The concept of neighborhood watch programs was installed into the American vernacular in 1972 with the help of the National Sherriff’s Association. At the heart of this program is the belief that concerned citizens, working cooperatively with law enforcement, can have a positive effect on the community.

Neighborhood watch programs are based on this concept of cooperation, and statistics from across the country prove that it works. Law enforcement officials have recorded a decrease in crime, specifically burglary, in communities with active neighborhood watch programs. The organization USA on Watch claims that neighborhood watch programs are now the most successful anti-crime initiative in the country and the most effective and least expensive tool for restoring the safe, pleasant environment we all want for our families.

Some of the ways in which neighborhood watch programs make this happen are the following:

• Arranging for home security inspections by local police officers to help residents determine their areas of vulnerability.

• Training citizens about good practices like securing valuables, locking doors and windows, etc.

• Asking neighbors to watch for suspicious activity when the house is vacant.

• Encouraging home builders to use higher quality door and window locks and to provide outside lighting for all new construction.

• Meeting in neighborhood groups with trained crime prevention officers to discuss needs and crime prevention strategies.

• Developing neighborhood telephone tree systems for quickly alerting each other about criminal activity in the area.

• Using a neighborhood watch sign (or signs) to deter criminals from entering the area.

• Arranging for ongoing neighborhood watch programs where crime prevention experts can present home and neighborhood security tips at regularly scheduled meetings.

When using the phrase neighborhood watch, some people think of the national program we’ve been discussing here, with the tell-tale neighborhood watch sign (or signs) we all recognize. Other people use the phrase neighborhood watch to cover a variety of community-based crime prevention organizations. Crime Stoppers, Citizen Corps and the National Block Parenting Program are other forms of community safety organizations you and your community may wish to consider.

Crime Stoppers is an international program whose purpose is to involve citizens in the reduction of crime throughout neighborhoods and schools. Crime Stoppers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for tips leading to the arrest of criminals and fugitives. They offer a secure website and secure phone lines for anyone wishing to leave their tip anonymously.

Citizen Corps is a group of community volunteers that work with our nation’s government not only to battle crime, but also to teach residents about other security issues and emergency preparedness. Citizen Corps actually partners with local neighborhood watch programs on a variety of events.

The National Block Parenting program is a U.S. version of the Canadian Block Parenting program. The goal of the National Block Parenting program is clear: to give children the security of knowing they have adults they can turn to in an emergency. Block parents are adults who are willing and able to assist children in their time of need, whether they are running from abuse, a predator, or simply cannot gain access into their home. Block parent homes use stickers, much like the neighborhood watch sign (or signs), that are visible from the front of the home so children know whom they can trust.