Are you tired of the crime in America and in your own neighborhood and community? If so perhaps you should start a neighborhood watch patrol. First you will have to get with other concerned citizens nearby who also feel the same way you do about crime and care enough about it to do something. Next you will have to make a plan of who you will contact including the community policing officer or ombudsman. There are many neighborhood watch patrol plans on the Internet and you need to find one that best suits you and your community and develop a plan or modify one, which you believe will work best. Next you need to get a city councilperson or a couple on your page who agree with you and are willing to help you pitch it to the local police department. Perhaps the city councilperson can help you form a small committee and meet with the community policing officer so that you can implement your neighborhood watch patrol. Chances are you'll have to give a business presentation to the city Council or a mayor's crime task force group. Business presentations for neighborhood watch patrols are important because you need to make sure that everyone understands what you're trying to do and that you are not trying to step on the sheriffs toes. You really only have one good shot at your presentation and you have to practice it and make sure you can handle any questions that are asked. The most important thing you need to remember is that you do not want to appear like a bunch of vigilantes otherwise your project probably will not get off the ground. It is better to let everyone else take credit for the idea and help you structure it in a way that is workable from the police administrative standpoint and covering all the liability issues. Please consider this in 2006. |
