Neighborhoods

Neighborhoods across Washington have had success in fighting methamphetamine by forming watch groups that work with law enforcement to monitor suspicious drug activity in their areas. You can, too. If you notice that a home or homes in your neighborhood are being used to manufacture or distribute methamphetamine, you and your neighbors can help law enforcement by monitoring the activity around the house and report your findings. Some signs of drug activity include:

• Increase in neighborhood crime including burglary, robbery, identity theft, car prowls, and reports of stolen mail.
• Unusual amount of traffic at one house with cars usually staying for short periods of time.
• Neighbors who are awake and active for days at a time.
• Neighbors engaged in unusual activities including disassembling cars or appliances for no apparent reason.
• A neighborhood house with bizarre security practices stemming from paranoia.
• Neighbors who only smoke outside.
• Visitors running in and out of a home carrying backpacks or unusual plastic bags.
• Domestic violence, neglected children, and even gunfire.
• Homes with the windows blacked out.
• Newly acquired “guard” dogs.
• Tennis shoes hanging from a telephone wire is an underground signal for drug sale and activity.

Start by talking with your neighbors about meeting together to form a group dedicated to working with law enforcement to monitor activity in the neighborhood. For information on how to start such a group and what you can do, Lead-On America provides some helpful suggestions (Go to http://www.leadonamerica.org/community%20booklet%20print.pdf. Also, http://www.usaonwatch.org/ provides information on how to start a neighborhood watch program.