Neighborhood Watch Patrol Handbook

The problem is larger than once thought. We now know that graffiti impacts the following:

• It is a blight on both the business and residential economy. It has caused businesses and people to reconsider moving to cities with a graffiti problem.
• It projects an extremely negative community image outside the boundaries of a city with a graffiti problem.
• It negatively impacts economic development and costs jobs.
• It drains meager city financial resources needed for other programs.
• It drastically lowers home values, as much as 25%, in areas that have a graffiti problem.

The social reasons for this plague of vandalism are many. This document will not even attempt to explain, address, or solve these issues. It will, however, explain how several people in some city neighborhoods have controlled the problem. As a side benefit, crime in these neighborhoods has been dramatically reduced.

The actions, recommendations, examples, and statements contained on the following pages are offered by the members of a very successful and active Neighborhood Watch Program within the City of Oxnard. The explanations and techniques used were developed over a two year period. They have proven extremely effective only when employed by neighbors working with neighbors. They will absolutely fail if neighborhood people do not get involved. This program is not officially sponsored or endorsed by the City of Oxnard. It was conceived and executed by neighborhood people taking control of the neighborhood environment in which they live.

The full version of this Handbook is on Oxnard Police Department's
Citizen Patrol page. Sections pertaining to setting up
a new watch patrol have been deleted to save space, the formatting
changed made to make this material more presentable on these pages,
and some material from the original, printed edition reinserted.

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Patroller Instructions: Recommendations and Suggested Rules to Observe During Patrol

It is recommended that you carry the minimum of a flashlight and notepad and pen with you. These can be used to write down descriptions of cars, people, license numbers, and notes about the time and things you see happen. You might want to refer to this information at a later time.

If you don't have one, you might want to consider getting a good spotlight. The type you plug into your car's cigarette lighter is best. A spotlight is very useful in lighting up dark areas in a park and the alleys you will patrol. In most cases, shining a light on persons that may be up to no good is all that is required to cause them to move on.

After starting a shift, patrol all the walls in your neighborhood that you know get hit and sprayed with paint. This is necessary so that you will be able to tell the police, in case you catch one of these vandals, that the wall was clean when you started your shift. Otherwise, the police will not arrest the offender and you will not be able to testify that the markings on the wall are fresh and new.

If caught in the act, watch for the painter to throw his spray paint can or marker away. Watch for tagging crews in cars that are strange to your neighborhood. Copy down the license numbers, get a description, and keep your notes. Most taggers will not be from your area.

Before you paint it out, take photos of all older graffiti. You should also take pictures of all new graffiti. If you are fortunate enough to catch a painter in the act, photos can often help police connect his tag with other markings he may have made in other parts of the city. Do not use a Polaroid or video tape as they are not easily reproduced and you may need two copies.

Pictures will help you validate a claim to any reward money that may be due you from the City's graffiti reward program.

The City will provide paint to cover graffiti in alleys and on walls. The City will also send a crew to sandblast graffiti from walls that face a street. They will not remove markings from walls in alleys.

Once removed, your most important task is to keep it off. Remove or paint out new graffiti as soon as it happens. This can't be stressed too strongly. Paint it out as soon as you see it. This will cause taggers to look for a place where their tag will stay on the wall for a longer period of time. When an area has graffiti, it attracts more of the same. Some graffiti is actually a challenge to other groups to see who can get their tag on walls more often.

Graffiti comes in two types, "Gang Markings" and "Tagging." Try to learn the difference. Copy down the names of the taggers that get painted or "tagged" in your area.

Watch the activities of the youth in your neighborhood, particularly when they are walking the streets or riding bikes in city parks after school and after dark. This is when most of the damage takes place. Try to identify neighborhood youths who may be involved in this activity. If you spot them doing something, let them know you know who they are.

Watch for youths dressed in all dark clothing, pants and jackets. Watch the activities of youths in black jackets with "Raiders" insignia on the back. Watch for young people carrying their jackets: this method is used to not show the insignia on the back. Watch for school bags, back packs, and bulges under jackets. Jackets are turned inside out to hide insignia and to change the appearance of person you saw tagging.

It is recommended that you don't stay in one spot too long. You should try to move your location about every 15 minutes. Patrol throughout the neighborhood, or neighborhoods, you have selected to watch. When checking a city park or local school, shine your spotlight into the dark places. Remember, city parks close at dusk.

If for some reason you call the police for help, do not follow them or park anywhere near them. They may not know who you are and may view you as a threat. Even if they know who you are, and if there is any real trouble, you would just become one more person that would need protection.

