About Block Watch

The Block Watch program purpose and goal

“To be the best program for community engagement and crime prevention in Canada through innovation, accountable and effective program delivery, and the proactive pursuit of excellence.”

Fights the isolation and separation that crime creates and feeds upon,

Forges bonds among area residents and businesses,

Helps reduce burglaries and other crime,

and improves relations between the police and the community they serve

The Block Watch Program was started in BC in 1986 in response to the concerns of citizens about crime. The program was modeled on a similar project in Seattle which was effective in reducing residential Break and Enters by up to 60 percent.

In 1993 the Block Watch Society was officially registered as a non-profit society. Since its inception the Block Watch Program of BC has been influential in reducing residential crime and promoting increased feelings of neighborhood security.

The main objective of the Block Watch Society of BC is to partner with communities to build safer neighborhoods by encouraging residents to take a proactive approach to crime prevention and safety. Through education on target hardening, property marking and reporting suspicious activity Block Watch provides a means for the community to take responsibility for its own safety by reducing the opportunity for crime.