Out - Every year, the National Town Watch Association invites communities to participate in National Night Out Against Crime. Contact your local law enforcement agency or the North Carolina Crime Prevention Division for more information. Victim Assistance - Should one of your neighbors be victimized, you can know how to help that person. Contact the local victim's advocate office, the Division of Victim and Justice Services, or the Department of Social Services for more information. Awareness Programs - There may be some specific crime problems in your neighborhood that your Community Watch group wants to target.
Criminals gravitate to places where they feel safe and secure.
They avoid neighborhoods where they are likely to get caught. When they are neither wanted nor welcome, they go someplace else. It's an unfortunate fact that when a neighborhood crime crisis goes away, so does enthusiasm for Community Watch. Work to keep your Watch group a vital force for community well-being. Organize regular meetings that focus on current issues such as drug abuse, 'hate' or bias-motivated violence, crime in schools, child care before and after school, recreational activities for young people, and victim services.