Summertime Crime Prevention & Safety

Child Passenger Safety Seats : The Cary Police Department offers free child safety seat inspections at the Police Service Center in Cary Fire Station 2, 875 SE Maynard Rd, Wednesdays from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Bicycle Registration

Citizens Police Academy

In an effort to bring new and innovative programs to the citizens of Cary, the Cary Police Department implemented the first Citizens Police Academy in Wake County. The Citizens Police Academy offers members of the community a unique opportunity to become familiar with the operations of the department. During this nine week course which meets one evening a week, citizens will talk with representatives of each unit and division in the department, including patrol operations, communications, traffic operations, criminal investigations, youth services, animal control and records.

The recruitment and selection process for new officers, accreditation, and crime prevention topics will also be addressed. An overview of constitutional law and the criminal justice system will also be covered.

In addition to classroom instruction, participants will have the opportunity to ride along with a patrol officer and to observe a live fire exercise with the department’s Emergency Response Team (ERT). A member of the traffic team will explain how officers evaluate people suspected of driving while impaired and will perform field sobriety tests on a volunteer during a controlled drinking session.

Citizens Assisting Police

Citizens Assisting Police or CAP Team members serve the Cary Police Department without pay in a variety of functions, freeing sworn officers for other duties. They do not carry weapons and cannot make arrests.

CAP Team members help provide security at public events and assist the Police Department with fingerprinting, child safety seat installation, clerical duties, service center staffing, Community Watch programs and other duties.

Before becoming CAP Team members, a volunteer must successfully complete Cary's Citizens Police Academy and receive training in such responsibilities as report writing.

Cary Police formalized the CAP program in summer 2000 after Citizen Police Academy graduates asked for a way to continue volunteering with the department. By the summer of 2002, the CAP program had 31 volunteers.

Cary's CAP program is one of three programs in North Carolina that are recognized by Volunteers in Police Service, a national initiative begun in 2002. The national program is part of the USA Freedom Corps, which President Bush announced the creation of in his 2002 State of the Union Address.

For more information on Citizens Assisting Police, contact Officer Brian Austin at (919) 469-4324 or e-mail brian.austin@townofcary.org.

Community Watch

Community Watch is a program that was developed to allow communities to band together to unite against crime. Participants act as the "eyes and ears" of the police and report suspicious activity when they see it.

In 1997 the department established the Cary Community Watch Association to keep all Community Watch groups in contact with one another. The association consists of members who are involved in leadership of a current community watch, getting ready to begin a community watch, or who just want information on keeping Cary a safe community. A quarterly newsletter is mailed to members by the Community Services Unit.

For information on how to start a Community Watch program in your neighborhood, call the Community Services Unit at (919) 469-4324.

Business Watch

Business Watch is a free crime prevention initiative that brings together local business people, the Police Department and Citizens Assisting Police volunteers.

Businesses that register with the program will receive faxes and e-mail messages about local crime trends and potential problems. This can help merchants know what to look for and avoid being victimized while helping police spot suspects in crimes that occurred elsewhere. Police will also use the program to keep merchants informed about new laws and regulations.

For more information about Business Watch, contact the Community Services Unit at (919) 469-4324.

National Night Out

National Night Out is crime and drug abuse prevention event each August sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch. The event brings citizens and Cary police together to strengthen neighborhood spirit and foster partnerships for safer communities.