Improve Your Community with a Vigilance Committee

A community vigilance committee is a privately formed group of citizens who are concerned with the state of affairs in the local area. The goal of these committees is to improve the community in which they live and to make it a safer, more enjoyable place for everyone.

Why are these committees formed?

Problems within communities often arise due to a lack of assistance provided by the government, often fueled by funding issues or inability of the local government to find the resources to deal with these problems. Rather than sitting back and watching the community fall victim to this, vigilance committees are formed by its residents in an attempt to solve these problems themselves.

Types of vigilance committees

A neighborhood watch program is an example of one type of community vigilance committee. Members agree to look out for each other’s homes, notify each other in the event of an extended absence, and watch for any suspicious activity in the area.

Committees that are formed in an attempt to find and capture a criminal in the area are another example of a vigilance committee. This should never be done with violence in mind, or the idea that the criminal will be physically captured by the committee itself, but rather in an attempt to keep a watch around the clock and report suspicious behavior to the local authorities.

Volunteer groups that come together with ideas and projects to keep children involved in activities after school and on weekends are another example of a vigilance committee within the community. The goal here is to prevent children from falling victim to drug use or crime by keeping them involved in positive activities with good role models.

Community vigilance committees, when organized correctly, can be an excellent way to reduce crime, prevent youth from becoming future criminal offenders, and improve the quality of life within a community.