Georgetown Block Watch for Public Safety

Part of the larger Public Safety Program at the Citizens Association of Georgetown (CAG), Block Watch includes the hiring of the private guards who patrol the neighborhood five nights a week, keeping an eye on things, providing an escort to people who request it, and communicating suspicious activity to the police.

CAG is also placing cameras on some residential streets to provide the police department with an additional way to identify criminals. Crime decreased last year in Georgetown, and is down by more than a third this year. The police believe that the block watch program and the rest of the Public Safety Program activities are important contributors to this reduction. The costs of the private patrols and cameras are paid from residents’ dues to CAG and from their specific contributions to the Public Safety Program.

For those who might be interested, statistical and mapping information about crime is available at Crime Map. We are lucky to have MPD Officer Antonial Atkins - Officer of the Year! - assigned to us.

Officer Atkins and the other MPD members who were there emphasized the importance of being aware (walking alone at night while talking on your cell phone puts you at risk) and of calling 911 whenever you have concerns about possible criminal activity. Even if something just doesn’t look right, they urge using 911.

Written by Kenny Kraft, Block Captain - 2500 Block of Que Street