The neighborhood of Sant Narcís, in Girona, has maintained since 2019 a neighborhood watch system based on posters and a WhatsApp group with which residents share alerts about suspicious movements. The initiative, promoted by the neighborhood association, is presented as a tool for prevention and mutual support among neighbors.
The project, baptized as The neighbors watch and take care of each other, started with the distribution of 500 posters placed with a deterrent objective. The idea was to convey the image of an attentive and organized neighborhood in the face of possible robberies or suspicious behaviors.
"We came to the conclusion that the thief might think it was like a type of alarm" - Carme Castel, president of the neighborhood association
A neighborhood network with 1,500 people
Over time, the system has also relied on instant messaging. Sant Narcís has a WhatsApp group that brings together about 1.500 people, where alerts are disseminated when a neighbor detects situations they consider out of the ordinary. The formula seeks to gain speed in the circulation of information and reinforce the feeling of security in the immediate environment.
"The neighbor does feel safer because they know that there is someone who watches" - Carme Castel, president of the neighborhood association
The president of the neighborhood association maintains that the project has consolidated a dynamic of shared care within the neighborhood. The initiative, she emphasizes, goes beyond mere surveillance and aims to strengthen daily ties among residents.
"It's a way to take care of each other" - Carme Castel, president of the neighborhood association
Similar models in Llagostera and Llambilles
The same logic has also extended to other points in the Girona regions. In Bruguera Baixa, in Llagostera, residents use WhatsApp and signs to warn that the neighborhood is alert and connected. In Llambilles, the municipality has a sign at the entrance that identifies it as a municipality on alert, with connected neighbors.
These formulas of community organization rely on direct communication between residents and on visible elements on the public road to reinforce the deterrent effect. In Sant Narcís, six years after its launch, the project remains active as a neighborhood tool for prevention and daily accompaniment.