The invention relates to a method for monitoring a vicinity using a plurality of acoustic sensors (1, 2, 3, 4), which form a decentralized net (N), in which the sensors (1, 2, 3, 4) communicate with one another, at least in part, wherein the respective sensors (1, 2, 3, 4) register acoustic signals based on noises in the vicinity, and reprocess the registered signals to conduct a situation recognition. According to the method of the invention, a respective sensor (1, 2, 3, 4) of at least some of the sensors (1, 2, 3, 4) accesses, via the decentralized net (N), the registered and / or reprocessed signals of one, or several, adjacent sensors (1, 2, 3, 4), and takes these signals into account for the situation recognition, wherein an adjacent sensor (1, 2, 3, 4) registers signals, which, at least in part, are based on the same noises as the ones registered by the respective sensor (1, 2, 3, 4).