Getting your block organized is an important step in promoting public safety. Knowing your neighbors will enable you to be in touch quickly when you need to, and will build trust so that you can count on each other when there are incidents. Basic tips:
- Make sure there is an up-to-date phone and email chain for everyone on your block, and that everyone has a copy.
- Host a block party at least once a year.
- Host a block clean-up twice a year (see below for resources available through Philadelphia More Beautiful.)
Resources for Block Captains
The Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee (PMBC), part of the Streets Department's Sanitation Division, is an urban environmental partnership between city government and approximately 6,300 Block Captains and their organized blocks. PMBC has become the most workable approach to combating neighborhood grime with organized block cleanings and beautification efforts, and has grown to be one of the largest volunteer organizations of its kind in the country.
Blocks which organize through Philadelphia More Beautiful are more apt to be organized for other aspects of community life, such as being attentive to unusual occurrences or strangers on the block. Thus, this kind of block organizing can be a crime prevention tool.
For more information about Philadelphia More Beautiful, including how you can sign up, visit the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee page.