We have neighborhood watch here in our small hamlet. Why ? Because we have an excellent park with street lights on one side, a pool, baseball field, basketball court, kid's toys and a picnic shelter with one small bulb & several picnic tables, plus We believe in freedom..with responsible behavior. Larger communities surrounding us were putting enough pressure on their unruly elements, so some were migrating to our village and park on summer evenings.
I am basically a co-captain and by now, 3 seasons later.. it is known we have a neighborhood watch, so we do not have to patrol regularly. We set up the watch with certain rules, some self-imposed;
1) We have baseball caps with a large, reflective NW on the front, so all should know who they are dealing with.
2) Although I have a CCW, I never go armed..neighborhood watch should not need it.
3) The only 'weapons' I have are a walkingh staff with a forged, big horn sheep head on top and a cell phone.
4) We rarely patrol alone, usually have another along for witness and cooperative effort, if necessary.
5) Avoid confrontation..we are WATCH dogs .. not ATTACK dogs.
6) For simple abuses, such as in the park after dusk..we may remind people of the rules.
7) For serious crimes such as pot/drug selling, we simply stay our distance and call the sheriff or state police.
We facilitated a couple arrests this way and that helped greatly to ameliorate the noxious influx.
Of course, the park is not the only thing we observe, and now, 3 seasons later, we no longer have suspicious,
unidentified vehicles in the parking area around the park during the dark of night. Our Neighborhood watch has been a
positive development in every case. Ours is a quiet hamlet..has been for 200 years and that's the way the overwhelming
majority like it.
