AN ACT to officially acknowledge the importance of neighborhood crime watch programs and to establish a criminal penalty for harassment of a member of a neighborhood crime watch program.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  Article 10 of Chapter 153A of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 153A‑212.2.  Neighborhood crime watch programs.
A county may establish neighborhood crime watch programs within the county to encourage residents and business owners to promote citizen involvement in securing homes, businesses, and personal property against criminal activity and to report suspicious activities to law enforcement officials."
SECTION 2.  Article 13 of Chapter 160A of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 160A‑289.2.  Neighborhood crime watch programs.
A city may establish neighborhood crime watch programs within the city to encourage residents and business owners to promote citizen involvement in securing homes, businesses, and personal property against criminal activity and to report suspicious activities to law enforcement officials."
SECTION 3.  Article 30 of Chapter 14 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 14‑226.2.  Harassment of participant in neighborhood crime watch program.
Any person who willfully threatens or intimidates an identifiable member or a resident in the same household as the member of a neighborhood crime watch program for the purpose of intimidating or retaliating against that person for the person's participation in a neighborhood crime watch program is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor including a fine of at least three hundred dollars ($300.00). It is a violation of this section for a person to threaten or intimidate an identifiable member or a resident in the same household as the member of a neighborhood crime watch program while that member is traveling to or from a neighborhood crime watch meeting, actively participating in a neighborhood crime watch program activity, or actively participating in an ongoing criminal investigation."

SECTION 4.  Section 3 of this act becomes effective December 1, 2006. The remainder of this act is effective when it becomes law.
In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 18th day of July, 2006.

	s/	 Beverly E. Perdue
	 President of the Senate

	s/	 James B. Black
	 Speaker of the House of Representatives

	s/	 Michael F. Easley
	 Governor

Approved 6:03 p.m. this 1st day of August, 2006