Rankin County Sheriff’s Department seeks Neighborhood Watch members ahead of summer

The Rankin County Sheriff’s Department is asking residents with ties to Neighborhood Watch groups to contact the agency as summer approaches, the department said in a Facebook post.

The department said it wants to hear from anyone affiliated with Neighborhood Watch in their community or neighborhood — whether they are a member, watcher or in leadership — as it works in partnership with National Neighborhood Watch to reconvene watch groups across the county.

Rankin County, located in central Mississippi, is served by the Rankin County Sheriff’s Department, which oversees law enforcement and community safety efforts in the county. National Neighborhood Watch is a community-based crime prevention program that encourages residents to organize and work with law enforcement to deter crime.

Sheriff’s offices and community safety advocates have long promoted neighborhood watches as a way to increase awareness, improve reporting of suspicious activity and strengthen ties between residents and police. The department emphasized the community role in its post, writing, “The only way to mitigate crime is Together.”

Residents who wish to be included are asked to send their name, neighborhood or community and preferred method of contact to rsopio@rankincounty.org. We will provide more information as it becomes available.