The mission of Bella Vista Town Watch and its Crime Prevention Committee is to keep our neighborhood a safe place to live.

Crime Prevention Committee volunteers work to address the problem of neighborhood crime in many ways, including:

• Patrolling the neighborhood regularly, observing and reporting any crime activity or issues to police.
• Maintaining constant communication with police officials in the 3rd District Police headquarters (at 11th and Wharton Streets) and also South Street Police Mini Station (905 South Street)
• Distributing crime states and crime prevention information to neighbors,
• Organizing and attending community/police meetings, including the 3rd District Police Captain’s Town Hall Meetings and also Police District Advisory Council (PDAC).
• Hosting crime prevention training, and
• Tracking and attending court proceedings of key crime cases.

BVTW and its Crime Prevention Committee also actively participate in working groups (often involving police and political officials, neighbors and/or other civic associations) to address specific issues or crime cases.

BVTW believes a neighborhood’s perceived vulnerability to crime is often tied to quality of life issues, so BVTW Crime Prevention Committee works in tandem with BVTW’s Beautification and Zoning Committees to make our neighborhood a great place to live.

BVTW and its Crime Prevention Committee believe that neighbors have to be proactive to reduce crime and improve our quality of life in Bella Vista. Any level of volunteer involvement is welcome and will make a difference.

HOW TO HELP BVTW PREVENT CRIME There are many ways Bella Vista neighbors can support the necessary work of the BVTW Crime Prevention Committee.

The first and best way is to do your part by reporting any crime or suspicious activity in the neighborhood. (See “Reporting Crime” information here ADD LINK.) It’s also important to attend advertised police/community meetings and voice any concerns. The BVTW Crime Prevention Committee always welcomes new volunteers in their weekly neighborhood patrols, during which we walk around the neighborhood, talk to our fellow neighbors and monitor any crime or quality of life issues (such as graffiti, illegal dumping or problem properties). New volunteers can meet the BVTW patrol 9pm every Thursday at the South Street Police Mini-Station, 905 South Street. All are welcome. (Note: Severe weather usually cancels patrolling.)

BVTW also needs volunteers to help collect city and neighborhood crime information, represent Bella Vista in community police meetings (reporting information from those meetings to BVTW board members and neighbors) and work with the Crime Prevention Committee to follow neighborhood crime cases.

For more information or to volunteer, email the Crime Prevention Committee at crime@bvtw.org.