Assure your neighbors that there are many ways of participating, from being a window watcher to being a block captain. Everyone can help! Ask new members if there are any additional crimes they want to address or feel particularly threatened by.

You may be starting your Neighborhood Watch program because you are dissatisfied with local law enforcement, but keep in mind that oftentimes local law enforcement can be concerned with city- or even region-wide crimes. Remind your local law enforcement about your community’s needs, and ask them how they can help you.

Do not share your map with anyone outside your neighborhood! If you do not have enough interest, focus on gathering more members before continuing the process. Remember: the strength of a Neighborhood Watch lies in the number of eyes and ears that are working together!

Have local law enforcement answer questions about crime and provide information about police procedures. [9] X Research source Remind your volunteers that a Neighborhood Watch is not a vigilante group, and they should never put themselves in harm’s way!

Download and print out phone tree templates on the Internet, and make sure you write down all relevant information including name, address, phone number, and email. Remind everyone of the importance of only passing on essential, actionable information during phone tree calls. In certain situations, like life-threatening crimes or the presence of particularly dangerous criminals, teach your volunteers to call the police before calling the phone tree. If you live in a particularly tech-savvy community, consider also setting up an email tree as an alternate method of passing on less pressing information.

Starter kits traditionally include metal or plastic road signs, home window decals, and magnetic car signs. [10] X Research source Neighborhood Watch signs especially are very important – often, just the fact that your neighborhood is on alert is enough to deter criminals![11] X Research source

If relevant, you can have your Crime Prevention Officer attend your regular Neighborhood Watch meetings, to brief the citizens on your neighborhood’s current crime situation.

If your Neighborhood Watch has decided that they don’t want your Crime Prevention Officer to attend general Neighborhood Watch meetings, consider inviting your Crime Prevention Officer to your leadership meetings.

Always end every Neighborhood Watch meeting with a reminder that your neighbors should never put themselves in harm’s way!