What's interesting is

[Mr.Bill]

there has been very little light thrown on the whole nationwide Neighborhood Watch program throughout this whole situation.

Discuss.

[snooper2]

1. because 98.34% of people know

that the whole program consists of-


a bunch of signs

[Mr.Bill]

2. Can't argue with that.

I actually organized one in my apartment complex 30 years ago.

What stands out in my memory is the officer in charge of the meeting said:

1. You do not pursue anyone.
2. You do not arm yourself.


Of course, I live in California, not Florida.

I wonder if there is any national oversight of these organizations, or are they autonomous in every state or locality?

What has this case and verdict done to the integrity of these programs?

[Jenoch]

3. What exactly is the

"...nationwide Neighborhood Watch program..."?

[Mr.Bill]

4. Well, every police department seems to have one,

so I wonder if they are coordinated or organized on a national level in any way.

[Jenoch]

5. I am not aware of it,

that is why I asked the question.

[SoCalDem]

17. Almost ANY community can contact their police department

and they will send an officer (or two) to a meeting the community sets up.

The police officers will give a little pep talk and will remind people of the obvious

...cancel mail & papers if you are going away
...get to know your neighbors
...call if you see a strange car/person hanging around
...lock doors & windows
...get motion lights
,,,get security system installed
...they remind people to NOT take matters into their own hands

they take questions, to which they give non-specific answers...and then they leave.

Some PDs leave yard signs to spread throughout the neighborhoods..some do not

It's up to the community to appoint various people to "keep an eye out" for odd things happening ..and they too remind people to call 911 or the regular number for the police, and to NOT try to "resolve" an issue themselves.

[Kablooie]

8. In our neighborhood every few years the police have a meeting at someone's ...

house to give us advice on how to keep the neighborhood safe.
They encourage us to call them if anything seems suspicious.
I wrote up an incident I called in below.

[KT2000]

6. we have one and it just amounts

to calling police when you see something suspicious. Where I live people do that whether or not there is a program or not.
Living in a retirement community (though I am not retired so I hardly see anything that goes on) is like living with a lot of watchdogs anyway.

[Kablooie]

7. I once reported an unmarked van in our neighborhood.

It was the middle of a week day when many houses were unattended. It came down the street slowly as if the driver was observing the neighborhood and parked at a house that was kind of hidden down a long road.
The sheriffs came and hid with their guns drawn while one went to the house to talk to the driver.
It turns out he was legitimate and he never learned that the other cops were there with guns out.
I talked with one afterwards and they had no problem being called out for a nonexistent crime. They seemed more relieved that there was no crime to deal with.

Since then they told us to put up beware of dog signs. It's one of the best deterrents to thieves.

[Jenoch]

10. So basically,

you and you're buddies kidnapped, assaulted, and robbed this bumbling fool. How amusing.

[Jenoch]

12. I'm opposed to

neighborhood watch programs where the volunteer are armed. I qm also opposed to assault and theft which is what you and your buddies did while drunk and high.

[Jenoch]

14. Why is that?

[Jenoch]

21. I am not in favor of armed, racist asshats.

I am opposed to assault, kidnapping, and theft. Just it was not Zimmerman's responsibility to intervene, neither was it yours. What you did may make you feel like a big man, but it ahould gave made you into a criminal. Your actions should have been prosecuted by the county attorney.

I have never been to Florida and have no desire to do so.


We would not butt heads unless you stuck your nose into my business where it does not belong. I do not carry so there would be no danger of you getting shot, but you would not know that anyway.

By the way, if you own any guns, you are possessing them illegally.

[Lex]

15. Cool story, bro.

[zappaman]

16. wow.

[dumbcat]

19. Auditioning for the Darwin Awards

.... are we?

[MineralMan]

20. Cool Story, Dude...