconceptions about Block Watch Captains:

  • You don’t wear a uniform.
  • You don’t carry a badge.
  • It’s not your job to patrol your neighborhood at night.
  • You don’t have to “organize’ anyone or any thing.
  • There are no mandatory meetings and you don’t have to host any meetings.
  • It doesn’t cost anything.
  • We don’t want you to sell any thing to anyone.
  • No one is going to ask you to try and raise money.
  • You don’t have to commit to any length of time.
  • No one expects you to confront crime suspects.
  • You don’t need to ring doorbells or try to actively “recruit” people.

All we want you to do is:

  • Of course if you see any sort of crime in your neighborhood or block report it to the police first and call / email the other Block Watch Captains if you can.
  • If you hear your neighbors talk of any suspicious activity, crime or nuisance ( burglary, attempted burglary, car theft, vandalism, graffiti, litter, people that don’t seem to have any business being in our neighborhood, loud music, vicious dogs, speeders, etc.) then please pass it on to the Block Watch in a timely fashion.
  • Be willing to put a flier on the doorstep of the people on just your specific block twice a year. (No more than 15 minutes effort total -twice a year.) The flier simply states that you’ve volunteered to be a “Block Watch Captain”. And if people would like to be notified of crimes in the neighborhood then they should contact you via email and you’ll notify them of any Block Watch Alerts you or any of the other captains broadcast.
  • We’re relying heavily on email notifications so you probably need to have a computer and be comfortable using email.

Come on. How easy is that?

The Plan:

Ideally each of the 168 blocks that comprise the Northwest Neighborhood will have their own Block Watch Captain. We know there will be blocks with more than one Block Watch Captain and some with none. That’s OK.

Our plan is to have an email list of Block Watch Captains set up in your computer. (we’ll send you the list)

If you have anything to share you simply send an email alert to all the other Block Watch Captains. That’s it. That’s the job!

The Block Watch works.

Did you know that in one week this October the NW Neighborhood Block Watch sent email alerts to each Block Watch Captain about:

1.) Coyotes being spotted roaming the area between Grand and Colby?

2.) That a Rucker resident, suspecting that someone had tried to steal her catalytic converter was told by Bucky’s Muffler that they’ve had over 100 incidents of catalytic converter thefts in the last few months?

3.) That a Wetmore resident found a woman recently released from the hospital asleep in her bed?

Over the last two years the efforts of NW Neighborhood folks just like you to forward alerts to their neighbors has resulted in the apprehension of at least a dozen crooks. Mostly for property theft.

If you’re interested please contact me. Paul Donovan pauld@construx.com,

NW Block Watch President. I live at the corner of 15th and Hoyt 1431 Hoyt.

Or contact Officer Aaron Snell asnell@ci.everett.wa.us or any of our Captains

See the next section of this portion of the web site titled “Does My Block Have a Block Watch Captain?” For their location and contact information. Ask them how little effort it takes to make a difference in your own neighborhood.

We very much look forward to hearing from you!

Best regards,
Paul