Be Neighborly

As you know, I mainly write about security and safety tips for your home and family. Today, however, I want to talk about something a little different: Neighborhood Watch Programs, and why your community should have one.

As I've said before, the first goal in home security is deterrence. If you can prevent a thief from even thinking of entering your home or property, you have succeeded. As a note of caution, however, there will always be thieves. And all the preparation in the world will not stop every criminal, every time. Still, there are things that can be done to make it less likely that you will be a victim. Among these, neighborhood watch stands at the top of the list.

So, what exactly is a Neighborhood Watch? It is a group of volunteer citizens who keep an eye out for suspicious activity and, if they see any, report it to the police. The idea is not a new one. We know that the earliest civilizations had posted guards and sentries to keep watch for an attack. In colonial America there were similar posts. Today, we have Neighborhood Watch programs.

The nice thing about this program is that it is comprised of actual local residents. They are far more aware of who should or shouldn't be certain places, who is out of town, and what just looks suspicious. Now, to properly have this Watch program, it should be public. That is, people should know about it, and signs should be posted alerting people to the existence of the Neighborhood Watch. In many cases, burglars will go elsewhere to rob homes. However, even if they don't, the program makes it more likely that someone will see and report the criminal activity and bring the criminal to justice.

For more information on neighborhood watch programs, visit http://www.usaonwatch.org/. It is the official website, set up by the National Sheriff's Association.