Table of contents
No headersWhat is the best method for communicating neighborhood watch alerts? Can a neighborhood depend upon only one method? Probably not. For an alert to be effective it has to reach the correct and potentially large group of people in a timely fashion. The Nhood Info page includes a space to list the options different Asheville Nhoods have chosen. The following is a list possible options and their pros / cons.
General Pro/Cons and Thoughts - the following issues span across different alert methods:
| Pro | Con |
| Per one Nhood watch leader, for any nhood security alert system to work - it needs consistent volunteers (e.g. block captains)
- it needs to address the lowest common denominator, meaning it has to even include phone trees for those do not have email, computers, or cell phones.
- alerts must be posted consistently in one base location (this base location may feed or be fed by other locations)
There must be one guaranteed location where people can find everything. How it is broadcast from there (to other locations, to subscribers, to other technologies) can be supported in various ways. An RSS feed is one example. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RSS |
| Using more than one tool for communicating (e.g. social stuff on listserv, N'hood watch on Facebook, etc.) can allow people to only subscribe to what they are interested in and may increase capabilities for specific types of communication. | Multiple channels (e.g. listserv and Facebook) of communication for a nhood can splinter communications and reduce group size for each communication method. Can be confusing about what should be communicated on which channel and if you don't sign up to all channels you might miss something. More complicated to stay connected. |
| May be good publicity for nhood for showing community spirit and involvement. | May be bad publicity for nhood showing crime activity. |
| How fast does an alert have to be issued? Maybe there could be overlapping levels of communication? For example, the highest alerts go out on the fastest method (twitter? robo phone) and are copied on the slower communication methods (listserv). The less urgent alerts might only go out on less intrusive methods (e.g. not robo phone) |
Phone or Door to Door Alerts - in any neighborhood there are going to be people who do not have computers or access to the internet. Adequate organization and volunteers to identify and alert all neighbors is an indication of a strong neighborhood watch program.
Email Listserv - an email group where sending to one email address sends to all members of group
| Pro | Con |
| Many neighborhoods already have listservs set up for general communication. | Some people might not like increased email traffic. |
| Some people may have email access via cellphones etc. | Some people may not have email or may need to turn computer on to receive. |
| Variety of security levels and can control membership | Difficult to connect to other listservs or |
| | |
Home Elephant is a website that helps you connect with neighbors and organize your neighborhood. (YouTube video here<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEjbYKlTI2M>). Signing up for the service, which is free, requires giving your email address, your name and your address in order for them to link you to your neighborhood. You can do so by clicking here <http://www.homeelephant.com/>..
| Pro | Con |
| Not familiar with | Not familiar with |
| | |
| | |
| | |
Facebook - Social network site
| Pro | Con |
| Very popular. | Some people have a general aversion due to security, time, etc. |
| Security for Facebook groups come in three flavors of privacy: Open, Closed and Secret (details here). | Some people have a general aversion due to security. |
| Can fine tune personal account and privacy settings to increase privacy. | Takes about 30 minutes(?) |
| Can notify you in real-time, e.g. by text message, in the event of an emergency situation. | Everyone does not have text messaging capability (but could still get via other means?) |
200.000+ US neighborhood watch pages have made it
their home (http://goo.gl/NlnAr) | |
Other Social Networks [Ning (makes you pay after awhile), list some more and break out if desired...)
Twitter (someone help, I am feeling old)
Robo-Phone Alerts - while phone trees where one piece calls the next are surely outdated for most groups, an automated phone alert system might be an option. Government entities (Asheville, Buncombe, Metropolitan Sewer District) currently (2011) use an automated system alert users to power outages, water interruptions, and natural disasters.
| Pro | Con |
| Almost all households have access to a phone on a timely basis | Would be too intrusive and annoying to get alerts. |
| | Would need a moderator to decide which alerts are of sufficient importance. |
| Might be able to partner with government entity. | Currently probably very expensive for private use. |
| | |
To Be Incorporated into Above
alerts sent to your cell phone via text message or social network apps get through immediately. When our schools go into lockdown they mass-call every parent on the phone list. When the National Weather Service issues a tornado alert they interrupt your favorite TV program with screeching noises. Amber alerts get the same treatment, while also showing up on electronic roadsigns. None of these rely on email because it simply is not an effective or efficient way to send out alerts.
I see some benefits to bringing this information onto Facebook, including:
1) When a person posts a piece of information onto the Facebook group,
members of the Group, as well as that individuals Facebook friends will see
the post, increasing awareness.
2) Short discussions can occur within the Facebook group, without emailing
everyone subscribed to the Listserv
3) Facebook posts are tied to a real persons identity, rather than an email
address, encouraging civil and focused discussions.
4) The West Asheville group has gained an incredible amount of support and
generated some lively discussions in a short period of time. Neighbors in
Montford may be interested in a similar concept.
At the bottom of the montford dot org What is Neighborhood
Watch?<http://montford.org/?page_id=29>page is a link to USA
On Watch <http://www.usaonwatch.org/>, which describes itself as "the
National face for Neighborhood Watch - Crime Watch - Business Watch and a
Program of NSA" (National Sheriff's Association).
At the bottom of that page you'll find a link to their
Facebook<http://www.facebook.com/pages/National-Neighborhood-Watch-USAonWatch/135946270165>page
and one to their
Twitter <http://twitter.com/#%21/USAonWatch> page.
They also have a
Newsletters<http://www.usaonwatch.org/resource/ezinesearch.aspx?>section,
where you'll find such articles as: Harnessing
the Power of Technology<http://www.usaonwatch.org/resource/ezine.aspx?EzineId=22>-
Creative cybermedia tools unite law enforcement and the community in
the
fight against crime - dated 2011-02-15.
At the bottom of that page you'll find more links:
“Beyond Twitter and Facebook: Leveraging Other Social Media Tools at Your
Department<http://thecrimemap.crimereports.com/2010/02/04/beyond-twitter-and-facebook-leveraging-other-social-media-tools-at-your-department/>,”
James Gunther, The CrimeMap, February 4, 2010
“How Police Can Use
Twitter<http://dailysplice.com/uncategorized/how-police-can-use-twitter/>,”
DailySplice
“Lawbreakers foiled by
Facebook<http://money.cnn.com/2010/04/08/technology/law_enforcement_social_media/index.htm>,”
CNNMoney.com, April 8, 2010
“Neighborhood Watch Goes High
Tech<http://abcnews.go.com/us/video/shooting-florida-12398615&tab=9482931§ion=4765066>,”
abcNEWS, May 2, 2009
“Social Networking for Law
Enforcement<http://www.justnet.org/TechBeat%20Files/Social%20Networking.pdf>,”
TechBeat, National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center, Winter
2010
“Virtual Neighborhood Watch: How Social Media is Making Cities
Safer<http://mashable.com/2009/10/01/social-media-public-safety/>,”
Mashable, October 1, 2009
.
