Finally he decides he has had enough and joins a neighborhood watch program. Proactive people, on the other hand, decide much earlier to resolve a problem. They don't go looking for problems to correct, but when they see one, something within them makes them want to resolve the problem. For example, Roger Truehart sees a teen accosted on the street and calls the police. When his children are approached by drug dealers, he starts the neighborhood watch program and tries to recruit Roger Milquetoast.
Proactive characters are much more interesting to watch because they make things happen.
Movies aren't about the mundane things in life. They are about moments in life when people change, or make changes. Reactive characters are cornered and forced to do something. Proactive characters come face to face with an obstacle and decide to do something about it. A crisis is a time when people have to make a decision.