Town Watch

Keeping Brookhaven Safe, est. 1995

The Brookhaven Town Watch organization was started by John Wilwert and a handful of residents back in the summer of 1995. In those days we used our CB radios for communication and set up our base location in a member’s home. We did manage to cover most of the borough but had problems with some areas because of the various types of terrain. We established communication procedures, logs, reports and guidelines for our members. Our members are required to go through a training period along with background checks performed by the police department. All of these items are reviewed and approved by the Chief of Police.

Our job as Town Watch members is to be an extra set of eyes and ears for our police department. We do not get involved in any situation, our job is to observe and report. When we see a reportable incident we notify 911 and avoid any interference with police responding. We only assist if requested to do so.

Over the past years we have found open doors at both resident and business locations, performed security checks of our businesses, assisted in the apprehension (identified) of an individual who assaulted a police officer, worked security and traffic control at borough youth dances and school functions. We hold fundraisers and put most of the money back into the town by sponsoring many youth functions such as baseball, softball, basketball and other borough activities. Since we started, we have had many improvements in both our equipment and base locations.

The borough council purchased radio equipment and provided a room at the Borough Hall for use at our base location in 1997. Town Watch purchased an FCC frequency and license to activate the radios. We now have our own radio frequency and radios, which allows us to cover the entire borough no matter what the terrain. Having our own radio equipment is the one element that provides better performance, a safer town, and offers the greatest safety for our members — member safety is always our greatest concern. Since our license was for 44 radios, we now share our frequency with the fire company, therefore, in an emergency, we can communicate with them directly.

We are always looking for new members – come join us. Anyone interested in seeing what we are about firsthand can contact John Wilwert, Jr. at 874-2557 x144 or john.wilwert@brookhavenboro.com.

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Brookhaven Town Watch Duties:

Patrol & Surveillance

• Drive through neighborhoods to observe and report suspicious activity.
• Serve as extra eyes and ears for local police.
• Monitor and work areas during special events such as parking control.

Reporting & Documentation

• Record incidents and submit reports to authorities.
• Help track patterns of criminal or nuisance behavior.
• Assist in identifying areas needing more attention or resources.

Community Engagement

• Educate residents on safety practices and crime prevention.
• Build trust between neighbors and law enforcement.
• Support programs like National Night Out, Safe Corridors for Safety.

Quality of Life Support

• Participate in neighborhood events.
• Hold fundraisers to financially support sports teams, school events, Police, Fire and various other organizations and projects in Brookhaven.
• Assist with abandoned vehicle reporting and other local concerns

Emergency Preparedness

• Receive training in Emergency response, providing help in major events.
• Provide services during emergencies or natural disasters.

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Brookhaven Town Watch isn’t just about crime—it’s about creating a stronger, more connected community and to create a partnership between residents and all First Responders.