Do Neighborhood Watch Signs Work?

The Neighborhood Watch program was started in the 1970s. During that era, the US was seeing a large spike in crime rates. This system was designed by the National Sherriff’s Association as a way that citizens could fight back against the rising crime rate and provide a secure environment for their families and neighbors. The watch was also designed to keep an eye on the aesthetics of the neighborhood and to make sure that any graffiti was removed immediately and that the roads where safe. All of this, according to the National Sherriff’s Association, has been very effective in increasing home security.

Since that program was instituted, Neighborhood Watch signs have become a common part of the landscape. They’re seen in residential areas all over the nation and, in most cases, the neighborhoods that they’re located in are among the nicer ones in any given city. This doesn’t seem to be a coincidence. The signs basically let anyone who’s considering doing something shady in the neighborhood know that they’ll be reported for it and that there will be police on the way very quickly. Of course, a threat is nothing more than hot air and thieves are pretty good at differentiating between a real Neighborhood Watch sign and a relic from the past.

The principal advantage of a Neighborhood Watch sign is intimidation. Street-level criminals, in many ways, are nothing more than bullies. They prey on those who don’t stand up to them and, in many cases, those individuals who do back down are only being smart. No one can take on a whole neighborhood, however and, thus, Neighborhood Watches can be effective. The signs have to be right, however. There are official signs and, because this program has been around for so long, they are generally very recognizable.

The official site of the Neighborhood Watch program has several different designs of these signs. There are signs for neighborhoods and signs for related programs for businesses in commercial areas of a city. These signs are eye-catching and, as is the case with all good signage, they look official. Looking official means that the signs are reflective so that they light up under car headlights and that the graphic design is in accordance with the conventions of the program. While a Neighborhood Watch is a citizen-driven program, the signage lends it the authoritative air of the police and sheriffs who, indeed, do provide the legitimate force behind the program.

Neighborhood Watch signs will tell thieves a lot about the quality of the program itself. For example, signs that are rusted, blocked by foliage and that are in generally bad repair tend to denote that there was a Neighborhood Watch in effect at one time, but that it’s probably not in effect anymore. Keep the signs clean and make sure that they’re in visible areas. There should be one at the entrance to the neighborhood and several within its boundaries. You can get signs for your own yard, as well.

Maintaining the signage also has the effect of making the watch a bit more effective. There are plenty of good ideas that are never followed through and, in the case of a Neighborhood Watch, this results in an empty threat. Newer signs tend to indicate that the citizens are actively involved in the Neighborhood Watch program and that means that thieves have good reason to hesitate before committing crimes in that neighborhood. Make sure your neighborhood watch sign says that anything shady will result in a call to the police, no questions, no hesitation and no messing around. This gives thieves notice, and makes them ill at ease.

http://www.nnwi.org/

http://www.sandiego.gov/police/prevention/neighwatch.shtml