Background: Neighborhood watch (also known as block watch, apartment watch, home watch and
community watch) grew out of a movement in the US during the late 1960s that promoted
greater involvement of citizens in the prevention of crime. Since then, interest in
neighborhood watch has grown considerably and recent estimates suggest that over a quarter
of the UK population and over forty per cent of the US population live in areas covered by
neighborhood watch schemes.
Objectives: The primary aim of this review is to assess the effectiveness of neighborhood watch in
reducing crime