It depends on the hood:
[N]eighborhood watch programs might be good at reducing crime—but only in neighborhoods where there isn’t much crime to begin with. Minor crime reduction in low-crime areas is worth celebrating (really, it is—no one should have to live in fear that their house or car will be broken into, or that they will be mugged during a late-night stroll), but for the neighborhoods where we need additional security and measures of protection the most your local neighborhood watch isn’t going to be able to do much good.
Update from a reader:
The article you linked to was poorly-reasoned. The latter does not follow from the former:
“The primary problem … is that the areas with highest crime rates are the most reluctant to organize…. Many people refuse to host or attend community meetings, in part because they distrust their neighbors,” – National Institute of Justice study.
“So neighborhood watch programs might be good at reducing crime—but only in neighborhoods where there isn’t much crime to begin with… For the neighborhoods where we need additional security and measures of protection the most your local neighborhood watch isn’t going to be able to do much good,” – Daniel Luzer.
The quote says no such thing; the fact that there are less neighborhood watches in areas with high crime rates is discussed, but their effectiveness where they exist is not.
Seems like a minor point, but it matters to me. I live in a high-crime city with horribly low police levels and high levels of citizen distrust of the police that deign to work here. Just Monday my friend called 911 when someone tried to get into her house (behind a closed gate) – after nine rings, she gave up. However, our neighborhood responded immediately. Our ‘hood email is very active, very talkative, and very social. In fact, it’s why I’ve stayed for 12 years. We know 50 of our neighbors very well, 50 more to talk to in the street. We socialize regularly. We garden together, make wine, trade backyard livestock and know-how, and of course, party. We’re not a formal “neighborhood watch,” but we definitely send a “we’re not easy marks” message to criminals – having interrupted a number of crimes in progress.
We’re a mix of medium, low and very low income, and a mix of education levels from no high school graduation to doctorate. We’re a mix of ethnicities and sexualities. When there’s someone we don’t know walking around, an email goes out to the neighborhood list and other eyes give the person a second glance. Is it a scary sort of tribal, us/not-us vibe? It can be, and we actively guard against it. Is there racial hostility? We are very aware of that; an African-American man who has lived in the neighborhood for 30 years was “flagged” on email by a newbie who didn’t recognize him. It’s a great, ah, growing opportunity for us to recognize our own racism, and pull that infection out.
Our frequent face-to-face interaction is the key. It allows us to be idiots and change our ways; it allows us to have fun together; it allows us to be generous and to accept generosity. It’s a pretty great place to live. Our next party is a Blazing Saddles-themed potluck and movie night, a week from Saturday; the Tuesday after that, we’re having a BBQ for National Night Out.
I strongly encourage everyone to meet their neighbors. It takes a critical mass of involvement and good will to have what we have, so it won’t necessarily be easy or immediate – but you never know until you try. The biggest benefit is the love and sense of community we get here, and it is truly awesome.
The Dish 