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A Community Outreach Program
Sponsored by Dignity Memorial
1-800-DIGNITY
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Creating a Neighborhood Watch Program
You've seen the signs when driving through certain areas - a black, shadowy figure wearing a concealing hat and trench coat leers over his shoulder from the sign warning "Neighborhood Watch." Sometimes, this type of grassroots, crime-prevention movement may be called Crime Watch or even Block Watch, but whatever the title, the idea is the same. Ordinary citizens can, with very little risk or effort, make a difference.
Once, neighborhoods across the country were fairly stable in that families moved in and stayed for years. They would watch each other's children grow, go off to college, get married and return with children of their own. They also knew, from a vast network of over-the-fence conferences, who the unstable families and the potential crime risks were. In these tightly-knit neighborhoods, if a theft occurred, or vandalism was perpetrated, it wasn't uncommon for the suspect to be identified the same day.
But, as America changed, so did the nature of most communities. People began moving away from their urban neighborhoods or rural roots to the job opportunities of the suburbs. Once there, many didn't stay for long. The nature of moving up the corporate ladder in the latter part of the 20th century often involved relocating or promotions wouldn't occur.
This constant uprooting of families had its effect on American neighborhoods. Figuring that they'd be moving again in another two years, many people began to see getting to know their neighbors as a wasted effort. In addition, the growing percentage of women in the workforce meant that an extremely valuable security force was now absent from the streets - the stay at home moms and housewives.
With the women gone, there was even less contact between neighbors.
The two combined to make entire blocks where nobody knew who lived next door, much less who was on the corner.
What to do? Somewhere, a group of neighbors got together and figured out that the police could not watch their neighborhood 24-hours a day, but they could.
Nearly every neighborhood is different. Someone leaves for work at 6 a.m. to beat the traffic, while others are returning home from the graveyard shift at just about that time. Combined with those who are able to come home for lunch, or work weekends but get odd days off during the week, it's easy to see why.
There isn't a form to fill out for putting together a neighborhood watch group, a license to buy or even a book to read. Neighbors decide they are fed up with anything from vandalism to theft and decide to meet and become the eyes and ears of their area.
The first thing to do to form such a group is contact local law enforcement. Though effective, the police will want your group to know that its members are not to put themselves in danger. An officer may be available to speak about safety issues to your group, point you in the direction of someone who can, or have some literature for your group to mull over. Either way, especially if you are planning walking patrols of the area, the police will appreciate knowing. They can also inform your group about techniques in reporting and recognizing crime, and can give information on what type of crimes are common in your area.
Though virtually cost-free and seemingly casual, these groups do necessitate more education and organization than many realize. For starters, a coordinator will have to be named, as well as block or area captains. These people can help organize meetings and make sure information gets disseminated in a timely and accurate fashion. There may also have to be a person in charge of recruiting new members, as neighbors move or become unable to participate. Recruiting new members also helps the neighbors know one another better. However, like any group, maintaining interest and participation often becomes a problem and a core few end up trying to do everything.
Some groups have found that organizing regular meetings with an expert speaker help draw residents and encourage participation. If a rash of purse-snatchings has been occurring, for instance, a martial arts instructor or police officer may be able to come and speak. By keeping the topics relevant to the concerns of the area, interest and attendance is maintained.
Other groups have found that putting out a monthly newsletter about what members have seen and the crimes they have prevented is helpful. When others see the group is having a real effect on area crime, they are more likely to take the group's efforts more seriously and even participate.
Once about half of the homes in a given area are part of the Neighborhood Watch program, signs stating this affiliation should be placed prominently throughout the area.
Printable Version
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