The Eagan Police Department is actively recruiting Neighborhood Watch Groups. While you may feel that crime is not a problem in your neighborhood, crime knows no boundaries. The object of Neighborhood Watch is to reduce the probability of crime by getting to know your neighbors and reporting suspicious activity to the police department. We, at the Eagan Police Department would like to invite you to form a Neighborhood Watch Group. The following information will give you the information you need to get your group started.
The first meeting is held in the resident’s home. Invitations are sent by the resident to all the neighbors on his/her block on both sides of the street. We have found that if too large an area is invited to attend, people do not feel as personally connected to their neighbors causing minimal participation. It’s easier to walk down the block to a neighbor’s house than to drive to the police department for a meeting.
At the first meeting the Crime Prevention Officer will talk about: 
- What is Neighborhood Watch
- An overview of the Eagan Police Department
- What is suspicious
- Premise security for homes
- Operations Identification
- Current crime trends for your neighborhood (if any)
- Answer questions
There are only 2 requirements for starting and maintaining a "City Chartered" Neighborhood Watch Group:
- Each group must have at least 50% participation and commitment from the homes on their block.
- Each Neighborhood Watch Group must hold at least two meetings per year. We ask that you include a city staff member such as a crime prevention officer to one of your annual meetings.
The purpose of the meetings and participation requirements is to maintain the credibility of the program. We want to spread the word to criminals that the Neighborhood Watch signs in Eagan really do mean that the people in that area are alert and educated about what to watch for and when to call the police. The group must also choose a block captain to serve as a liaison with the police department and to coordinate at least two meetings per year.
For more information, please contact at the Eagan Police Department Crime Prevention Unit at (651) 675-5700.
