Modoc County's Rural Neighborhood Watch (RNW) is a unique program within the Sheriff's Office and our communities crime prevention program. The RNW program is geared toward dramatically lowering the crime rate in Modoc. Initially organized by Sheriff Mike Poindexter, through his good friend Sheriff John Trumbo of Umatilla County Oregon.  Mike was seeking alternative ways of fighting crime due to reduced staffing levels, the result of major budget cuts nearing 28%. The concept creates team work between Sheriff's Deputies and the additional  “eyes & ears”  of Modoc County residents to help deter crime.
An active Rural Neighborhood Watch encourages cooperation in crime prevention, crime detection and discourages the criminal element interested in your possessions. Criminals look for easy targets---where the risk of detection is slight & the profits are high. Our message is not in Modoc County because everyone is watching, we will not be easy prey!
Modoc County's Sheriff's Community Service Officer “DOC” Martin has organized most of the townships through-out Modoc County. There are RNW Teams in Adin, Cal-Pines, Cedarville, Eagleville, Fort Bidwell, Likely, Lookout, Modoc Recreational Estates, New Pine Creek , Rush Creek & Thom's Creek.
The reason the program is so unique, is that the members have direct contact with Modoc Sheriff's Office. Naturally if you have an emergency you call 911. If you have something to report you call Modoc Sheriff's Dispatch at 530-233-4416. If you want to report something suspicious, a suspicious vehicle, suspicious persons,  have a question, or just something that is “Just not right”, you can call “DOC” the Sheriff's Community Service Officer at 530-640-0607. 
Here is a list of some of the things our successful RNW groups advise us of:

1. They watch over your neighbors' property & report suspicious persons, vehicles or activity promptly to your Sheriff's Office
2. Provide notification when neighbors will be away, but don't advertise your absence to the entire community. Prompting RNW additional eyes and ears in your absence.
3. Develop a system of recognizing legitimate neighborhood vehicles.
4. Develop a program where your teams call the elderly in the community & check on their welfare.
5. At the direction of the Sheriff's Community Service Officer consider a Neighborhood Watch Patrol. Neighbors taking turns making a random patrol through you community noting vehicles & residents of known suspects.
6. They urge and help to develop your own list of personnel property with and without serial numbers. Modoc County insurance companies advise “very few” clients have their property photographed & serial numbers documented.

     This program “works” but only if you get involved. To get involved contact “DOC” Martin your Modoc County Community Service Officer at 530-233-4416.