COMMUNITY
“With some of the latest activities, some of the shootings in particular, it was suggested to me to do a neighborhood watch update,” he said. “If we’re reactive to crime, people hide in fear. But being proactive means having the notion that, ‘We live here, this is my house, this is my block.’ We want people to be proactive.” That’s something Tortosa resident Suzanne Juitt agreed with. She’s part of a four-person team operating a small watch group in the southeastern corner of their subdivision. “We’re not being Karens and we’re not being nosy neighbors. We’re being the neighbors that care,” she said. “Because you don’t know what’s going on in this house or that house.” If we’re reactive to crime, people hide in fear. But being proactive means having the notion that, ‘We live here, this is my house, this is my block.’ We want people to be proactive.” JIM DEVENEZIA, MPD COMMUNITY SUPPORT SPECIALIST ‘Grassroots approach’ The official Neighborhood Watch program began in the 1960s as a simple way for neighbors to keep an eye on each other and support local police. In Maricopa, though, that idea has evolved. The city’s sprawling neighborhoods and fast- growing developments have encouraged a more flexible approach. Most groups operate as small, informal pockets scattered across the city. Instead of structured, police-run programs, residents rely on a mix of phone chains and social media to stay informed. DeVenezia said the secret is to start small. “It just starts with one person and their neighbors,” he said. “You get your first follower, and then it grows naturally. That grassroots approach is what really works.” He likened it to a YouTube video he’s seen — one showing a man dancing alone at a festival until others join him. “The first follower is the spark that makes the fire,” the video commentator says. DeVenezia smiled. “You get your first follower, and then it grows naturally. That grassroots approach is what really works.”
HOW TO START A WATCH GROUP
Watchmen PD says city needs neighborhood watches. What you need to know BY MONICA D. SPENCER
Whether it’s for your entire HOA or just your street, starting a watch group can be done in just a few simple steps, according to National Neighborhood Watch. 1 Recruit and organize as many neighbors as possible. The first step is talking to your fellow neighbors about starting a group. 2 Contact your local law enforcement agency and schedule a meeting. Send an email to Block.Watch@Maricopa-AZ.gov for more information about starting a watch group. Officers will take the time to meet with your neighbors to answer questions and provide resources. 3 Discuss community concerns and develop an action plan. At your meeting, determine the top concerns from neighbors and create a plan to work towards lessening the impact. 4 Create a communication plan . Choose regular meetings, create a social media group or both. 5 Take action by holding meetings and events. You may not be able to accommodate every person but try to appeal to the majority when it comes to date, time, location and purpose.
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day,’” he said. “That starts the conversation of, ‘Hey, let’s watch out for one another.’ And if people did that section by section, then it would form a safety net.” In May, MPD hosted an informational meeting for residents interested in starting their own neighborhood watch programs. The session came in the wake of a particularly violent spate of a dozen shootings, including a murder and at least three attempted murders. DeVenezia said the meeting also served as a timely refresher for residents, since the last neighborhood watch update had been in 2023.
T ALL STARTS WITH NOTICING something unusual. Lights left on too long. A garage door left open for hours. A vehicle creeping down the street. Someone yelling sev- eral houses away. For Maricopa Police Department’s commu- nity support specialist, Jim DeVenezia, that’s how most neighborhood watch groups begin: with a neighbor who decides to pay attention. “It starts with going across the street to talk to your neighbor about, ‘Hey, I’m going out of town,’ or ‘I saw your garage door open yester-
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Maricopa Community Support Specialist Jim DeVenezia speaks to a crowd about starting a neighborhood watch program during a meeting at Maricopa Library and Cultural Center.
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InMaricopa.com | November 2025
November 2025 | InMaricopa.com
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