You come home after a long day at work, a fun night out or an exciting vacation, and immediately know something isn’t right. When you get to your front door you see why; someone has broken into your house. Few things are as personally invasive and demoralizing as a home burglary.

It’s a sad fact, but crime is on the rise all over the United States. When times are tough economically, criminal activity generally increases. So how do you protect your home, property and family members? One of the best things you can do is work with your neighbors to prevent crime.

The Neighborhood Watch Program was established by the National Sheriffs’ Association in 1972 to help citizens protect themselves and each other from criminals. Since then the program has grown and become very well respected, but the success of any neighborhood watch depends entirely on the effort that people put into it. With a little time and patience, it’s easy to create a beneficial watch group.  Here’s how you can get started:

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