Phase One: Getting Started -- Meetings, Block Captains, and Maps

• Form a small planning committee of neighbors to discuss needs, the level of
  interest, possible challenges, and the Watch concept.
• Contact the local police or sheriffs' office to discuss Neighborhood Watch and local crime problems.
• Publicize your meeting at least one week in advance with door-to-door fliers and
  follow up with phone calls the day before.
• Select a meeting place that is accessible to people with disabilities.
• Hold an initial meeting to gauge neighbors' interest; establish purpose of program;
  begin to identify issues that need to be addressed. Stress that a Watch group is
  an association of neighbors who look out for each other's families and property,
  alert the police to any suspicious activities or crime in progress, and work together
  to make their community a safer and better place to live.
  

Phase Two: When the neighborhood decides to adopt the Watch idea, elect a chairperson.

• Ask for block captain volunteers who are responsible for relaying information to
  members on their block, keeping up-to-date information on residents, and making
  special efforts to involve the elderly, working parents, and young people. Block
  captains also can serve as liaisons between the neighborhood and the police and
  communicate information about meetings and crime incidents to all residents.
  Establish a regular means of communicating with Watch members—e.g.,
  newsletter, telephone tree, e-mall, fax, etc.
• Prepare a neighborhood map showing names, addresses, and phone numbers of
  participating households and distribute to members. Block captains keep this map
  up to date, contacting newcomers to the neighborhood and rechecking
  occasionally with ongoing participants.
• With guidance from a law enforcement agency, the Watch trains its members in
  home security techniques, observation skills, and crime reporting. Residents also
  learn about the types of crime that affect the area.
• Organizers and block captains must emphasize that Watch groups are not
  vigilantes and do not assume the role of the police. They only ask neighbors to be
  alert, observant, and caring—and to report suspicious activity or crimes
  immediately to the police.

Tips for Success

• Hold regular meetings to help residents get to know each other and to collectively
  decide upon program strategies and activities.
• Consider linking with an existing organization, such as a citizens' association,
  community development office, tenants' association, housing authority.
• Canvas door-to-door to recruit members.
• Involve everyone -- young and old, single and married, renter and homeowner.
  Gain support from the police or sheriffs' office. This is critical to a Watch group's
  credibility. These agencies are the major sources of information on local crime
  patterns, home security, other crime prevention education, and crime reporting.
• Get the information out quickly. Share all kinds of news -- quash rumors.
• Gather the facts about crime in your neighborhood. Check police reports, do
  victimization surveys, and learn residents' perceptions about crime. Often
  residents' opinions are not supported by facts, and accurate information can
  reduce fear of crime.
• Physical conditions like abandoned cars or overgrown vacant lots contribute to
  crime. Sponsor cleanups, encourage residents to beautify the area, and ask them to
  turn on outdoor lights at night.
• It's essential to celebrate the success of the effort and recognize volunteers'
  contributions through such events as awards, annual dinners, and parties. To help
  meet community needs, Neighborhood Watches can sponsor meetings that
  address broader issues such as drug abuse, gangs, self-protection tactics, isolation
  of the elderly, crime in the schools, and rape prevention.
• Don't forget events like National Night Out or a potluck dinner that gives
  neighbors a chance to get together. Such items as pins, t-shirts, hats, or coffee
  mugs with the group's name also enhance identity and pride.
  For more information, visit www.ncpc.org.