Some residents in Dyker Heights are coming together to keep crime low in their neighborhood.

The Dyker Heights Crime Watch launched this week and developed an email alert system aimed at keeping streets safe.

The idea is for residents to keep an eye out for anything suspicious, like someone staking out cars or homes, and to shoot off a warning email to the crime watch distribution list.

Civic Association President Fran Vella Marrone says the watch isn't taking law enforcement into their own hands, as it is more about deterrence.

The system is not for emergencies. A victim of a crime or someone who sees one taking place is urged to call authorities.