Block Watch is a Crime-Prevention Program that encourages community members to work together to enhance the quality of life in their community by reducing and preventing crime.

The Goals of the Block Watch Program are to:

• Reduce crime in a neighbourhood through the active participation of a majority of community residents.
• Increase the reporting to police of suspicious and criminal activities.
• Promote safe and strong communities

Block Watch operates on the premise that the police cannot be everywhere all the time, as a result they are unable to effectively investigate, reduce, and prevent crime by themselves.

Therefore, in order to keep the community safe, the police require the assistance of all citizens in identifying and reporting suspicious or criminal activities.

Block Watch is successful in preventing and reducing crime when people get involved and stay involved.  Each community is responsible for establishing a Block Watch Association that is responsible for implementing, coordinating, and managing the effectiveness of the Block Watch Program.

Block Watch can succeed only if it is well organized and supported by a majority of community members.  The more people involved the more effective the Program will be.

Education, information, increased awareness, citizen involvement and action are the key components for ensuring a safe, crime-free community.

The Calgary Block Watch Council is a registered, charitable, non-profit Society, incorporated under the Societies Act of the Province of Alberta.  The Council is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors and managed on a day-to-day basis by an Executive Director and one full-time staff member.  The Council operates as an active partnership with the Calgary Police Service.

Calgary Block Watch Council's role is to provide support, guidance and assistance for the education, promotion and expansion of the Block Watch Program to community associations, apartment residents and condominium complex residents, and home-owners within the City of Calgary who wish to start a Block Watch Program in their area.

The Council staff takes an active role in assisting with volunteer recruitment, establishing organizing committees, training volunteers, delivering orientation seminars on the subject of crime prevention and safety, and helping to arrange promotional campaigns.