Step 2 - Gain Support

You now need to communicate your intention to start a NHWQ group to the people in your street and neighbourhood. This is easiest done by forming a NHWQ planning team (five people who will take the lead and who share a common goal).

The planning team should invite all the residents within the street and/or side streets to meet together in a social setting such as a local park (weekend BBQ) or library and/or in a residents home (mid week supper).

Most people will not get involved in community groups unless they can determine (early on) a positive outcome for themselves and/or their family. Therefore the invitation needs to be personal and clearly articulate the specific community safety issues you have identified and the anticipated outcomes.

This step provides an opportunity to gauge local support and invite your local police to come along and explain in detail how the QPS can support a NHWQ group in your community.

This support may include, but is not limited to:

• what assistance local police will provide prior to and after your NHWQ group is launched
• key points of contact and a communication plan for how issues are resolved

It should be remembered that not everyone in a street needs to formally join NHWQ or even get actively involved in planned NHWQ activities for it to work. NHWQ will work as long as there are enough residents who are committed to making their community safer.

Practically this is achieved by residents:

• talking to their neighbours (next door and down the street)
• spending time outdoors and becoming familiar with their local environment
• reporting suspicious activity to police in a timely manner
• applying crime prevention strategies around the home or business
• educating others about what they can do to prevent crime