Neighborhood Watch

A neighborhood watch (also called a crime watch or neighborhood crime watch) is a citizens' organization devoted to crime and vandalism prevention within a neighborhood. It is not a vigilante organization, since members are expected not to directly intervene in possible criminal activity. Instead, neighborhood watch members are to stay alert to unusual activity and contact the authorities. It builds on the concept of a town watch from Colonial America.

The current American system of neighborhood watches began developing in the late 1960s as a response to the rape and murder of Kitty Genovese in Queens, New York. People became outraged after reports that three dozen witnesses did nothing to save Genovese or to apprehend her killer. Some locals formed groups to watch over their neighborhoods and to look out for any suspicious activity in their areas. Shortly thereafter, the National Sheriffs' Association began a concerted effort in 1972 to revitalize the "watch group" effort nationwide

Sgt. Yvonne Johnson is the Neighborhood Watch coordinator for the Bradley County Sheriff's Office.  She can assist in helping to organize a watch group in your community. For information, call 728-7300. Several neighborhoods across the county are now active in Neighborhood Watch.  

Family Day

Conceived in 2007 by Sheriff Tim Gobble as a way for the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office to provide the community with family-oriented entertainment in a fun-filled event, the first Family Day saw several thousand people turn out. With an anti-drug theme, the second annual event in 2008 drew more than 8,000 people to George R. Stuart Elementary School on an October afternoon for plenty of food, family entertainment and activities for children of all ages to enjoy, and best of all it was all free. After only two years the festival is already one of the most popular fall activities in our area.

Family Day is another way the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office is connecting with citizens to show appreciation for the year-round support and encouragement we receive from the community. This undertaking would not be possible without the many business partnerships we have formed to support our theme of "Staying off Drugs."

Citizen’s Academy

The Citizens Academy is the newest program provided by the sheriff’s office for people in the community who want to see law enforcement from the inside.  Classes are conducted on successive Tuesday nights for ten weeks culminating with a graduation ceremony and the awarding of diplomas. 

Each week participants are guided through a discussion about one aspect of law enforcement by a member of the sheriff’s’ office staff that has expertise in that field. Some of the topics covered include daily patrol operations and procedures; purpose and benefits of the DARE program; crime scene investigations; domestic violence issues; the budget process; firearms, and landmark court cases. Additionally tours conducted of the Judicial Complex and the 9-1-1 communications center.

Classes are interactive to allow participants the opportunity to ask questions as discussions progress.   

The Citizens Academy is the newest program provided by the sheriff’s office for people in the community.

Anyone interested in attending the Citizens Academy should make application using the form available under the Documents tab of this web site.

Drug Abuse Resistance Education

D.A.R.E., which stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education is taught by school resource officers in every fifth grade class throughout the Bradley County School System.

Used in schools nationwide, the DARE curriculum is among the most highly acclaimed programs of its type that gives students the skills they need to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives.

This is done through material that shows students good decision making skills that will help them avoid high-risk behaviors so they can grow up healthy, safe, and secure.

Bradley County Sheriff’s deputies assigned to the School Resource Officer Program provide instruction for each fifth grade class. Schedules vary from school to school.

At the end of the ten weeks, students are awarded certificates signifying their commitment to live productive lives free of alcohol and drugs.

Driver Safety Education

Each year the sheriff’s award-winning traffic unit teaches driver safety education to students in local high schools. Classes focus on students who are of sufficient age to qualify for driver’s license, teaching driver safety and maintaining vehicle control while in operation.

Some students are given the opportunity to put on "drunk goggles," simulating the effects of alcohol intoxication when they get behind the wheel of a golf cart. It is an experience they will not forget.

Gunlock Safety

Another community service the BCSO offers to the community is free gunlocks.

Distributed through Project ChildSafe, the nation’s largest firearm safety education program, locks are distributed while supplies last.

Project ChildSafe disburses safety kits to sheriff’s offices, police departments, and other law enforcement agencies that include a cable-style gun locking device, lock installment instructions, and a safety booklet.

The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office has distributed hundreds of gunlock kits to citizens over the last several years.