Community Participation

Some thirty years ago a successful program was launched in the United States to bring citizens into a group for crime prevention. It depended on neighbours working together to bring a stronger sense of security to their communities.

The basic idea was to look out for any suspicious activity and to report it to the police. It was surprising how quickly citizens became alert; they became acutely sensitive to their environment and felt confident in their abilities of observation and reporting.

What we saw was the formation of “neighbourhood watch programs” which caught fire in many communities. They became vibrant in their activities and success reaped further success. It is firmly believed that criminal activity has been reduced to the delight of participants.

Real estate agents have been known to use the neighbourhood watch program as a feature for the sale of properties. While driving the local communities with their clients the posted signs were highlighted.

The concept of neighbourhood watch programs has been extended to cemetery watch programs to prevent the desecration of cemetery properties which often take place on nights when there is a full moon or at Halloween time. There are individuals who have little respect for grave sites and have fun damaging cemetery property; they must be stopped and this prevention program can become a community responsibility

In the final analysis, sensitive and alert citizens can increase the safety of their communities, preserve a sense of community through the cooperation and assistance they provide others and prevent crimes from happening. It is a shared responsibility that reaps rewards for all residents and those individuals who are intimately involved receive a distinct sense of accomplishment and of pride.