Neighborhood Watch

Neighborhood Watch is a program that focuses on crime prevention and is one of the best-known and oldest concept of crime prevention in North America. It forms active participation of both law enforcement and residents to lower crime, solve problems and improve life in a local community.

In the 1960s, crime increased to a maximum that needed crime prevention focusing on residential locations and involved local citizens. Out of this need, The National Sheriff’s Association created the National Neighborhood Watch Program in 1972. This program was created to assist both law enforcement and citizens.

Reasons why a community should form a Neighborhood Watch

1. To deter criminals. In many cases, just the presence of this program within an area is enough to discourage a potential burglar from stealing or vandalizing homes nearby. Most burglars go into areas where they can do harm and be undetected. By having this type of program, a criminal or burglar will have less of an opportunity to do harm without being caught.
2. To better protect your own home. Besides, helping to monitor the neighborhood, it also heightens the security level of each home. It has been proven a Neighborhood Watch aids in lowering crime in a community, which in turn, lowers the change that a home will become a target.
3. To aid the local law enforcement. Having a watch program in an area takes some of the burden of surveillance off of the local police. Doing this, helps to increase the ability that police will be able to respond to crime quicker. Many times, local police officers will volunteer to join the meetings to provide any information that may be helpful in protecting the community.
4. To better know the community. Being a part of this program is a good way to know the members of the community better. By knowing other people in the area, it betters the chance everyone will be more willing to help in monitoring other homes.

Being part of a Neighborhood Watch is very beneficial to the community as well as individual homeowners. A homeowner will be able to protect himself, his family, his property and the community. Periodic meetings are held in the program to teach many personal safety and home security tips. Homeowners will help in identifying disorder and crime in the area and work with law enforcement to solve them.

Communities throughout the Unites States are using Neighborhood Watch to strengthen their relationships with law enforcement and prevent crime in their areas. These programs are not just about prevention; they also focus on ‘knowing your neighbor’ and enhancing the quality of life for the entire community. A goal is to learn more about everyone else in the area so that all neighbors are able to help each other in challenging times.