Orinda Neighborhood Watch
The neighborhood watch program has a long history in both of these communities. The popularity of and support for neighborhood watch groups has ebbed and flowed. For some time, the program has been an element of the Lamorinda CERT activities. Active neighborhoods have performed neighborhood watch functions as part of their local activities.
In general, neighborhood watch fosters a heightened awareness of activities in the neighborhood by otherwise unknown persons or businesses. People keep an eye out for unusual or suspicious activity and share information among themselves and, when appropriate, with local law enforcement or fire officials.
At one level, neighborhood watch is a crime prevention operation. At another level it is a community safety organization working to highlight problems before they become serious. At still another level it is an arson watch of a smaller scope to bring attention to unsafe practices before they trigger larger fire events.