Providing Information and Enhancing Skills: Implementing a Neighborhood Watch
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WHAT IS A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH ASSOCIATION (NWA)?
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HOW CAN A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH ASSOCIATION BENEFIT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?
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WHEN SHOULD AN NWA BE IMPLEMENTED?
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HOW DO YOU START AN NWA WHERE YOU LIVE?
It's no longer safe to leave your car unlocked overnight - if the valuables inside the car are not taken, they will be broken.
Or perhaps you've noticed an unusual amount of coming and going at a certain house down the street. You and your neighbors have talked about the increased traffic, and you share an uneasy feeling about it.
It might be time to form a Neighborhood Watch Association.
WHAT IS A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH ASSOCIATION (NWA)?
A Neighborhood Watch Association is a group of neighbors, in any size of area with any number of residents, who decide to come together to address crime and/or safety issues in their area. This group then works cooperatively with local government and law enforcement to develop solutions to problems and/or create interventions for issues that could become problematic.
An NWA may be organized by an existing neighborhood association, but the key element in a formal Neighborhood Watch Association is its relationship with local law enforcement.
HOW CAN A NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH ASSOCIATION BENEFIT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?
NWAs bring ordinary citizens into closer contact with law enforcement, making communication between the two groups easier, more efficient, and more effective. By being actively involved in an NWA, citizens become an extension of the law enforcement agencies' eyes and ears. As always, joint organized efforts are more effective than individual efforts.
Through citizens' involvement with NWAs, the community is provided with what can become an increasing number of people who watch their neighborhood for suspicious activities or crime. This organized effort makes the community with a Neighborhood Watch Association a place that criminals of all types will want to avoid.
WHEN SHOULD AN NWA BE IMPLEMENTED?
Organizing an NWA in your neighborhood is always a good idea. However, the implementation process works best when there is an issue in the neighborhood that residents can rally around. A recent spate of burglaries or concern about graffiti can be enough to gather momentum.
Another important factor in organizing is law enforcement's support. It is best to implement an NWA when you know that local law enforcement supports the idea.
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