Five Ground Tips for Beginning a Neighborhood Protection Watch
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“One for all, and all for one.”
You must have heard this motto before. Do you
know what it signifies? An unbelievable amount of unity. An unbreakable bond.
An everlasting friendship. In simple words, it means that you’ve got each
other’s back through thick and thin. This is the sort of attitude which should
be promoted in a neighborhood. Everyone should stand together to protect the
neighborhood.
One way of protecting the community and
preventing all house-related crimes is by starting a neighborhood watch
program. What is it exactly? An
organized group of concerned citizens, devoted to keeping an eye on the
community, and reporting potential criminal activities to the authorities.
It’s like giving an extra hand to the police, which, despite their efforts,
can’t cover every part of every neighborhood.
Do you want to set up such a watch in YOUR
society? Then follow the checklist below!
Consultation
The first step in fulfilling an idea is by
talking about it, and talking profusely. For example, if you want to start a
cake company, you would plan with your partners first. If you get into it all
on your own, you won’t get the support you will eventually need. Similarly, if
you want to start a neighborhood watch program, you need to gather up the
community members and propose your idea first. Talk about it, lay out its
merits, and try to convince them.
Recruitment
If you lay out your idea wisely, then there
will always be interested people. It’s like during election campaigns, when a
candidate openly address the crowd and propose ideas right from the heart.
People who are touched end up voting for that candidate. In the same way, once
you discuss the idea of a neighborhood watch program and stress the importance
of societal security, concerned people will want to volunteer. So set up a
system of recruitment, affix the ground rules to be followed, and you’ll be
good to go.
Orientation
When girl scouts are told to sell cookies,
they meet with the supervisors so they can learn the best ways to sell them.
They’re trained before heading out into the world. Similarly, when a group of
volunteers has been organized, the next step should be orientation. Why?
Because they’re novices, and need expert guidance to give them a comprehensive
view of the job to be done. So call in law enforcement. Bring a professional to
your meeting, and have them teach you the basics of criminal behavior, and how
to confront it in various scenarios. Teach everyone how to be vigilant and how
to communicate with both each other and the authorities.
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So the neighborhood watch group has been
finalized, the orientation is done, and the gear is in place. Make it official
by coming up with creative, eye-catching logos. Send out flyers all over the
neighborhood, with your toll-free hotline number in bold, and followed by a call-to-action.
Talk to people in the community. Go from door to door, and spread the word like
wildfire. Let people know that they can trust you, and that you’ve got their
back. Make an online portal which only community members can access, so they
can share their suspicions and recommendations. Involve everyone and let them
participate!
Execution
It’s time for action! Set up weekly--or at
least regularly scheduled--meetings. Survey the whole area, identify the weak
spots, and figure out how to address them. Review the crime patterns of the
past so you can predict what’s to come. Set up surveillance all over the place,
using the Vivint
camera and motion detection technology, and keep an eye on the live
feed. Appoint people to patrol the neighborhood.
With these tips, you can set up an amazing
neighborhood watch program in your community. No one’s going to slip from
YOUR grasp! Criminals will have to think twice before heading your way
now!
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