Washoe County Deputy Jim Kocijanski’s house in Spanish Springs was burglarized in recent months. Tools and clothing were among the missing items, he shared. But even after calling the authorities to investigate, the culprits were never apprehended. That’s when he realized more needed to be done to help other Spanish Springs residents protect their homes from burglary and other crimes.

“It was devastating that we never caught these individuals,” Kocijanski said. “They knew who we were.”

So, Kocijanski and fellow Washoe County deputies Teresa Aquila and George Wade hosted a meeting Saturday at the Lazy 5 Regional Park to ascertain the interest of residents to begin a Neighborhood Watch program. About 20 concerned homeowners showed up to receive an education on how to start a Neighborhood Watch and what will be involved.

“It’s your program,” Kocijanski said. “We’ll (law enforcement personnel) take it to the next level, but you have to be proactive about it."

Neighborhood Watch is a community-based program that began in 1972. It relies on the eyes and ears of residents, who may often find themselves being witnesses to crimes in progress. It requires a commitment to be more aware of personal and others’ surroundings and to report thefts, vandalism or other crimes.

Aquila of the county’s patrol division shared how one resident in the North Valleys program, which has had significant success since its recent launch with a current membership of 102 residents, was burglarized and through talking to her neighbors, she ultimately was able to help law enforcement find clues related to the crime.

This type of exchange in the program has led to numerous arrests when local law enforcement agencies have been in a crunch to respond otherwise, Kocijanski said.

“Your gut feeling is your second brain,” he said, encouraging residents to take notice around them and to make the call if they see suspicious activity happening a neighbor’s or their own home.

According to an informational DVD that described potential hot spots for burglars to enter on properties, residents need to be aware of their surroundings and to properly secure their house and cars, even if they are home.

The back door is the weakest part of the house. Residents should also be careful not to leave their vehicles warming up in front of the house in the morning; this leaves their car especially vulnerable to theft or burglary, he said.

Another DVD shown at Saturday’s meeting dealt exclusively with a new type of breaking in that has proven successful for burglars. Key bumping, in which a person can partially insert a key into any lock and then tap, or “bump,” with another object, effectively unlocks almost any deadbolt without leaving trace for police to find later. Spanish Springs residents watching the video were surprised to find out about this trend that is quickly catching on among perpetrators.

To help deter home invasions or other crimes, Kocijanski said dogs are the most effective agents in alarming a resident about any suspicious persons. After that, communication with neighbors, refraining from advertising (i.e. not leaving garage doors open for anyone to view what’s inside) and alarm systems are all other methods of home protection.

Kocijanski said some of the benefits of having a watch program in place are that it helps deter crimes, gives people a greater sense of security, educates residents on how to report crimes and generates awareness.

“It educates residents on what to look for (when reporting a burglar): what clothes they are wearing, personal appearance,” Kocijanski said of someone who might be casing a house.

The need for the Neighborhood Watch program increases as more residents flock to the area.

“With growth comes crime,” Kocijanski said.

Programs can be adapted to the needs’ of the residents in terms of how involved they want to be and how closely they want to keep an eye on their neighborhoods. Kocijanski said some groups patrol neighborhoods by foot while others do so by cars. Some volunteer to work shifts. Signage can also be used as long as it is posted according to county requirements.

“Everybody needs to be observant,” Aquila reminded the crowd. “A good tool is to know who’s around you. It’s not meant to be a tattle-tale program on your neighbor. It’s to help deter crime.”

The next step for Spanish Springs is to hold another informational meeting to discuss issues such as assigning block captains and where they want to post signage. A regular meeting day and time will be determined by Aquila and Wade.

Once the Spanish Springs group gets off the ground, Wade will be assigned to oversee the Spanish Springs group. Though not new to the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, he is in training for the Neighborhood Watch program. Kocijanski, as coordinator, said his own job is to “break ground and lay the foundation” – to inform residents of what the program entails.

For more information on Neighborhood Watch, visit www.nnwi.org. To ask about starting a Neighborhood Watch in Washoe County or for further details, Kocijanski can be contacted at 861-3899.