In addition to the patrol and the establishment of a home base, a neighborhood watch group may seek to operate a hotline for residents to report crime information. If instituted, residents must be made aware that their first responsibility is to call the police. Information reported to the hotline can be analyzed by the watch leaders and law enforcement to establish patterns and target their efforts. If a hotline is under consideration, contact your local telephone company for assistance. Volunteers from the neighborhood watch might also consider forming a court watchers' project.
Volunteers can sit in various court rooms following serious felony cases through the system.
Volunteers involved in this project should report back their findings to the larger group at a later meeting. If this project is under consideration, the group might want to contact the local bar association and the court administration for guidance. Additionally, the nonprofit Fund for Modern Courts in New York City, which is dedicated to court education and advocacy, may also be of assistance. Your watch group may strive to produce a monthly or quarterly newsletter. The newsletter can provide crime prevention and protection pointers, information on special projects and committee reports, a calendar of community events and other interesting articles.