Five good reasons to join the local neighborhood watch

Neighborhood watch programs have fallen out of popularity in recent years, with many deciding to only take care of their place and family.  Unfortunately, this has left many people vulnerable to possibly having their properties invaded or their neighborhood becoming unsafe.

These are the top five reasons to join a local neighborhood watch and why it’s a great combination to have with any security alarm system.

Help protect your own home

The first and most important thing a good neighborhood watch can do is ensure that your property is safe.  They’ll be able to notice if a random vehicle ends up in front of your home in the middle of the night or if you’re on vacation, but suddenly someone’s in your home.

Although they aren’t going to stop the intruders personally, they will call the authorities who can.  This minor step alone can help you recover whatever could be damaged or stolen during a break-in.  

Show neighbours you care about them

Being part of the local neighbourhood watch shows that you care about your neighbors.  It brings a selflessness to the table that encourages others to know that you want to help for the good of everyone, not just your property.  Although you should still have a security system at home, doing this ensures that those who can’t afford one have a little more peace of mind.

Gain understanding of the neighbourhood

There’s nothing better than being connected to the people who live near you.  A neighborhood watch gives you the chance to get to know your neighbors and become friends or close acquaintances.  This is powerful because a good connection can lead to lifelong friendships since you live near each other. 

Communication within the neighborhood can also cut back on misunderstandings and arguments between neighbors since they’ll be more likely to see both sides of the story and won’t be as quick to jump to assumptions over minor issues. 

Although it can’t stop all neighborhood disagreements, it can give you the channel to discuss and solve the problem.  This is powerful for homeowners who are nervous about confrontation or discussing whatever they’re unhappy about their neighbors doing.

Bring to light other problems in the neighbourhood

If a neighborhood is constantly communicating because of the watch: it can discuss problems beyond just who’s out late at night or strange cars parked where they shouldn’t be.

For example, these meetings can talk about neighbours whose families need help or clean-up options to get rid of litter and mess from the streets.  Although it can’t fix everything, having these meetings opens the floor up to the discussion.

Hopefully, avoid an HOA

Although some neighbourhoods have both, if your area has a neighbourhood watch, it may be able to stand in the place of a homeowners’ association.  This replacement can save you hundreds to thousands every year while still keeping your property values up. 

Of course, it can take a little more work on your side, but it’s worth it to save this amount of money.