EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Integration of Johnson City Neighborhood Watch into Proposed
Community Action Non-profit Organization
INTRODUCTION
In 2007, Johnson City Neighborhood Watch will be integrated into a
new non-profit corporation currently under development. This member-based all-volunteer association will be organized for
civic and charitable purposes. The re-organization will extend the scope and capacity of the current watch patrol program
- beyond basic crime deterrence into a coalition-style community action organization that can tackle the root causes of crime
and influence positive changes, improving the quality of life in the Village of Johnson City...
"Successful Neighborhood Watches move beyond the basics of home security,
watching out for suspicious activities, and reporting them to law enforcement. They sponsor community cleanups, find solutions
to local traffic problems, collect clothing and toys for homeless families, organize after-school activities for young people,
help victims of crime, tutor teens at risk of dropping out of school, reclaim playgrounds from drug dealers, and form task
forces that influence policymakers. They can even start a safe house program for children or Block parent program, which are
reliable sources of help for children in emergency or other frightening situations." – Ford Foundation 2-year study of Neighborhood Watches
Clearly, if our Neighborhood Watch is to fulfill its potential, it must be
more than a loosely-organized concept program. The Watch must be a dynamic, high-profile and multifaceted community-based
organization that has the legal-entity status needed to make a difference in our community.
THE NEED FOR NOT-FOR-PROFIT EXEMPT-STATUS REORGANIZATION
By design of the original founders, the National Sheriff’s Association,
the Neighborhood Watch Program, in its purest form, is an autonomous grassroots citizen-owned and operated association of
neighbors. The Johnson City Police Department has had, by default, quasi-ownership of the program since its inception, with
Community Policing generously doing all that it can to develop and sustain the Watch - and we are grateful. Now, with the
complete support of the JCPD, the Watch will be under the governance of a not-for-profit association’s organizational
structure that can handle a large member-based volunteer group spread out over a municipality. The organization will work
collaboratively with Community Policing Division, which will provide guidance, input and support, having a seat on the Community
Board of Directors.
Ideally, the organization will encourage community building, volunteerism
and involvement:
1. Bringing together neighbors that are currently disassociated and disenfranchised
2. Empowering and educating the community
3. Overcoming barriers to community involvement
4. Cultivating the community members’ skills and talents
5. Enabling the community to voice concerns and develop solutions
6. Including the community in the decision-making process
7. Mobilizing the community around issues that impact it directly
"Community partnerships and participation prevent crime. Collaborative, comprehensive
efforts– targeting causes as well as symptoms, addressing problems as well as solutions– are achieving concrete
accomplishments in civic safety and economic development, and improving residents’ quality of life" – Attorney General Eliot Spitzer
THE BENEFITS OF NOT-FOR-PROFIT EXEMPT-STATUS REORGANIZATION
1. Ability to solicit monetary, material and service donations
2. Ability to establish a bank account, acquire grants and funding
3. Ability to implement projects, programs and events on large scales
4. Community action organization with stakeholder representation and a voting
membership
5. The mission and vision of the organization is that of the stakeholders
6. The village community represented by a diverse board of directors. Ideal
inclusions:
• The Executive
Board (President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer)
• Not-for-profit
organization representatives
• Faith-based
organization representatives
• Business owner
representatives
• One village
government representative
• One community
policing representative
• One criminal
justice system representative
• At-large village
residents (number and composition to be determined) representative of the diverse stakeholders of our community. Ideal
citizen inclusions:
• Child / teen
• Senior citizen
• Handicapped
• Ethnic / minority
• Low income
• Landlord /
tenant / homeowner
• Representation
from all village areas
OVERVIEW:
This community-driven organization will work to provide the means of uniting
the village in a common cause - comprehensive crime prevention. It will democratically have the vision, ownership and operation
of the stakeholders under one flag, bringing together a diversity of community members - residents, business professionals,
government agencies and organizations - to define problems, identify solutions, carry out plans and evaluate results in the
fight against crime. Ideal outcomes:
• Increased
opportunities to develop crime prevention partnerships with residents
• Enhanced crime
prevention and problem solving skills
• Sustainable
links with local agencies
• Identification
of potential crime problems before they become serious
• Clarification
and action on neighborhood priorities related to crime and quality of life
• Communicating
that crime prevention is everyone’s responsibility
"Community organization is that process by which the people...organize themselves
to take charge of their situation and thus develop a sense of being a community together. It is a particularly effective tool
for the poor and powerless as they determine for themselves the actions they will take to deal with the essential forces that
are destroying their community and consequently causing them to be powerless."
- Reverend Robert Linthicum, World Vision International
PROPOSED ACTION:
1. Establish a diverse board of directors representing the stakeholders of
our community
2. File the association’s certificate of incorporation through the
New York Department of State.
3. Develop a mission and vision for the organization
4. Establish bylaws, board and procedural policies
5. Open a bank account and establish financial procedures
6. Continue with initial filings
• Apply for
Federal ID number through the Internal Revenue Service
• Register with
New York State Charity Bureau
• Apply
for New York State Tax Exemption through New York State Tax Department
• Apply for
501(c)(3) Tax Exemption Status through the Internal Revenue Service
7. Develop Comprehensive community Plan:
• Perform ongoing
community needs assessments
• Develop committees
and recruit volunteers
• Set goals
and strategies
• Develop fundraising
strategies
• Implement
community programs, projects and events
• Continually
recruit and involve new individuals and groups
• Continually
evaluate results and adjust strategies
