Orange i-Watch

For those in town who haven’t heard, the City of Orange Police Department has spearheaded a crime–prevention effort that keeps the entire community connected.

A free e–mail alert program, Orange i–Watch provides subscribers – both residents and businesses – with neighborhood crime alerts and public safety updates. Implemented in August 2009, Orange i–Watch allows the police department to send individualized messages to specific neighborhoods about break–ins, thefts, crime trends or suspicious activity.

The program takes the Neighborhood Watch concept to another level, said Sergeant Dan Adams, public information officer for the Orange Police Department.

“If we are having a specific trend in one area of the city, such as cars are getting broken into for example, we’ll send out a mass email to subscribers in that neighborhood,” said Sergeant Adams. “Sometimes we’ll send out messages to the entire city. It’s a quick way to get the word out and help prevent crime.”

To sign up, visit orangeiwatch.com. Your physical address will be placed into a reporting district in the system. There’s also a tip section where anonymous tips can be placed. Sergeant Adams notes that the i–Watch program is not an emergency notification system, such as the County–funded AlertOC, a reverse–911 program.

“One of our goals is to reduce crime,” said Sergeant Adams. “This is a great way to help us do that.” ●

Published in the May/Jun 2011 edition of the Old Towne Orange Plaza Review

Written by Julie Bawden-Davis