According to the FBI, over 2 million incidents of burglary were committed in 2009. Neighborhood Watch programs have been around for a while, and to this day some neighborhoods are still participating in the programs. But not as many as there once was.

I don’t have hard numbers to go by, but it seems that neighborhood Watch programs may be declining. I base that on hundreds of neighborhoods that I prospect in on a weekly basis all over Texas. For the record I am an Alarm technician and sales consultant. I work for an ADT Security Authorized Dealer licensed in Texas. I’ve worked in cities and neighborhoods in the Waco-Temple-Killeen areas, South Texas, Rio Grande Valley, and some in East Texas. My door to door selling has decreased (thank goodness) due to the fact that I catch a lot of business over the web.

Back on topic here. I have noticed that the Neighborhood Watch Programs are not as present as they used to be. Many neighborhoods still post signs about the Watch program but the very few residents on the street that honor it tell me they have not had a meeting in years. I can understand that to some degree.

Let me explain to you what I think is going on.

With the economy continuing to spiral downward as more jobs lay off employees due to outsourcing overseas, it gets harder and harder to find good jobs. Even if a homeowner has a really good secure job, companies are downsizing and transferring employees all over the place. This makes for high Turnover in neighborhoods.

In the good ‘ol days of the 1950′s and 60′s (even 1970′s) when most working Americans bought a house, it was meant to be permanent. A place where you would raise a family and you would stick with the same job until you retire. Neighborhoods were very social, active, and programs like the Neighborhood program watch was very popular. In this day and time, home ownership is getting tougher and tougher. Home rentals are now sky rocketing. It seems as though the only time a person can be a homeowner is if they are paying for the house with a lot of cash down (Like 50% down), or they have had a steady history or income and employment.

In today’s world, it has been my observation that many neighborhoods just do not socialize anymore. I ran into a customer one time who said she had lived in her house for 30 years and never met her neighbors who lived about 200 feet away from her. I think neighborhood Watch Programs should be here, and I think that more neighbors should participate. Because the economy isn’t getting better. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and homeowners need to be very wary of that and look out for one another. Even neighborhoods that have a high concentration of renters should work together and look out for one another.

One of the main problems is someone taking charge. There needs to be a great organizer to start a successful and ongoing Neighborhood Watch program. The Volunteer Guide website has a great article on how you can start one up in your neighborhood.
And by all means if you are in Texas, I can help get you connected with
ADT home Security. View our price packages here and call me for our current promotion and special. I can give you pretty accurate quotes over the phone as well. Besides the website, you can call me directly at (800) 394-0238.

Thanks for reading and if you have any questions please post them here.
Jimmy