Stockton Neighbors Working Together To Fight Crime
STOCKTON (CBS13) — Concerned neighbors living in southeast Stockton are working together to keep their streets safe while they help police fight crime.
It's a neighborhood watch program that uses technology to keep a close eye on possible danger lurking around the corner. When suspicious activity is spotted, all neighbors have to do is pull out their phones and take action.
Over the last year, neighbors in this Weston Ranch neighborhood say they have experienced an increase in crime. They say these problems have been keeping them up at night.
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"Robbery, car theft, home robbery, mailbox theft," said one of the neighbors who did not want to be identified. She is the woman behind the crime-fighting idea.
She is working on a solution that happens to be in the palm of her hand. Her cell phone, which she uses to team up with other concerned neighbors.
Neighbors take pictures and videos and pass them along in a group text, which alerts others of possible danger. The information is then given to police to assist in any investigation.
"I text everyone on that chat. I think with criminals if they know people are watching and they are listening and they are listening and keeping me an eye, I think we can, you know, deter crime," she said
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Call it, another form of security. Members of this newly formed group keep a close eye on everything from suspicious people to unusual activity.
They even monitor drivers going over the speed limit.
"It's been really, really helpful and I think it's given all of us, as neighbors a more calming sense of peace in living in the community," said neighbor Kimberly Warmsley. "I think that when people or perpetrators know that people are looking and listening that they may be less likely to come back."
The group started with a small number of neighbors, but now they have more people interested in signing up to join. Organizers hope the program will help decrease the crime.
