The neighborhood watch program was established nearly 40 years ago by the National Sheriffs’ Association and to this day it remains one of the premier ways that citizens working in partnership with each other and their local police Department can fight crime in their neighborhoods.

That is the main reason why you should get one going. It actually is the best way for homeowners to fight crime in their area. And it is free!

And here’s how to get one going if you don’t already have one in your neighborhood.

1. The very first thing you do is contact your local police department. They usually have someone on staff like a community resource officer who can help you get one going. He has all the paperwork and instructional material, including how to set up a meeting.

2. Pick a meeting time and location. The first few meetings should be held, depending on the size of your group, in a home, library, school, or even the local police department usually has a community room that would be suitable. Some restaurants offer free meeting space.

3. Identify the area your watch group will cover. Don’t make it too big because it becomes unwieldy and too difficult to control.

4. Invite the neighborhood to the first meeting. Distribute flyers, advertise in the local newspaper or call people depending on the size of the group.

5. Prepare an agenda and a brief presentation to be given by you or whoever is designated as the neighborhood watch group Captain.

6. You are not in this alone so feel free to ask for help. When we first got one set up a year and a half ago no one had ever done one before, so we were treading on water. Our local contact with the police department was very helpful in steering us in the right direction. As a result, our neighborhood watch group has set the standard for other apartment complexes in our neighborhood.

Some of the training sessions that neighborhood watch presents are invaluable in terms of home security and personal safety. We are attending a class in two weeks that will go a long ways towards improving our personal safety but other issues that they talk about are geared mainly to bolster home security.

One tip that was mentioned was using dummy security cameras- another was to get inexpensive alarms for doors and windows.

Our Fake Security Cameras are a great way to fight crime.

This Magnetic Window/Door Alarm is an inexpensive way to burglar proof your home.

At HomeSelf-DefenseProducts we have solutions to two of today’s most pressing issues: personal protection and home security. We offer the very best quality products at competitive prices with excellent service to assure your personal protection and your home’s security. That is all backed up by an unconditional guarantee.