Thus far you have worked hard to form your neighborhood block watch group and crime has even started to decrease.  Well, the job is not over yet.  In fact, it’s just beginning!  In order for a block watch group to continue growing, its members have to maintain crime awareness and promote good citizenship.

          First and foremost, don’t let your hard work go to waste.  It’s important to maintain the watch over crime and the preventative measures that you have taken, but to keep the group thriving you have to put new stuff out there.  This means you’ll have to look for other activities to enhance community safety and well-being.  One idea is to organize citizen patrols to walk around streets or apartment complexes and alert police to crime and suspicious activities.  (That is, if you haven’t already done this.) You can also organize meetings that focus on current issues such as isolation of the elderly, drug abuse, crime in schools, after school programs, child safety, and victim services.   It’s important that you not only find new activities to do, but make others aware of them too.  That’s where a newsletter comes in.  Publish a newsletter that gives local crime news, recognizes block captains and other persons who have helped the police, and highlight community activities. 

          It’s also a good idea to make a resource list for your block watch group documenting phone numbers to call for emergencies, child abuse, victim services, lighting, street repairs, and youth activities.  You can also work with local building code officials to get unsafe buildings boarded up or repaired.  Finally, organize a community clean-up day and of course don't forget events like a Fourth of July picnic or a pot luck dinner that gives neighbors a chance to get together.