DALLAS - Frustrated by crime, more and more Dallas residents are taking matters into their own hands.

They're trying to keep their communities and families safe through 'neighborhood eyes.'

Welcome to Richland Park Estates, where every move is recorded 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

"It just got so bad in this area - people walking through alleys stealing things, home break-ins, car vandalisms," said Diane Mott, a Richland Park Estates monitor.

In 2006, the neighborhood was one of the first in the area to agree to put in a private surveillance system that can be monitored by residents.

"If they know there are cameras there and they know they're being watched, they'll go somewhere else," Mott added.

Statistics show they were right.

In the first 100 days after cameras were installed in Richland Park Estates, Dallas police records show crime went down 80 percent.

The signs and cameras were not only a deterrent, but in some cases they actually caught crooks.

One person was nabbed red-handed after a home burglary on the block.

The trend is catching on.

WFAA-TV

Diane Mott monitors the street from her home.

Doug Woodham represents the Old Lake Highlands Neighborhood Association. He says police have their hands full, and this adds another tool.

"Last year, we were averaging 2.5 break-ins a week - that's a pretty high rate," he said.

"Crime is something they can't control themselves. They need volunteers and volunteers are what neighborhoods are all about," he added.

E-mail ccivale@wfaa.com.