It has been said that neighborhood watches developed as a community response to the shocking rape and murder in March 1964 of Kitty Genovese in Queens, New York., in which it was alleged that a multitude of witnesses did nothing to save Genovese as she was being brutally stabbed to death. By the 1970s neighborhood watches had become widespread as crime rates shot up and people felt more estranged from their neighbors and a sense of community. This has since evolved into what is now known as neighborhood / community security.
A neighborhood should be a place of safety as it should engender a feeling of community spirit within those who live in the neighborhood. That is why neighbors should look out for each other and their properties, so as to make neighbors feel more protected by one another. That is the basis upon which neighborhood security that is community-inspired should be devised and run. They have been controversial at times for operating like quasi-vigilante groups, but a neighborhood or community security presence can be very proactive and helpful in a given area. Studies have also shown that neighborhoods with strong community security systems in place can help in valuing homes and the appeal of said neighborhoods for prospective buyers and families.
OSP realizes that neighborhood / community security groups may need external assistance so that their systems of security can be more effective. Services in this regard that OSP can offer include:
- a fully integrated security risk assessment for the designated neighborhood or community
- considerations regarding the size and location of the neighborhood or community, as well as the homeowner mix and demographics thereof
- assessment of adjacent and nearby road traffic and foot traffic relevant to the neighborhood’s security profile
- a security gaps and needs analysis for the entire neighborhood / community
- surveillance / CCTV / motion sensor / booms and other allied security capabilities and needs, if so viable and needed
- private security provider viability assessment
- assistance with private security personnel profiling / hiring / vetting
- illumination surveys for sidewalks, paths, parks and other green areas, communal areas, etc. in the neighborhood
- liaison and response profile with local law enforcement
- drawing up of mutually agreed security policies, rules and allied inputs
A neighborhood or community has the right to feel safe and secure. Citizens should be encouraged to participate in a collective security scheme that is beneficial to all and raises security in a given area.
OSP’s commitment is to provide our esteemed clients who wish to be part of a neighborhood/community security scheme with security solutions that are relevant to the given area. We at OSP admire neighborhood / community security schemes that abide by the law and improve community security.
This security would be our objective and what drives us to offer this specific service. It is what we are about and what we do – with pride and conviction.