Onslow County Sheriff's Office urges neighborhoods to revive community watch; citizen academy set for Feb. 11

Captain Bruce Dixon, a captain with the Onslow County Sheriff's Office, said the office is stepping up its Community Watch program to help neighborhoods in unincorporated Onslow County deter crime and improve neighbor-to-neighbor communication. He told Onslow County Today the spring Citizen Law Enforcement Academy will begin Feb. 11 and that applications will open in January on the sheriff's office Facebook page.

The renewed Community Watch effort is intended to be “community maintained and a community driven, approach to, deterring crime,” Dixon said on the county program. He described the sheriff's office role as a liaison that offers training, monthly neighborhood statistics and tailored guidance for groups as small as one or two streets.

Why it matters: Onslow County has seen residential growth in subdivisions outside municipal boundaries, and the sheriff's office says neighborhood-organized observation and modern tools such as doorbell cameras and neighborhood social-media pages can expand its reach and help prevent crimes before they spread to new developments.

Dixon described the program's typical components: neighborhood signage, a short class on “best tips and strategies,” and ongoing communication between neighborhood coordinators and the sheriff's office. “If we're operating through a social media website, then we'll provide monthly statistics,” he said, adding that the office customizes support to each neighborhood's needs.

Dixon also pointed to national experience indicating that visible neighborhood organization and signage can make an area a less attractive target. “Statistically, with the sign up and then in the neighborhood, in an active vigilant, thought process, crime within that area has decreased,” he said.

The sheriff's office runs two citizen law enforcement academies each year, Dixon said; the spring session is scheduled to start Feb. 11, 2025. He said the application process will open in January and information will be posted on the sheriff's office Facebook page and distributed through the office's public information officer.

Contact and next steps: Residents who want help forming a Community Watch group can contact the Onslow County Sheriff's Office and ask for Captain Bruce Dixon for assistance. Dixon said he will meet with neighborhoods to guide them through forming a watch, even for small clusters of streets.

The remarks came during an edition of Onslow County Today recorded at Hines Farm Park; they were informational and did not represent a new ordinance, budget vote or change in statutory authority.