Neighborhood Watch. (insurance, professionals, codes)

[.highnlite]

I don't know if anyone missed or not, but Neighborhood Watch programs have been in the news lately.

My question is; is Neighborhood Watch an actual organization, does it have liability insurance?

Suppose someone identified themselves to another as a member of Neighborhood Watch, and steps over a line can Neighborhood Watch be held liable?

Speaking of stepping over a line, are there set codes of conduct that must be adhered to in order to be covered by liability insurance if it exists?

[MIKEETC]

I think the key word in neighborhood watch programs is watch. The only action that should be taken is observation and reporting suspicious activity to the police.

[let the professionals do what they are paid, and insured, to do]

[Curmudgeon]

I agree. It's supposed to be eyes only.

[NewToCA]

I agree too, Neighborhood Watch is not an entity for taking proactive steps against perceived criminals.

Rather, it is intended to alert the authorities about potential problematic behavior, or unfolding situations.

Liability should not be an issue, the organization isn't stuctured as a specific legal entity.

Having stated this, however, there are volunteer organizations associated with law enforcement that may have more of a potential liability issue, due to the nature of their relationship:

http://www.co.san-joaquin.ca.us/sheriff/patstars.htm