Blendon Woods Civic Association

USAonWatch.org the face of National Neighborhood Watch Program

Sep 06, 2009

Neighborhood Watch groups typically focus on observation and awareness as a means of preventing crime and employ strategies that range from simply promoting social interaction and "watching out for each other" to active patrols by groups of citizens. Volunteers who donate their time and resources are typically at the center of such programs, since many do not have a formal budget or source of funding. Most of the programs used street signs to show the presence of the program to potentially deter any would-be criminals.
All Neighborhood Watches share one foundational idea: that bringing community members together to reestablish control of their neighborhoods promotes an increased quality of life and reduces the crime rate in that area. In fact, from the earliest attempts to deal with the neighborhood structure as it relates to crime, to modern attempts at neighborhood crime prevention, collective action by residents has proved one of the most effective strategies.
The reason for this effectiveness is rather simple: Involving community members in watch programs decreases opportunities for criminals to commit crime rather than attempting to change their behavior or motivation.
Today's Neighborhood Watch Program is an effective means of crime control and neighborhood cohesiveness. While not all of the programs in place today go by the same name, they all accomplish the same goal: to bring community members together to fight crime.
So what does it take to start and maintain an effective Neighborhood Watch Program? According to one researcher, there are five fundamental steps that make this possible:
From the beginning stages of a Neighborhood Watch effort, it is essential to incorporate neighborhood involvement and identify ways to deal with the crime patterns of that area.
The second step involves building a partnership between law enforcement officers and residents.
The third step is to assess the needs of a given neighborhood. Effective Neighborhood Watch programs unite law enforcement and residents and encourage them to collectively determine what problems should be addressed and how.
Selecting and training an active body of volunteers that are led by organized and motivated leaders is critical. Without motivation and organization, volunteers may be uninspired to participate and quit out of frustration.
The fifth and final step is to develop meaningful projects. It is important for leaders to remain enthusiastic. One way to accomplish this is to create and embark upon new projects so that there is always a goal towards which the team is aspiring.
Even with all of these steps in place, success does not happen overnight. Creating truly effective Neighborhood Watch programs takes patience, planning, and enthusiasm.
In the aftermath of September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, strengthening and securing communities has become more critical than ever. Neighborhood Watch programs have responded to the challenge, expanding beyond their traditional crime prevention role to help neighborhoods focus on disaster preparedness, emergency response and terrorism awareness. -Taken from USAonWatch.org.
Our civic association needs volunteers for the Block Watch Committee. If you are interested, please look through these websites to gather more information. Our community needs to be prepared for any kind of emergency or natural disaster. Please consider helping our community to be ready for any emergency. There are many resources in our local community and on the internet that are available for persons interested in working together on this committee. One main objective would be to organize a ?“Night Out?” every summer.

Website resources:
http://www.nationaltownwatch.org/nno/
http://publicsafety.ohio.gov/NPM/home.html
http://www.ready.gov/america/beinformed/index.html
USAonWatch.org
http://www.ncjrs.gov/Celebrate_Safe_Communities/index.html