At times the police will request your presence. When this is so, your monitor will so inform you and ask you to go where the police are. Do not follow suspicious vehicles. Your task is to observe, record, and report. Do not call the police needlessly. You should only call when you observe something suspicious or actually see something happen.

Do not approach suspicious vehicles, particularly if occupied. If possible, get a good description of the car, its color, and its license number.

Do not drive through your neighborhood with your lights out. This has caused false reports to the police of "Car Casing The Neighborhood."

Do not carry any type of weapon when on patrol. That is not why you are out on patrol and we don't want anyone injured for any reason. In an emergency, a heavy duty flashlight could be used as a defensive device. If you are on a two-person shift, feel free to use your radios to stay in contact with each other, or to call for help. Your patrol's frequencies should be monitored at home by watch members who have scanners and who are not on patrol.

If you are on a one-person shift and need help, call the person monitoring for help. Give your location. Your correct location is critical if the help you want is to arrive at the proper place.

Please become familiar with the street names in the areas you patrol. You should also become familiar with what directions the streets run (North, South, East, and West).

You should get, or draw, a street map of the area. Distribute a copy to all members of your patrol. [See map]

Please don't forget to return any radios, scanners or phones you have borrowed. If you don't recharge the batteries, the equipment won't be usable for the next shift. Please report any equipment problems you have to your watch coordinators.

All members of a Neighborhood Watch Patrol should have and wear white ball caps. The police know to look for the white hats when responding to a call for assistance. Have it on your head when out on foot or while in the neighborhood in the dark. The police and other patrol members will know who you are.

Please, no drinking of alcohol while on patrol. Please do not patrol if you have been drinking.

Get to know the spots that get graffiti most often. Check them often.

The Neighborhood Patrol Coordinators should welcome any suggestions that would make the patrol more effective, or safer for the patrollers. Always feel free to make any comments that you think will help.

Portions of the above Copyright © 1992 by John M. Branthoover. Used by permission.

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Monitor Instructions

1. Setup: Always set up your radio and antenna about 30 minutes before patrol time. Your patrollers are responsible for keeping you informed as to the times they will be patrolling.

2. Monitoring: Check in with your patrollers about every 15-30 minutes. They should do a radio check with you, but if you don't hear from them, you do one. Say, "Patrollers, please check in."

3. Police Calls: If a call to the police is needed, make sure you get the following information. Call 385-7600 and ask for dispatch. Tell them you're calling for the Fremont North Neighborhood Watch Patrol. When you call the dispatcher, you are the "eyes and ears" of the situation until a police officer arrives. Calmly tell the dispatcher what you are reporting: a fight, suspicious car or person, stolen car, vandalism, etc.

Listen to the dispatcher's questions. Answer them quickly and honestly. If you do not know that answer, then say so.

If you are reporting a "crime in progress," the dispatcher on the phone will immediately relay that information to the person working the police radio, then continue asking you questions concerning the problem.

Descriptions of suspicious persons and vehicles is vital because the person or vehicle may leave the area before the police arrive. Sometimes officers pass the suspect without knowing it because they did not know what they were looking for.

a. What is happening?


b. How many people are involved?


c. What are they wearing?


d. What is their race, age, height?


e. The exact location.


f. If a vehicle, get the license number, color, make and model.


g. Direction vehicle is heading, etc.

4. Codes: When using our Citizens' Band radios, we use the following codes: (see Selected Police Ten Codes)

10-4 = Understood


10-7 = Away from the radio (out of service)


10-8 = Back at the radio (in service)


10-9 = Repeat transmission (did not understand)


10-10 = Coffee Break

5. If you need to change the night you monitor, or if you cannot monitor on a given day, please notify Judy Boos at 988-1803. (Patrollers should notify Marvin Boos at 988-1803.)

6. Customarily, Fremont North Neighborhood Watch Patrollers cruise the area around Curren Elementary School on "F" Street and the adjacent park (Eastwood Memorial) at "F" Street and Ivywood Drive. We also check the area around the new check cashing store.

7. Our Beat Officer has asked that we patrol our neighboring areas as they are experiencing higher crime rates and graffiti incidents than we are. Suggest you cruise these streets in the daytime until you become familiar with them. Try to keep your patrollers within radio range!

8. The patrollers patrol all streets and alleys between Ventura Road (1500 W) and "H" Street (800/900 W); Gonzales Road (1900 N) and Doris Avenue (600 N).

9. A very-limited number of scanners are available for use by our monitors and patrollers. Call Marvin Boos (Silver Streak) at 988-1803 to see if one is available.