Neighborhood Watch

Never is the expression, “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts” more meaningful than in the context of a neighborhood watch. The combined efforts of neighbors working together in an organized united group are far greater than those of any individuals working on their own. The sense of communal participation brings a feeling of security unmatched by virtually anything.

We have included several suggestions on how you can Start your own Neighborhood Watch:

Neighborhood Participants

• Invite all residents in the neighborhood to participate.
• Make your best efforts to insure that all age groups are represented including youth, adults, and seniors as all have unique contributions to make.
• Try to incorporate and involve local law enforcement.

Outside Consultants

• Consult with other neighborhood watch groups to determine what specific efforts they have gone through and what has resulted in success for them in their neighborhoods.

Meeting Organization

• Be sure to provide sufficient advance notice by posting conspicuous notices throughout the neighborhood.
• Arrange for the first meeting to be a brief introductory meeting.
• Select any convenient location for the meeting including a home, an apartment, a condominium common area, a street, a business district, an office building, etc.
• Arrange a meeting schedule for the future.

Meeting Leadership, Agenda and Topics

• Select leaders for the neighborhood watch through an election. The criteria to use would generally involve determining those individuals who possess a dedication toward the pursuit of community interests, “people skills” and the time to devote to the project.
• Request volunteers to work on tasks which are assigned at the meetings.
• Utilize the meetings to train residents in what to look for and what should trigger suspicions and reporting.
• Assess and discuss neighborhood needs at the meetings.
• Educate neighborhood watch members at the meetings on safety techniques for both their own homes as well as ways they can assist their neighbors in making their homes and families safer.