Sunday, November 15, 2009

Neighborhood Watch: An extra Safety Measure

By Pierre Levingston

Neighborhood Watch Programs were instigated in the hopes of lowering criminal activities. The Department of Justice enlisted the help of average citizens to work with the city police departments to watch out for criminals. Since its beginning, Neighborhood Watch has become one of the best instruments in fighting against crime.

The reason the program is so successful is that neighbors are more likely to notice things than the police officers are. Neighbors know more information about the immediate vicinity they are living in, and are the best at noticing anything that seems out of place. They also are in the best position to call police and report violations when they happen, and will continue to keep the environment safe for children and family members.

A neighborhood Watch Program is a good investment for a community's safety. It's a free program, and can be started up with a few, easy steps. If your neighborhood doesn't have the program you can be the one to start one.

First, start by talking to your neighbors. See if they are interested in the program. If they are interested you can contact your city police department, who will refer you to the officers in charge of Neighborhood Watch Programs.

Police departments usually have specific officers that deal with community service. A Community Relations Officer (CRO) or Police Service Officer (PSO) are the officers normally put in charge of Neighborhood Watch Programs. Talk to them and let them know you want to begin the program, and they will be able to give you more information on how to start the program and give you the proper paperwork that is needed.

At this first meeting you will be able to compile a membership list that contains names, addresses, phone numbers and email addresses of all involved. You will also be able to develop an area map with the home addresses, and decide how far you want the neighborhood boundaries to be. It may be a good idea to start collecting money for Neighborhood Watch signs so they can be posted.

This meeting is also a good time to split up the responsibilities among the group members. See if there are people who would like to volunteer to be spokesmen, or people who would like to organize crime prevention activities. Continue to work closely with the police department and invite them to your meetings.

After the initial meetings and assignments are completed, you can send out information via email or fliers. You should meet with everyone in the Neighborhood Watch Program at least once a year. The main purpose once everything is organized is to continue to share information with the members, and keep them committed to the cause by frequent communication.

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