A neighborhood watch program is a great way to keep the neighborhood safe by deterring crime and quickly notifying law enforcement when a crime is noticed. While it may seem like hard work getting your own neighborhood watch going, it actually does not require too much work, and many are surprised to see just how many members of the community are willing to pitch in.
Getting Your Neighborhood Watch Started
A successful neighborhood watch program should include multiple members who are willing to give an honest effort to keep the neighborhood safe. In doing so, proper planning and quality communication with one another and with the local law enforcement is essential. The following is a complete overview of how to get your neighborhood watch program up and running.
Determine interest
The first step towards getting a neighborhood watch program started is to determine the interest level within the community. Be sure to talk to those within your neighborhood and see who all is willing to participate. Participation is essential, so if there are not enough interested members, then the neighborhood watch might become difficult. However, most are more than likely to help keep the neighborhood safe.
Schedule a meeting
The next step in the process is to schedule a meeting with those who are interested in pitching in. The meeting can be held at someone’s house, at a local church nearby etc. There is plenty of work to go around, so be sure to include anyone who wants to pitch in and allow everyone interested to have the opportunity to pitch in. During the meeting, you can decide who will play what role and how the schedule will be set up each week or month.
Register your watch
It is always a good idea to let your local law enforcement know about your neighborhood watch. Most police and sheriff departments are incredibly welcoming and thankful for a neighborhood watch party, and they can help you officially register your watch. Some neighborhoods are required to place signs stating they are a neighborhood watch community, ensuring people they are safe and protected.
Get started
Once you register your watch and have enough people to participate, you are ready to get started. Be sure to set up a very detailed schedule so that everyone knows what their role is with the neighborhood watch program. The most important thing is to communicate well, which is made much easier by staying organized and building strong relationships with others inside the community.
Why Start a Neighborhood Watch?
There are many benefits to starting a neighborhood watch, and it is a great way to keep your family and everyone else inside your community safe. Several of the benefits of a neighborhood watch include but are not limited to the following:
Reduced crime
Safer neighborhood
Stronger community bond
Bond with law enforcement
A neighborhood watch program is mainly about keeping the neighborhood safe, but it also helps bring the neighborhood and entire community as a whole closer together.
Annette Masterson is a licensed broker with EXIT Realty Bob Lamb & Associates in Murfreesboro, TN. She has developed one of the most successful real estate teams in Rutherford County, known as Masterson Network, that specializes in new home construction and residential listings and sales throughout Middle Tennessee. You can email Annette at mastersonnetwork@gmail.com or call her at 615-896-5656 (Office) or 615-533-1660 (Cell) for more information.