Keeping an Eye on Your Neighborhood

Neighborhood Watch programs are an integral part of many communities, and have been around since the 1970's. Although for a time their popularity dwindled, it appears that they are gaining momentum as more neighborhoods are becoming involved once again.

Neighborhood Watch programs are considered to be one of the most effective and least costly ways to fight crime. They can be a stepping stone to revitalizing a community and helping to maintain property values.

Organize your own Neighborhood Watch

• Form a planning committee of neighbors to discuss the idea, and invite a member of the local police department to attend. They will organize training sessions with the members and provide street signs announcing that Neighborhood Watch is present in the area.
• You'll probably need one coordinator and a number of block captains who are responsible for relaying information to residents and act as liaisons between the neighborhood and the police.
• Get to know your neighbors, your children's friends, and who their parents are. Learn to identify what is considered abnormal activity in the area, such as a strange vehicle parked for a length of time.
• Target those people who spend a lot of time indoors, and request that they keep an eye on the neighborhood by looking out for children and reporting any unusual activities.
• Establish a regular form of communicating with members. Email is an effective tool to help members stay in touch and communicate any issues. It can also be used by the local police department to pass on any information pertaining to suspicious activity in the area.
• Organize clean-ups to rid the area of abandoned cars or junk and tidy overgrown lots which can contribute to crime.
• Ask residents to turn on their outdoor lights at night.
• Start a Block Parent program to help children deal with unexpected problems while playing or walking to school.
• Make certain the members are aware that they are not vigilantes; the purpose of the program is to observe and report suspicious activity to the police.

Ensure your continued success:

• Have regular meetings so that everyone gets to know each other and stays in touch.
• Link up with a larger group such as a community association.
• Go door-to-door to recruit members.
• Involve the whole community, young and old, renter and homeowner