By Melina Ann Collison
Photo By MattHurst
St. Louis - Starting a neighborhood watch group is a great way to combat crime in your neighborhood, city, town, or suburb.
Citizens and neighbors working with local law enforcement will have a positive effect on crime statistics.
The possibilities are endless when you start a neighborhood watch group in your area and the benefits will be seen right away.
Neighborhood watch groups make it difficult for criminals to victimize people or property because there are alert and concerned people watching the area.
Starting the Neighborhood Watch Group
- Get together with your neighbors and people who want to be a part of the group. Decide on an action plan for your neighborhood. Who is going to be a part of your group? What areas need patrolling more than others? What are citizen concerns? Create a schedule for monthly or bi-weekly neighborhood watch meetings and get everyone’s phone number for a phone list.
- Now it is time for you to call the local police department and ask for assistance. They will send an officer to your next meeting to discuss a neighborhood watch. While you have the police department on the phone it is a good time to do a little research and ask questions. Find out what your neighborhood’s crime statistics are and ask what needs the area has. The department will also have a list of contacts to help your group that includes signs, pamphlets, and assistance.
- The last thing you need to do is take a walk around your neighborhood, introduce yourself and tell them you have started a neighborhood watch group, then ask people if they have any concerns/been victimized/or want to be a part of the project.
Before you have your first official neighborhood watch meeting call the police department ahead of time to confirm the date and time an officer is coming. Have a list of questions for the officer such as; Can an officer be assigned to help our group? How does the neighborhood watch work in our specific jurisdiction? Where is the best place to get signs and literature for our group?
Your group can offer multiple things to the community in addition to keeping it safer:
- Classes to teach people home safety tips
- Home security inspections by your assigned officer
- Provide literature on upgrading or improving locks, alarms, and lighting
- Remind people to lock all windows and doors even when they are home
- Have neighbors watch for suspicious activity
- Teach neighbors about Operation I.D.
- Organizing small groups of people to assist the elderly or very young when in need
- Having an officer at meetings allows people an opportunity to get answers to specific questions
- Having a phone list allows people to contact anyone within the neighborhood watch group when an emergency arises
- Initiating a program where crime prevention tips are given at each meeting or handed out to individual homes each month
- Displaying a neighborhood watch sign will automatically make a criminal think twice before choosing their victim
For more info: Look for future updates to the Neighborhood Watch 101 series:
- Neighborhood Watch 101: What to watch for in your neighborhood
- Neighborhood Watch101: How to report a crime to police
- Neighborhood Watch 101: Confrontation with criminals
- Neighborhood Watch 101: How to patrol
Internet Safety 101 Series
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