The Oak Park Police Department wants residents who walk their dogs to double as neighborhood lookouts.

The department's Community Policing Division launched the Dog Walker Watch program, a national initiative that trains regular dog walkers to recognize and report suspicious activity while on their daily routes. The village promoted the program on its official X account on Friday, Aug. 21, though it first appeared in the Village Manager's Weekly Report for the week ending July 31.

Officer Christine Simkus is coordinating the local effort alongside Pawfficer Howie, the department's canine mascot. The program operates under Chief Shatonya Johnson's Community Policing Division, which runs several neighborhood-level safety initiatives.

The program is free. Residents who sign up receive a Dog Walker Watch bandana for their dog and an invitation to an informational meeting. No date for that meeting has been announced.

The National Association of Town Watch, a nonprofit that partners with law enforcement on community crime-prevention programs including National Night Out, created the Dog Walker Watch model to give neighbors a structured way to observe and report suspicious activity during routine walks. The Oak Park version asks participants to learn what qualifies as suspicious behavior and how to relay that information to police without putting themselves at risk.

The Community Policing Division already operates free home and business security inspections, a vacation watch service, Residential Beat Officers assigned to eight neighborhood zones and the E.C.H.O. Exchange community engagement series. Dog Walker Watch adds another layer to that network by tapping residents already outside at varying hours.

Residents can sign up for the program and the informational meeting at the village's Dog Walker Watch page. Those with questions can also reach the Oak Park Police Department's non-emergency line at (708) 434-1636.