Kid Watch chosen by the International Association of Chiefs of Police as a finalist for excellence in Community Policing for 1999...
Through the combined efforts of the Los Angeles Police Department and the Family of Five Schools, the KID WATCH program was developed in 1995, with the primary goal of keeping children in school to reduce juvenile crime.
The Family of Five Schools consists of the five Los Angeles Unified School District schools, encompassing the area surrounding the University of Southern California. The elementary schools included in this "Family" are Weems, Norwood, Vermont, 32nd Street, and Foshay Learning Center. It was soon realized that to get children to stay in school, they must first attend school. An informal attendance survey conducted revealed that the children did not feel safe walking the streets in their neighborhoods on their daily treks to school. Through the Kid Watch program, community members were used as the Department's eyes and ears during the time frame that the children walked to and from school. This provided them the opportunity to monitor the activities of the children and also to make available a place for the children to go if assistance was needed. Not only was Kid Watch making the streets safer for children, it was bringing a community closer together. One of the more noteworthy benefits of the program was the reduction in the fear of crime within the involved community.
Kid Watch volunteers wore identifiable T-shirts or hats so the children could identify to whom they could go to, if needed. Those volunteers would also apply a Kid Watch decal to their residence, so children would know where to go for help if no one was outside. In order to ensure the safety of the children and limit liability to the City, background checks were completed on the volunteers. This included a criminal history check, as well as asking neighbors how they felt about their children's safety in the hands of certain neighbors. Flyers were distributed at local schools and community meetings to disseminate information regarding the Kid Watch program.
With the continued support of the Los Angeles Police Department, the University of Southern California, and the Los Angeles Unified School District, the program continues to grow. Numerous entities have recognized Kid Watch for its effectiveness. Three television news stations have completed segments on the success of Kid Watch, and last November, Southwest Area personnel attended the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference in North Carolina and were recognized for the Southwest "Kid Watch" program. This program has been chosen by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) and the ITT Industries Night Vision as a finalist for excellence in Community Policing for 1999. Ten finalists and five winners were selected from close to 200 entries worldwide to receive recognition for outstanding Community Policing initiatives.
As stated in the Department's Management Principles, "The task of crime prevention can not be accomplished by the police alone. The necessary task requires the willing cooperation by both the police and the public working together towards a common goal." This is just another example of quality Community Policing that is occurring on a daily basis in the City of Los Angeles.
For an application and more information in English or Spanish go to the USC Kid Watch website.
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