The number of burglaries in Santa Clara has dropped by about 50% in the past 20 years, even though the City has grown more than 20%. One reason may be the popularity of Neighborhood Watch programs which teach residents and business owners how to notice and report suspicious activity in their neighborhoods.

Neighborhood Watch includes three focus areas: 1) how neighbors can get to know one another and look out for each other; 2) information on locks and locking devices; and 3) Operation Identification, which marks valuables with the owner’s California driver’s license number.

More than 90 Neighborhood Watch programs already have been established. For information on starting a new program, call the Police Department’s Crime Prevention Unit at 615-4876 or send an email to dschifano@santaclaraca.gov.

For additional information, please visit www. scpd.org.