But first, let me tell you a little story. I know a single mother who was looking for a house. Her main requirement was that it had to be safe for her children. After months of looking she found the perfect house on a cul-de-sac in a great neighborhood and the price was right, too. After moving in one of her neighbors stopped in to welcome her to the neighborhood. One comment from the neighbor got her attention, though. She said she really admired her bravery.

Naturally my friend was curious what that meant. After pressing the neighbor she told her that her new next door neighbor was registered sex offender. That’s why the house had been priced so low – because nobody wanted to buy it because of the sex offender. And that’s why the previous owner was desperate to sell. And apparently the the offender really liked young children.

Needless to say my friend was frightened. She couldn’t turn right around and sell the house so she ended up installing a new fence and alarm system. And her kids never left the house without her. That’s no way to live. And it’s a shame because it is so easy to perform a sex offender search. And it doesn’t cost anything.

Thanks to the internet and the need for people to be aware of their surroundings the government has made it much easier to find out if offenders are lurking in your neighborhood or wherever you may be moving. And it will tell you exactly where they live and include photos. I know my wife was shocked the first time she did a search to find out how many offenders were near us. Of course this is for information purposes only, it does not give you the right to camp out on their lawn or otherwise harass them. You may want to but it is against the law.

Not all details are included on the sites. It won’t necessarily tell you their exact crime but will give you a good idea of what they may have done. And having this information could have saved my friend a lot of grief and money. So how do you search? It really is easy.

Go to Google or your favorite search engine and search for “Sex offenders in [your state]“. This should show you the state site where you can find everything you need.
Do you really know who’s living next to you?

David Lemon is the owner of TDL People Search. You can visit his site at http://www.tdl-people-search.com where you can search for anyone you’d like to find as well as perform background checks.

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MEETING AGENDA

First Meeting Agenda (sample)

The 5 Mobile Watch Commandments:

1. Participants have no police powers.

2. Participants will carry no weapons while on patrol.

3. Participants will always obey laws.

4. Participants will OBSERVE and REPORT.

This is a non-confrontational program.

Hand out Pocket Procedure Manuals that outlines:

1. Do’s and Don’ts

2. When to call 911 vs. when to call non-emergency dispatch

3. What constitutes suspicious circumstances

4. Phone numbers

Explain to participants:

1. How to quickly notice vehicle descriptions, license plates,
and suspect descriptions.

2. Show a video from dispatch that discusses the procedure for calling dispatch.

3. Show videos on gangs, and meth labs.

4. Discuss how to protect a crime scene.

To download my free E-Book and complete Neighborhood Mobile Watch Plan use the web address below:

http://www.lancewinslow.org/nmwp_agenda.shtml

“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

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A neighborhood association is basically a group that organizes crime watches, welcome wagons and special events. A neighborhood yard sale or block party can help people raise money and meet new people. If you are really ambitious you could even start a neighborhood newsletter. It is community efforts like these that help neighborhoods grow closer and give each other the support system that is so important – especially during tough times like these. There is a comfort in knowing who your neighbors are, knowing that they will be there for you during difficult medical or financial times or even just when you need a friendly shoulder to lean on or a cup of sugar.

The first step to starting a neighborhood association is deciding on a place to meet. Usually a community resource like a youth center or school will let you use space for free. You could even use a room in your house if it is large enough to hold a moderate-size group of people.

Next you’ll want to print out flyers announcing your initial neighborhood meeting. It doesn’t have to be fancy or elaborate, just a simple sheet detailing the purpose of the meeting, location, time and date. Hang flyers up in prominent areas in the neighborhood such as churches, grocery stores, schools and recreation centers. It may also be appropriate to leave flyers on people’s doorstops. My neighborhood association set up a refreshment stand during Halloween and offered a sign-up sheet for people interested in joining the association. Later they could use the contact information to get people together for neighborhood meetings. However you get the word out the next step is preparing for the event/meeting. Some planning is a good idea at this time. Write an outline of the points you want to discuss and some plans you have for the future of the neighborhood. Next you’ll want to provide some coffee, fruit punch and maybe some baked goods for the meeting.

At this first meeting you can talk about the different functions that you would like the organization to perform. For example, you’ll need a committee to oversee the neighborhood association. Other possibilities are a welcome wagon which will welcome new families, introduce themselves and provide a basket with neighborhood information, coupons from local businesses, and possibly a little welcoming gift. Or possibly a group of neighbors would like to work together on a neighborhood newsletter to keep the neighbors up to date on the goings on in the area, such as births, deaths, school and church events, weddings, etc. You can also set up a group to act as a crime watch to either patrol the streets at night or at least keep an eye on homes while the residents are out of town.

You won’t believe the feeling of belonging that comes over a neighborhood when the members of it is working on making it a safe, clean, peaceful and friendly place to live.

