 | WatchMail Hosts
Back to Crime Prevention Home Page | | | ABOUT THE WATCHMAIL HOST PROGRAM | |  WatchMail is a neighborhood electronic crime/disaster-related information broadcast to neighbors via e-mail in real-time. Irvine was the first city in Southern California to implement this high-tech program. WatchMail is very similar to Neighborhood Watch. Traditional Neighborhood Watch involves a Block Captain and residents of the 10-20 homes on their immediate block, or within “line of sight,” who share crime related information via meetings or a phone tree. WatchMail consists of a "host" who broadcasts neighborhood crime and disaster-related information via e-mail to surrounding neighbors. A WatchMail host can share information with 300–500 homes, or as many residences as would feasibly be affected by an incident in the immediate area. WatchMail can be a good compliment to the traditional Neighborhood Watch program or it can stand alone in those areas that do not have an active Neighborhood Watch group.
WatchMail is not a Police Department managed program. Although we play an active role in identifying hosts, providing training, and assisting with startup, the actual ongoing operation and maintenance are conducted on a grassroots level within each WatchMail community. It is mandatory that IPD be included in each host’s e-mail database so that we can monitor information for appropriate content as well as activity.
We currently have hosts in sections of University Park, The Ranch, Northwood, Northpark, and Woodbridge. We are still in the recruiting phase for selecting hosts. We conduct interviews, background and fingerprint checks as a screening process, and monthly overview/training meetings for new or prospective hosts.
| | THE HOST – obtains e-mail addresses from surrounding neighbors, creates, maintains, and updates their e-mail database, takes calls from residents about unusual or suspicious occurrences, analyses the Information for accuracy and validity, and if appropriate, broadcasts the information to his/her WatchMail group, and includes IPD dispatch and 9-1-1 reference information in each broadcast.
THE PARTICIPANT – the eyes and ears of the neighborhood, sees unusual activity, compiles as much descriptive information as possible, and calls the host to request a broadcast. They are instructed by the host to also contact the police department if the information refers to suspicious or criminal activity. Participants are encouraged to “buddy-up” with neighbors who do not receive e-mail so that information is shared with those who are not Internet connected.
THE POLICE DEPARTMENT – markets the program, interviews potential hosts, provides ongoing training, assists with database setup if necessary, monitors all WatchMail activity, maintains a “Host Database,” communicates with hosts on a regular basis, and takes corrective action if inappropriate or alarmist information is being broadcast. When necessary, we also initiate the dissemination of crime/disaster information to all hosts simultaneously, who can then broadcast to their participants. | | Because Irvine has a reputation as one of the safest cities in the nation, we continually battle apathy in our efforts to implement an effective citywide traditional Neighborhood Watch program. According to some statistics, our community is approximately 80% Internet connected. Our goal in implementing WatchMail is to provide an effective tool for the dissemination of crime/disaster related information. Residents can obtain information instantaneously, stay informed, and be active participants in neighborhood safety without investing the time required to organize and attend community meetings. | | We are currently looking for hosts that can invest 1-5 hours per month, and have a basic knowledge of e-mail. Interested? Click the button!
If you want to maintain a safe community and are interested in being an active participant in the process, please e-mail us at the addresses listed above. We conduct overview meetings as needed, and can forward an application to you to start the process. It is a very rewarding job, and those who become WatchMail Hosts are major contributors to Irvine’s “Safe City” status. | 
| | If you are not interested in being the host but would like to be a participant and receive crime related information, let us know and as soon as we identify a WatchMail Host in your area, we will forward your e-mail address to him/her.
ALL E-MAIL ADDRESSES ARE KEPT CONFIDENTIAL and are not shared with other participants or outside companies/agencies. This program is strictly for sharing crime-related information between the Irvine Police Department and Irvine residents and businesses. | | |
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