SAFETY NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH By Fay Wood, NW Chief Neighborhood Watch is a group of people living in the same area who want to make their neighborhoods safer by working together and in conjunction with law enforcement to reduce crime and improve their quality of life. NW groups have regular meetings to plan how they will accomplish their specific goals and leaders with assigned responsibilities. NW is homeland security at the most local level. It is an opportunity to volunteer and work towards further increasing the safety and security of our homes and our community. NW empowers citizens and communities to become more active in emergency preparedness, along with other community leaders like CAP, CERT, security, and volunteer Sheriff and Police Patrols to help fight against any crime or community disasters. A NW group may be organized by an existing neighborhood association, but one of the key elements is its relationship with local law enforcement and other critical first responders. Activities conducted by neighborhood watch groups across the country are as diverse and varied as their volunteers and the neighborhoods they represent. Some groups mobilize to patrol neighborhoods, others distribute crime prevention information, while business assessments or home security surveys are conducted by others. As law enforcement officers learn the needs of their various neighborhood watch groups and the dynamics of their volunteers, they can tailor activities and responses to meet the ever-changing needs of their citizens. NW is one of the oldest and best-known crime prevention concepts in North America. In the late 1960s, an increase in crime heightened the need for a crime prevention initiative focused on residential areas and involving local citizens. The National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) responded, creating the National Neighborhood Watch (NNW) program in 1972, to assist citizens and law enforcement. In the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, strengthening and securing communities has become more critical than ever. NW programs have responded to the challenge, expanding beyond their traditional crime prevention role to help neighborhoods focus on disaster preparedness, emergency response, and terrorism awareness in support of other community volunteer groups. After the National Sheriffs’ Association kicked off the National Neighborhood Watch program, it was left to local law enforcement agencies to support local groups. Depending on the needs of the local communities, as well as the desire and teamwork of the sheriff or police chief, watch groups were started with different names and logos. However, the concept of crime prevention through citizen involvement remained constant. In the most effective and successful communities NW programs include ALL RESIDENTS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS and led by seasoned and proven leaders as others are groomed to lead. In Lake Ashton’s largely populated two city (Winter Haven and Lake Wales) community we currently have a Chief, Deputies over several areas and Block Captains for specific streets. A NW’s effectiveness depends heavily on its volunteer leaders and its relationships with All Law Enforcement, community vendors and other influential City, State, National and other Advisors. It’s up to the community volunteers to fill out the program needs following our growth and build out in both cities. If we want Lake Ashton’s NW and other key programs (CAP, CERT, etc.) to continue its stellar reputation, RESIDENTS need to step up and volunteer to fill various coverage areas. There was an insert in the July LA Times issue listing Deputies and current leadership (clubhouses have more, along with labels with key safety phone numbers) of those that made Lake Ashton’s total, all-inclusive NW program the success it is. Now it’s time to have Block Captains to fill in all areas. If you want to stand out to the community and county you live in and truly believe in Safety and Law Enforcement keeping our great Community the serious crime deterrent group it is in the state please call your listed neighborhood Deputy, Advisors/ Community leaders or the Chief for more information and/or to sign up. The rewards of belonging is great and your “peace of mind” is included. Thank you for your continued support and love of Lake Ashton!
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