For more information on becoming active in your community, please visit http://www.lendahandri.com

Jenn Carpenter works as a freelance writer, blogger and internet marketer from her home in Warwick, RI. She is a mother of three as well as an active member of her community. To learn more about her amazing story check out http://www.livingmybigdream.com

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PARTICIPANTS

A wide variety of participants is needed to launch a successful Neighborhood Watch program. In this section necessary participants are listed, along with a description of the kind of support needed from each. As many of you know, implementing a community-based project requires the interest, cooperation, and support from many people. But the end result is definitely worthwhile!

Increasing the safety of a neighborhood benefits everyone from children and parents, to local businesses. Not only does reducing crime in an area increase everyone’s quality of life, but it can also help increase property values.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE:

The local Chamber of Commerce is the ideal organization to coordinate the program. They should be asked to help build interest in the program by announcing the program to its members at meetings, and running press releases in newsletters or membership mailings. (Be sure to check the press release section for samples). The Chamber of Commerce should also be requested to act as liaison between their members and the local Police Department. They will need to schedule with the Community Relations Officer of the Police Department a time to come and talk to their members, (more than one meeting may be necessary). Once the program is started, Chambers collect and keep track of participants and schedule training sessions, and issues certificates of completion to participants (a nice touch!). In addition to training, signage and print material are needed. The Chamber can contract one of their members to make the magnetic signs and order the cling stickers with the imprinted logos, and print flyers. Other tasks that Chambers can perform to increase the success of the program is to create a list of target participants, send flyers to these targeted businesses and individuals, and alert media sources.

POLICE DEPARTMENT:

The Police department will provide a Community Relations person to explain to participants the need to report crimes and what is actually a crime. They will explain that if someone cuts you off on the Highway it is an unfortunate situation but not a crime and to limit phone calls to important things. Most importantly, they will explain that the participants are the eyes and ears of the Police, not vigilantes. The Police will also ask participants to have the police departments phone number programmed into their cellular phones and to only use the 911 feature only for accidents involving injuries and very serious situations. The Police department will also give certificates to participants once they have completed the seminar, which will be signed by police chief or local Community Relations Officer.

CITY HALL:

City Council members will very likely endorse the project at a city council meeting and give a proclamation to the President of the Chamber of Commerce for the Chambers and local businesses service to community. Most cities can allot at least $2,500.00 towards the project for the signage. Donations for the remainder can often be obtained from large companies in the area. By announcing it at a city council meeting the program will receive the publicity it needs to get quality participants.

MEDIA SUPPORT:

Local Radio stations are very supportive of the community. Request that they play public service announcements. Also, you will find that local newspapers will place flyers in the papers to announce the project, local cable stations will film participants driving down the street and interview seminar participants.

ORGANIZING CHAIRPERSON:

This will be the person who keeps all the different groups happy and coordinates the program. It is best to have a prominent volunteer type individual for this, someone who is already known for their community involvement; maybe even sits on a few non-profit boards and municipal committees. Someone everyone likes. The Chairperson will be in charge of making great quotes in the media, organizing participants and volunteers and scheduling meetings. Follow ups, thank you letters and personal invitations. Also keeping track of all the events and making agendas and cooperating with neighboring cities who follow this plan later. Other responsibilities include interfacing with non-profit groups to make sure they can participate, and contacting Board of Realtors, Rotary, Kiwanis, Optimist, Lions, Elks, clubs etc. In short, an ombudsman to council people, Mayor and city manager.

To download my complete Free E-Book on ‘How to Start a Successful Neighborhood Mobile Watch;’ use the web address below and continued success on securing your community.

http://www.lancewinslow.org/nmwp.shtml

“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

To help our local police department by becoming the eyes and ears of the community. To establish a power of presence and thus increasing the visibility of our enforcement services. To establish a zone for criminals where the risk of being caught is too high for them to practice their profession. To unite the business community and Chamber of Commerce with the citizens and the local government. To be proactive in law enforcement. To empower people to remain in control of their communities. To lower crime rates and to keep property value high.

People who have jobs which require extensive travel through local communities (like delivery services, real estate agents, and utility companies) are often in positions which they may see crimes in action or suspicious behavior. Sometimes, just by being in a particular area at just the right time, they may even unknowingly act as a deterrent for criminal activity. The Neighborhood Mobile Watch program seeks to enhance a community’s crime prevention strategy by providing concerned citizens, whose professions require extensive driving, with proper training and signage materials to even further deter criminal activity.

Learning how to recognize suspicious behavior and knowing which local authorities to contact is one of the key components of the training. Just knowing the correct phone number, rather than dialing 911, can greatly reduce the amount of time it takes for the proper authorities to respond, and keeps 911 lines open for other emergencies. Another key component of the program is providing magnetic signs on business and service vehicles, and using static cling stickers on other vehicles which read: “We report suspicious behavior to our local police department.” This lets potential criminals know right away that they should not risk any illegal activity; a trained and aware crime watcher is in the area.

Each participant in the program attends a 30-minute seminar at the local Chamber of Commerce with a Community Relations Officer from the Police Department. They will receive a certificate and then be issued two magnetic signs or a set of static cling stickers for their car(s). We will ask participation from Chamber Members to start and as things prove to be effective we will increase participation and education of the process. We will alert the media to this program and give credit to the participants for helping our city or town. The participants will need some sort of two-way communication, such as a cellular phone, two-way radio with a dispatcher or wireless Internet access.

