Help us Paint the Town Orange!
We are always looking for new Block Captains!  To get involved, call (310) 802-5183, or fill out our Neighborhood Watch Interest Card. 

Does your neighborhood have a Block Captain? The Neighborhood Watch Map (PDF) shows current Block Captain locations.

The Police Department has launched the “Paint the Town Orange” campaign with a goal of 100% of blocks covered by Block Captains, and therefore, “painted orange.” We want you to join our team of caring and dedicated Block Captains and help “Paint the Town Orange.”

Neighborhood Watch is designed so that all residents are able to be involved no matter how much or how little time they have to participate.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Manhattan Beach resident
• 18 years of age
• No felony convictions / Pass a background check
• Attend bi-annual NW meetings
• A willingness to get to know your neighbors

Here’s how to get involved:

1. Call the Neighborhood Watch Office (310) 802-5183
2. Schedule an orientation meeting
3. We take your photo and your fingerprints
4. Once your background has cleared, you’ll be issued a Neighborhood Watch photo identification card/lanyard
5. You are ready to start!

Walk and Watch

Our dedicated Neighborhood Watch volunteers were looking for a creative way to reach more residents when the concept of “Walk and Watch” was developed. Generally, those who are regularly out walking, running, or enjoying the outdoors, have a sense of what is normal along their route and more importantly, will notice things that are out of place.

Whether you are taking a stroll along the Strand, jogging through your neighborhood, playing with your children at Polliwog Park, sunbathing in El Porto, throwing a ball for your pooch, or just out and about enjoying Manhattan Beach, take time to “Walk and Watch."

What to do?
While observing a behavior or incident that you feel is suspicious, call the Manhattan Beach Police Department. The following information is important to note:

• Where is this happening? (address, cross streets, landmarks)
• What are they doing? (lurking, loitering, trespassing, stealing, etc.)
• How many subjects are there?
• What do they look like? (sex, race, hair color, height, weight, clothing)
• What are they driving? (make, model, color, license plate, and/or oddities)
• Which way did they go?

What Else Can I Do?
Talk to your neighbors if you see:

• Open garage doors
• Newspapers/mail stacking up
• Unlocked cars
• Personal property left in vehicles
• Unsecured homes (windows open, doors unlocked)

Am I Bothering the Police?
No, you are never bothering the police department when you call to report an incident. MBPD encourages residents to call whenever there is a feeling of suspicious activity, an unusual occurrence, something out of the ordinary and/or when an obvious crime has occurred.

Suspicious Activity May Include:

• Someone going door-to-door with no apparent reason
• A subject walking down the street trying car door handles
• Someone looking into windows of parked cars
• An unknown subject walking into a neighbor’s back yard
• People ringing door bells and walking away quickly
• Transactions taking place from a car window or trunk
• A stranger loitering in a residential area for an extended amount of time

What Phone Number Do I Call
There are two numbers available for our residents to call for police services. Depending on the issue, the matrix below may help when deciding which number would be best. This is merely a guide and each incident varies. However, common sense should be exercised when summoning public safety resources.

911 = Emergency:

• In progress crime
• Life threatening issues
• Child in danger (i.e. locked in a car, appears lost, etc.)
• Property at risk of being stolen, damaged or destroyed
• Drunk drivers
• Traffic collisions with injury
• Suspicious activity
• Missing persons

(310) 545-4566 = Non-Emergency:

• Any incident that does not require an emergency response

Download the Walk and Watch Brochure (PDF).

Map Your Neighborhood - Community Disaster Preparedness
Neighborhood Watch and the Manhattan Beach Fire Department offer disaster response training sessions called Map Your Neighborhood (MYN) aimed at building and strengthening disaster readiness among neighbors.  This specialized training helps to prepare residents to care for themselves and their neighborhoods in the event of a disaster.

In the event of a disaster, emergency responders will not be available or accessible right away. Neighborhoods may need to respond to an array of situations including fires, injuries, and natural gas leaks.

Since 2008, the MYN program has empowered Manhattan Beach neighborhoods to prepare for disaster situations. The program helps save lives, reduces the severity of injuries and trauma, and reduces property damage. In addition, working together as a team and contributing as an individual develops stronger neighborhoods and improves the quality of life in the community.

Through MYN, residents learn 9 Steps to Take Immediately Following a Disaster to secure one’s home and to protect one’s neighborhood. It is hard to think clearly following a disaster, and these steps help residents to quickly and confidently take actions that can minimize damage and protect lives. The program encourages working together as a team to evaluate one’s neighborhood during the first hour following a disaster and take the necessary actions.

Benefits of the MYN program:

• Learn the 9 Steps to Take Immediately Following a Disaster through an interactive workshop
• Develop a Neighborhood Skills and Equipment Inventory
• Map your Neighborhood and identify areas of concern (gas meters, electrical panels, and water valves)
• Verify which neighbors need extra help in a disaster such as the elderly, those with a disability, or children who may be home alone

Training for MYN

Contact the Manhattan Beach Fire Department at (310) 802-5203 for information about Map Your Neighborhood and for upcoming training dates. 

Download the Map Your Neighborhood Brochure (PDF)