NVAR Member Leah Webster Ensures No Crime On Her Time In Her Own Backyard!

“We wanted to put the community on notice, we are vigilant, we are paying attention and we are a unit,” said Realtor® Leah Webster of RE/MAX Allegiance in Alexandria. She volunteers as the Neighborhood Watch Coordinator for her Dumfries community and she encourages other Realtors® to do the same. 

Following a string of incidents involving vandalized cars on her street, Webster was fed up. “Instead of being passive, I decided to be proactive,” she explained. After contacting the Prince William County Police Department, Leah learned she and her neighbors could add a layer of security to their homes by completing the county-sanctioned Neighborhood Watch program. In doing so, her neighborhood and each participating homeowner can post a Neighborhood Watch sign. This sign serves as a warning to possible law breakers that suspicious activity will be reported to police. 

“It’s really simple, you just need to designate a watch coordinator, preferably someone who has time to go to the county meetings,” Webster explained. “Once the coordinator goes to the watch meeting, the PWCPD designates that person [as the program’s point of contact] and an officer will send out incident reports. I get an incident report almost every day about what’s going on in the county,” Webster said.
The results have been more than just safer streets. Webster says the program has brought her neighbors closer together. “The neighbors get to know each other more,” she said. “It just helps the community to feel closer. “
As for encouraging fellow Realtors®, Webster says “It’s easy for Realtors® to get involved and the county is always encouraging people to volunteer their time.“ 

Steve Russell is the NVAR editorial and social media specialist