Invite neighbors to attend the meeting by telephone or going door-to-door with flyers. Information on the flyers should include the meeting location, date, time, and purpose for the meeting. Distribute at least 10 days before the meeting. If distributing flyers, go with a neighbor and try to encourage residents to come to the meeting and follow up with a phone reminder before the meeting. Ask residents if there are any special accommodations they might need: child care, transportation, disability accessibility. Let residents know where the meeting place will be and what day and time. Provide a map if the location is hard to find, and give clear directions to the room if the meeting is in a large building.
Invite groups/organizations that have an interest in attending: schools, businesses, churches, civic groups and local government leaders.
Make sure the meeting place is adequate. Make sure there is enough room at the meeting place so everyone has a seat. Having the meeting in a home is fine if there is enough space for everyone. If not, take this opportunity to form a community partnership: ask a local church, school, small business or hotel in the area if they have space available for a meeting.
Draft a simple agenda and give residents a copy at the meeting. An agenda will help members focus on the issues they first raised in response to the survey. Another way to determine community concerns and get residents involved is to have each resident speak for a few minutes at the meeting to describe their specific concern. If an issue is raised that isn’t on the agenda, write it down for discussion at your next meeting.
Make sure speakers’ needs are available and functional. Check the meeting room to make sure you have what you’ll need for speakers and presentations. If audio-visual equipment will be used, know how to operate it before the meeting begins. Have a flip chart or blackboard, paper, markers and pens available so members can take notes.
Keep the meeting brief, since residents might have another obligation after the meeting, or a babysitter at home. Sixty to ninety minutes is a good length of time for Watch meetings. Also, end the meeting on time.People are most attentive, and will be more likely to participate if the meeting ends on time.
Distribute duties so one person isn’t doing all the work. By distributing work evenly, members will have more energy for future activities and will take ownership, or a sense of responsibility and pride in the Watch. Divide bigger jobs into separate, smaller tasks.
Encourage residents to participate in the meeting, and have a leader who keeps the meeting focused on the agenda and issues. Listen to concerns of neighbors, and redirect the members back to the agenda issues when individuals focus on issues too long or stray from the group focus or activity. Remember that what is most important is for members to feel a sense of accomplishment, and that their time spent at the meeting was worthwhile.
Work on only one issue at a time. Once members identify and agree on the most pressing concern, develop a strategy for that specific issue and work to resolve it. Try to begin with smaller goals for the group before working on a more complex issue. As the group develops and learns to work together, the more complex problems can be addressed.
Make an attendee list. Write down the names of those attending, along with addresses and day and evening telephone numbers. This list will help members stay in contact, and can be used to create a Phone Tree.
Prior to the meeting’s end, list further actions. Before the meeting closes list any actions that the group decides need to be taken on the issues discussed, and who will be responsible for completing them. Break the actions down into specific tasks and assign individuals to each task.
Schedule meetings once a month, and hold them on the same day of the month, such as the third Tuesday. By having a regular meeting date, it is easier for members to remember when the meetings are and plan ahead to attend each one.
Motivating Neighborhood Watch Members
Listen to what members are saying to discover what concerns they have and what would motivate them to action. Motivation to participate may be different for each member. By listening to individuals and recognizing what will motivate them to participate, goals may be created that they will believe in and support.
Encourage Communication. Look for common concerns you and your neighbors share and then get together to figure out how to solve them. Use a problem solving process to identify and communicate common concerns to each other and then develop a strategy to solve them. Focus on common interests and concerns you share as neighbors and not on the few differences that will inevitably exist. Unite on important, shared concerns and remind each other why a set goal is meaningful and how it will improve the quality of life for neighbors.
Exchange Fears for Facts. Learn the facts about issues and base strategies and actions on those facts. Motivate residents by reminding them of community issues that, if ignored, will be more difficult to solve later. For residents who are afraid of taking action on issues, encourage and motivate them with personal safety and security facts that will better protect them and reduce their fear of crime.
Have a Strategy. Individuals are more likely to be motivated to action if there are meaningful, realizable goals that they have an interest in seeing achieved. An effective strategy designed and agreed on by members motivates individuals and keeps them focused on their goals. Develop a strategy that finds a way to use each member’s skills and talents.
Provide Training. Use training to educate members in crime prevention and community issues. Training will serve to keep members motivated to learn and grow as a group and should be based in the interests and concerns they have for their area. Many organizations provide training to Watch groups free of charge.
Recognize Success. Success is a great motivator and mobilizer. Seemingly small successes can result in the confidence your Watch needs to take on even greater goals. Celebrate successes by recognizing everyone who played a role in making them happen, then market the success throughout your community. The confidence they have will become the foundation for motivating additional support for future goals and initiatives.
The Neighborhood Watch Meeting
Welcome and Sign In. Welcome everyone and let them know how long the meeting will last. Use a sign in sheet to keep track of who is present at the meeting. Read aloud the agenda and items to be covered and tell residents there will be time after the meeting to ask questions, meet new members and visit.
Introductions. Let residents introduce themselves and also briefly tell their reason for coming to the meeting or what they would like to see the group accomplish in the community.
Discussion of Community Issues. Allow residents time to raise specific community concerns. At first few meetings residents might express anger and frustration over community problems or criticize law enforcement for not doing more to address their problems. As time goes on, though, residents will use this time to focus on specific issues and ways to address them.
Crime Prevention Presentation. During the first meetings, law enforcement will provide information on crime prevention topics and ways to maintain an active, effective Watch. For following meetings invite guest speakers to discuss current community issues, or speak on topics members are interested in like substance abuse or family violence.
Selection of a Watch Captain. The basic structure of a Watch involves a captain and members. A captain is elected by members during the first meeting, and may serve for a term decided by members. Allow captains the opportunity to serve in different roles to avoid job burnout and maximize the creativity and energy of other members.
Issues for Next Meeting. Before the meeting adjourns, plan on the issues to be discussed at the next meeting. Encourage members to think of new ideas or strategies to raise at the next meeting.
Date, Time, Place for Next Meeting. Members usually meet once a month or at least every quarter. Captains and other members involved with planning, training and meeting activities meet more often. However often you meet, be sure members know when and where the next meeting will be held. Establish a set day of each month, for example, the first Tuesday of every month.
Adjourn/Refreshments. The time after the meeting can be as important as the meeting itself. During this time, members have the opportunity to visit and build friendships and informally brainstorm on future goals and strategies.
Crime Prevention is defined as the anticipation, recognition and appraisal of a crime risk and the initiation of some action to remove or reduce it. The above guidelines were prepared by the North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission staff and members of the North Carolina Crime Prevention Association to be used as a tool for prevention.
