Paw Watch Program Turns Dog Walkers Into Crime Fighters

FARMINGTON HILLS (WWJ) - Do you and your dog have what it takes to help fight crime? That's what one metro Detroit community wants to find out.

The Farmington Hills Police Department is asking dog and cat owners to be on the lookout for suspicious activity and join their "Paw Watch" crime prevention team.

"We're asking all residents that walk their pets -- dogs, cats, whatever they like to walk -- that while they're walking to be vigilant and if they see anything suspicious to contact the police department," Crime Prevention Technician Monica Kollar told WWJ's Beth Fisher.

Koller said the department is holding a free training class in April because while they want the residents' help, they don't want them taking the law into their own hands -- or paws. The goal is for walkers to become the eyes and ears of the community.

"We want to teach dog walkers or pet owners while they are walking their pets to be safe themselves and also be aware of suspicious activity," she said.

As far as Koller knows, Paw Watch is the first program of its kind in Michigan.

"There's a couple cities in Minnesota that sort of implement a program similar to this, I saw that and I called them up and asked them if it worked and everything like that and they said they had received positive feedback," she said.

To join Paw Watch, contact the police department at 248-871-2750 or email Crimeprevention@fhgov.com.