To download or view online our Free E-Book “How to Set Up a Successful Neighborhood Mobile Watch Program go to this web address below:

http://www.lancewinslow.org/nmwp.shtml

“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is an online writer in retirement.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lance_Winslow

Robert Frost claimed that, “good fences make good neighbors”- but if you have intentions to create a happy and safe neighborhood, then forget the fences, walls and barriers and instead, think about what you can do to contribute and lead by example. After all, being part of a community is directly related to a sense of well-being – so, why not start close to home, in your very own neighborhood.

There are some simple steps you can follow, that may seem self-evident. But every little bit will count as you forge toward creating a great sense of community in your neighborhood. Begin by the simplest of greetings and when you have the chance to say, “Hi” to a neighbor passing by, then by all means do so. You need to encourage the openness to get to know the people in your neighborhood. Once you start the trend, hopefully others will follow and more spontaneous meetings will occur.

Organize a block, or street party. Creating social opportunities that are just for your neighborhood, offer a fabulous way to get people together and chatting. The wonderful thing about these gathering is that you can learn more about the people who surround you, and begin to tune into what sorts of issues and concerns, hopes and dreams others might have for the area. These sorts of events may seem scary to dive into. But someone needs to be the first to extend an open invitation, so why not make it yourself? Likewise, if you’re relatively new to the area, these sorts of gatherings can be a great way to learn the inside scoop on the community. You might also become acquainted with other neighborhood newbies – this can be a great way to start a lasting friendship.

If you have a concern about a particular issue that’s affecting your neighborhood, chances are others are also concerned. Organize an informal gathering to discuss issues that concern you – anything from crime, new development to city maintenance, or whatever you feel will improve your area. Having a collective vision as a neighborhood will only strengthen the neighborhood’s sense of community and work to make for a better quality of living.

If you can, offering your services to someone in need will promote some of the best in old fashioned community ethics. Maybe you notice a family gearing up to head out for a holiday – can you offer to do some watering for them, or to just keep an eye on the house? In many cases folks have already arranged for such things, but by being the neighbor who offers a helping hand you’re truly promoting “neighborly” behavior.

Promoting the creation of a neighborhood watch programs is yet another healthy way to create a safer neighborhood, but also to get people together on a regular basis. The most important aspect in creating a better neighborhood, is to promote such social interaction.

Another idea is to create a neighborhood fundraiser for a charity or for other neighborhoods in need. This is a wonderful way to get people thinking about all the positive aspects of their neighborhood, that might otherwise be taken for granted – to reflect on what you have and not to complain about what you haven’t. When people can get together with a focus on other people, the best of the human spirit shines through.

On this note, an idea might be to create a fruit tree gleaning group in which homeowners volunteer excess fruit on their trees and neighborhood volunteers get together to pick the fruit. The fruit can then be donated to local food charities. Such an event brings neighbors together in the spirit of giving, and makes everyone feel like their neighborhood has contributed to the well-being of the entire community. And, so they have!

About the Author

Christian Jacobsen

When moving your family into in a new house, there are a lot of concerns you have to think about. If you have little children, the yard is very important. Having a safe yard is really important when you are a parent. One way to create a safe yard is to use Plano fencing company to put a boundary around the outside. A Plano fence company will help give you some security and ensure that your backyard is safe. When looking for someone to install a fence, Plano has a lot of options. However, fencing is not the only aspect of finding the perfect house with a safe yard for the young ones in your family.

When looking into finding a safe place to move with your family, you will want to do some research about the areas you are considering moving into. Of course crime rate is going to be something that you want to look into. Make sure that you are getting your facts about crime rates from a reliable source so you are not being mislead. The crime rate is not the only factor that contributes to the safety in the area, but it should give you a good idea.

Once you have decided on an area to look in, you will want to decide on the type of area you will want to move into. An apartment complex is a nice option if you have a smaller family, but you do not always get the same community in an apartment building, and with so many people coming in and out of the building it may not be as safe. Living in a neighborhood might create an added sense of security. Typically there are less people coming in and out of a neighborhood, which in comparison to an apartment building is less risk of someone strange coming in. Especially if you choose to move into a neighborhood with a gate or some sort of security system in place.

If you decide to move into a neighborhood, there are a few steps you should take to make sure that you create a safe home for your loved ones. Getting to know your neighbors is one way to make sure your family is safe. Once you have created a bond with your neighbors, it makes a sort of agreement that you will look after each others children. It makes it easy because you can always call over to a neighbors house to ask them to send your kids home or to watch them if you need to run an errand.

You also should look into if there is some sort of neighborhood watch in your subdivision. By joining a neighborhood watch, you are actively taking a part in make your neighborhood more secure. You might also want to see if your neighborhood is patrolled by the local law enforcement. This is definitely an added sense of security and it really does help to keep your neighborhood safe from vandals or other criminals.

About the Author