Crime Prevention

The Crime Prevention Unit of the Odessa Police Department serves as the Department’s liaison with the Neighborhood Watch Block Captains in our community.  The unit’s other services include Operation Identification, business and residential security surveys, public presentations on personal safety and other law enforcement topics, and the Help End Auto Theft initiative.

Neighborhood Watch

The cornerstone of residential Crime Prevention efforts, Neighborhood Watch groups are organized citizen efforts to partner with law enforcement for the betterment of individual neighborhoods.  In Odessa, over 80 Neighborhood Watch groups have been established.  Each group’s activity is coordinated by a Block Captain who is in regular contact with the Crime Prevention Unit of the Department.  Watch members are encouraged to report suspicious activity to law enforcement and to their Block Captain.  Block Captains also act as conduits for information regarding criminal activity that is disseminated by the Department for distribution to their Neighborhood Watch group.

Block Captains meet with police personnel at 7 PM on the third Thursday of each month at the Odessa Police Department Class room, 205 N. Grant.

Odessa’s Neighborhood Watch groups assist the Department in hosting the Annual National Night Out event conducted in August.  This event highlights community-wide efforts to rid our community of crime.