Dog Walker Watch Training Program in Davidson

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Keeping Watch in Davidson

Officer Kanita Boone

TWo polIce offIcers encourage communITy To Be vIgIlanT and responsIBle Through program

by Allison Futterman

Officer Michael Prather

The Dog Walker Watch is a nationwide program in which citizens assist local law enforcement by recognizing and reporting any suspicious or crime-related activity. The purpose of the program is to train local residents to be an extra set of eyes and ears while walking their dog. Davidson is a great match for this program because of the high level of pedestrians and dog owners.

Leading the Dog Walker Watch efforts are two Davidson Police Department officers who are invaluable to the community in their roles as school resource officers (SRO). Officer Kanita Boone is the SRO the Community School of Davidson. She spearheaded the process of bringing the Dog Walker Watch to Davidson and held the first training session in the summer of 2019.

About 25 residents showed up to that first class, with local residents excited to be a participate. The one-time, one-hour session teaches citizens how to be aware of potential criminal activity. It might be someone going from car to car trying to open doors, an individual walking around backyards without proper identification, or somebody walking away from porches with packages—the dog walkers may be witnessing something that needs to be reported.

Officer Michael Prather also runs the program. An SRO at Davidson K-8, he says that about 90 percent of criminal arrests are the result of citizens informing police about a crime. He stresses that Davidson residents care about their community and are a valuable resource in keeping the town safe. Dog walkers are especially well suited for this type of program because they are out and about at all different times of the day and night.

Both officers emphasize that dog walker participants shouldn’t confront anyone. They are not there to replace the police. They are supposed to call 911 if there’s an imminent situation, while there is an online method to report non-urgent (but still important) matters.

Dog Walker Watch is not the only way these officers have taken the initiative to make a difference. At his school, Officer Prather noticed that on Friday afternoons the students would walk to the local pharmacy to buy snacks and drinks. At times, it overwhelmed the store. So he started working with local businesses to set up on the Green, where they would sell items the students wanted. This was a win for everyone, including the pharmacy, local small business, and the students.

Officer Boone’s involvement with helping youth predates her law enforcement career. Prior to becoming a police officer, she worked with a nonprofit that helped families and children in need. Always looking for opportunities to make a positive impact, she brought the D.A.R.E. program to the Davidson Police Department and her school in 2019.