Enhance Your Wireless Security System with a Neighborhood Watch

Home alarm systems can be very effective at deterring burglary and other property crimes. However, no alarm system is 100% foolproof. The potential for security breaches, false alarms, and failing equipment can in the right circumstances, make it possible for a criminal to slip through the cracks. So, is there anything you can do to enhance your wireless security system to protect against vulnerabilities? Absolutely, It’s called a Neighborhood Watch.

A Neighborhood Watch was established in 1972 as a result of law enforcement agencies looking for better ways to police their neighborhoods in the midst of manpower shortages. Although other community watch programs do excellent work across the country, Neighborhood Watch is one of the oldest and most respected. They are the standard by which all others are judged.

Sponsored by Law Enforcement

Neighborhood Watch is an organization sponsored by the National Sheriffs’ Association. As such, it is directly supported by law enforcement agencies from coast to coast. By organizing and participating in a Neighborhood Watch program in your local area, you will be joining with local law enforcement to keep your neighborhood safer.

As a matter of perspective, consider this: the whole idea of neighborhood watch goes back hundreds of years. According to the National Crime Prevention Council, the earliest form of the neighborhood watch concept can be traced back to the colonial era when local communities began employing night watchman. They discovered that keeping watchful eyes on the streets during the overnight hours reduced the likelihood of trouble.

Why Neighborhood Watch Works

Uxari blog posts frequently reference the deterrence component of do-it-yourself home alarm systems. Simply put, burglars are deterred by home alarms because such systems increase the chances of being caught. Criminals want to get in and out quickly without drawing any attention to themselves. Doing so is more difficult when a burglar is having to deal with a security system. Neighborhood Watch is very similar.

Imagine a burglar casing a neighborhood to determine which targets are the softest. During this ‘test run’, the burglar notices a group of Neighborhood Watch participants strolling up and down the street. Now he is aware that the neighborhood is committed to actively keeping an eye out for criminal activity.

That burglar has no way of knowing how often Neighborhood Watch patrols move through the neighborhood. What he does know is that neighborhoods that participate in such watch programs are made up of neighbors who keep an eye on each other’s property even if they aren’t out walking. Neighborhood Watch just creates that kind of mindset. This automatically plants a seed of doubt in the burglar’s mind as to whether he or she can do what he/she wants to do without being caught. That seed of doubt is as strong a deterrent as any wireless home security system.

Contact Your Local Sheriff’s Office

If you want more information about Neighborhood Watch – and we hope you do – we urge you to contact your local Sheriff’s office. Never engage in a community watch program without the assistance of local law enforcement. Working with law enforcement will give your group credibility along with the kind of training you need to conduct a program safely.

The more you can do to actively keep an eye on your neighborhood, the more effective you will be at protecting your own property as well as that of your neighbors. If you can engage all your neighbors to join you in Neighborhood Watch, all the better.

Sources:

1.NCPC – http://www.ncpc.org/topics/home-and-neighborhood-safety/neighborhood-watch