How an HOA Neighborhood Watch Benefits Your HOA Community
Potential homeowners must consider the level of safety before purchasing a new home. In a homeowners association, one way to make residents feel safe is to start an HOA neighborhood watch.
The Benefits of an HOA Neighborhood Watch Program
A neighborhood watch is a program where ordinary civilians group to prevent crime in the community. These civilians patrol the neighborhood and report crime when they see it.
Neighborhood watch members are not law enforcement officers. On the contrary, when faced with actual crime, watch members should call the police for assistance instead of taking matters into their own hands.
An HOA neighborhood watch offers many benefits. Neighborhood watch programs make residents feel safer, especially at night when watch members do most of their patrolling. If you have ever worried that an intruder might enter your home at any time, knowing a few extra pairs of eyes and ears are watching over the neighborhood can help you feel less anxious.
Apart from feeling safe, though, the presence of an HOA neighborhood watch can contribute to the community's safety. While studies have made different conclusions, most experts agree that a neighborhood watch can help deter crime. One study has even found that such programs can reduce crime by as much as 16 percent.
If nothing else, neighborhood watch programs help bring the community together. Because these programs encourage the participation of residents, they facilitate camaraderie and promote teamwork.
Setting Up a Neighborhood Watch Program
Setting up a neighborhood watch does take time and effort. But, if you commit yourself to the process and put in the work, you will find the results worth it. Follow the steps below to learn how to start a neighborhood watch program:
1. Assembly and Approval
As with many programs, the process naturally begins with organizing. However, you must ask for the HOA board's approval on the matter before proceeding. After that, contact fellow residents and let them know your intention to start an HOA neighborhood watch.
Send out invitations to join the neighborhood watch to all residents. The best way to ensure these invites reach them is to have your initial members hand-deliver them door-to-door.
Construct your neighborhood watch website, too. Watch members and homeowners can receive updates on the community's safety status. You can also post meeting notices here.
2. Assigning Roles
Your HOA neighborhood watch should have community watch leaders in place to conduct patrols within a specified time and in rotation. These leaders ensure that watch members follow and fulfill their neighborhood watch rules and duties.
The role of a watch leader is significant, so you must ensure the person you assign to this position is trustworthy. Consider running a background check on these leaders. This way, you can verify whether they have a clean record and a history of good character.
Apart from watch or block leaders, other roles to assign include
Law enforcement liaison (discussed below)
Neighborhood watch coordinator
Watch members
3. Partner with Law Enforcement
Every HOA neighborhood watch program requires a law enforcement liaison. This liaison can help the community set goals for the community and create and execute action plans. Invite the law enforcement liaison to speak at meetings to give members pointers on dealing with different scenarios.
Contact your local police department or sheriff's office to obtain a liaison. Tell them what you are trying to do and ask them to schedule a meeting. You should also ask them to attend your watch meetings if they can.
4. Draw a Neighborhood Map
A neighborhood map will help watch members navigate the community. You can also use this map to assign specific blocks to watch groups.
You can request a copy of a plat through the HOA board. This plat should also consist of other details, such as street numbers, names, and contact information.
5. Hold a Take-Off Meeting
The first watch meeting is when you should develop an action plan. To do this, talk about the different safety issues in your community. You can use references such as police reports and newspaper clippings. You can create an action plan to address the top safety concerns from these facts, which is also when you should develop your watch rules.
Make sure to dedicate a portion of the meeting to the law enforcement liaison and when the liaison can orient you on various matters, such as preparing yourself for patrols, identifying suspicious activity, and determining when to call the police. Encourage watch members to ask as many relevant questions as they like.
6. Choose Communication Tools
Watch members should be able to stay in contact with one another while on duty (and even off-duty). You can use walkie-talkies or two-way radios while on the job. Alternatively, you can also use smartphones.
Setting up a website or social media page for your neighborhood watch is also a good idea. Through these mediums, you can discuss issues and give out updates.
Additionally, you should hold regular meetings to keep everyone up-to-date and retain interest. It is best to schedule these meetings ahead of time or following a fixed date (i.e., every other Saturday). In doing so, you can ensure more attendees.
Watch meetings should follow a specific agenda, recorded in minutes. You can later distribute or post these minutes on social media or your website.
7. Start Patrolling
Now, the real job begins. After following steps one through six, you can start patrolling the community.
Some neighborhood watch programs only thrive during the first few months and eventually fizzle out. To maintain community interest, consider organizing events such as outings and barbecues. This way, you can keep up the momentum and retain interest.
The HOA's Role in Neighborhood Watch Program
Although HOA neighborhood watch programs generally require approval from the board, it is essential to recognize that the HOA is a separate entity. It is within the association's best interest to refrain from utilizing its resources for or combining itself with the neighborhood watch.
Though, there are some benefits—mainly for the neighborhood watch—of combining the two. Financing is an obvious one. If the neighborhood watch were to be an official group under the HOA, it could gain access to the community budget.
Another benefit is fast recruitment. Thanks to the HOA's wide range of communication tools and broad reach, recruitment will become a breeze.
The HOA and the neighborhood watch have different goals. Even though safety is essential, the HOA's primary purpose is to preserve property values within the community. On the other hand, the HOA also faces potential liability if it chooses to unite with the neighborhood watch.
HOA Liability and Neighborhood Watch Programs
The HOA should clearly define a line between itself and the neighborhood watch to protect itself from liability. The program should not become a committee of the HOA board. It should remain independent, with the HOA removing itself from any selection or appointment process. The HOA must also not control the watch using any means.
No official relationship between the two entities should exist, even if the HOA permits the program's establishment. The HOA must make this clear through all printed or published materials it distributes to the community. The neighborhood watch should also follow suit.
Furthermore, neighborhood watch members must not wear uniforms or carry badges, as these items give the impression of HOA authorization. The neighborhood watch should always seek guidance and help from local law enforcement.
Other Ways to Promote Safety in Your HOA Community
While not necessarily the primary purpose of a homeowners association, safety and security are integral to resident satisfaction. The risk of intruders exists, but you might also encounter an instance where a stranger becomes injured due to mistaken identity. Apart from forming an HOA neighborhood watch, here are other ways the HOA can promote safety within the community:
Provide homeowners with a "safety guide" containing emergency contacts, hotlines, and maps to the closest medical or emergency services.
Provide homeowners with regular safety and security tips through seminars, newsletters, and the like.
Develop a seasonal safety plan and an emergency response plan consisting of all security procedures to be followed and evacuation routes.
Post safety guidelines at community amenities and common areas.
Install security cameras within the community.
Partner with local law enforcement.
Contact Us
Creating an HOA neighborhood watch poses many advantages. These programs help deter crime, allow residents to feel safer, and promote a sense of community. If you want to start one, follow all the proper procedures and liaise with local law enforcement. Establishing a neighborhood watch program on the right foot will help bring about future success. Contact Condominium Associates today for more information!
