country programs
Review YCWA site standards
Youth Crime Watch sites are required to meet a simple set of standards.
Locate your nearest YCWA expansion center
Youth Crime Watch operates through a national office in Miami, Florida, and has a satellite office in Washington, DC, and regional/state expansion centers across the USA. In addition, sister programs operate in a number of other countries worldwide. Your local contact can help you arrange training and get your program running.
Get the approval of the top officials
Meet with officials in your school or community to obtain their approval to implement a YCW program. At this point, you may introduce the YCW Site Agreement Form as a way of securing a written statement of your administration's buy-in.
Useful materials:
» YCWA Fact Sheet (PDF 98 kB)
Find your "sparkplug" (select an advisor)
Like an engine, a YCW program needs a "sparkplug" to get things started. This is your YCW advisor. Select an adult who stands out, works well with students and is willing to go a little further to help prevent crime, someone such as a teacher, guidance counselor, administrator, SRO, a parent, or an involved member of the local community. Keep in mind that this person must have a special rapport with the students and must have their trust. He or she must also have the time and heart to make your program work.
Form a diverse Core Group
The Core Group are the student leaders who organize the program. There are several ways you can choose or form a Core Group. You may ask teachers to recommend students, you can make requests on the school PA system for interested members, you can send out notices and distribute applications.
Useful materials:
Register with Youth Crime Watch of America
Download and complete your site agreement form and census survey and submit them to YCWA. Even if you don't have statistical information for the site survey yet -- your program is just beginning -- it is important to get into our system so that you will receive updates and support from our national office and regional centers.
Get training and materials
Youth Crime Watch offers implementation training to help you learn what makes a YCW site run effectively. We also offer a number of publications which can give you vital help in starting up the components of your program. Consider borrowing or purchasing a copy of our startup kit.
» Training
Hold your first YCW meeting
At your first meeting, the advisor, Core Group, and that first trickle of interested students will come together to determine the major issues and concerns facing the school. Now is the time to elect officers and assign each officer their roles. Talk about which of the nine YCW components you want to launch this year.
Publicize the program to the whole school or community
Make sure everyone in your school or community group knows that your YCW program is starting. One of the best ways to get the word out is to hold a rally or an assembly (or piggyback on one that's already scheduled). Give everyone an opportunity to join early. Have clipboards or some other way for students to sign up. Send notes or flyers to teachers and ask for their participation. Work with other prevention programs in your school -- SADD, SWAT, etc. -- to meet common goals.
