By Bob Owens
“A Neighborhood Protection Plan (NPP) is the preparation by your household, in cooperation with your neighbors doing likewise, for protection and survival within your neighborhood. Such a plan will drastically increase your chances of surviving a Crisis or Failure of Civility.” ~ A Failure of Civility, pg. 100
USA –-(Ammoland.com)- Starting your Neighborhood Protection Plan (NPP) has to be someone’s responsibility, and that person, if you’re reading this, is probably you.
You aren’t declaring yourself the leader or taking responsibility for running the group, but you will be getting the proverbial ball rolling, finding like-minded people in your neighborhood who want your neighborhood to be safe, protected, and secure.
To get started you have to ask yourself these questions first:
What is your neighborhood attitude? Is there a cooperative attitude among your neighbors to form an emergency defense of your neighborhood? You can’t just guess or assume that there isn’t, you have to ask and will most likely be surprised by the number of people who are receptive to at least the theory.
Are your neighbors trustworthy? Have many of your neighbors had serious problems with the law? Do you have convicted felons or gang members as neighbors? Sex offenders?
If you live in a neighborhood that isn’t cooperative or one that is filled with criminals you need to look for another neighborhood.
You won’t be able to have any sort of calm, rational discussion about starting a neighborhood protection plan when a crisis hits, whether that crisis is a hurricane or a riot. Preparation and planning must be done beforehand.
These are the steps you will follow to form your own neighborhood protection program:
- Get Started: One or two self-starters need to get the ball rolling.
- Get Help: Get four or five neighbors together, explain what you are doing, and get them to help you. This is important! You must have help and more help. This new group now comprises the ‘Moderators.’
- Moderators survey your neighbors: Divide up the neighborhood. Survey all the neighbors with the NPP Survey Questionnaire and Address Checklist.
- Moderators hold your first meeting: Have the first meeting to explain the purpose of the neighborhood protection plan. and select candidates for leaders.
- Moderators verify: Verify candidates for a leader’s experience.
- Hold your second meeting to elect leaders: Elect the Primary and Secondary NPP Leaders at your second meeting
- Leaders and group members approach: Leaders should approach your police department and attempt to work alongside your current neighborhood watch program if there is one. Proceed with or without police department cooperation or approval.
- Leaders classify: Classify the group members and select section and junior leaders.
- Leaders determine: Determine the size of the NPP and where protective perimeters, guard posts, the entry/exit control point, kill zones, secondary fighting positions, etc will be.
- Leaders and group members inventory: Ask each group member to give an honest list of what they have for personal supplies and equipment. you’ll notice that this is not on the group member information form. Revealing what you have for food, equipment, and supplies is a sensitive issue with most people, especially firearms. Find out what each group member will allow others to use as communal equipment, and supplies. Inform each group member what they must have as minimums for equipment and supplies, and get assurances they will start accumulating these required items.
- Leaders assign: Assign duties for each group member.
- Leaders and group members write it down: Leaders need to make a written NPP. Get help from group members on this.
- Leaders and group members purchase necessary items and start storing: Equipment and supplies need to be purchased for the communal NPP and each group member needs to start storing food, water, and ammunition.
- Leaders and group members train: Put your written plan to the rest by training exercises. Firearms safety and basic marksmanship must be started first.
- Leaders and group members keep in contact and be ready: Have a function monthly so all group members can keep in contact and be ready. Have a function monthly so all group members can keep in contact with each other. Keep your NPP alive!
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A Failure of Civility
A Failure of Civility [NOW OUT OF PRINT] goes over each of these steps and roles in detail. Next week, we’ll start tackling area tactical protection.
Softcover copies of A Failure of Civility can be purchased directly from the authors via the book’s web site, or can be purchased as a softcover or as a Kindle eBook on Amazon.com. Or visit: www.afailureofcivility.com
About Bob Owens
Bob Owens is native of North Carolina who began blogging at the politics-focused Confederate Yankee in November 2004 before transitioning to Bob-Owens.com in 2011. He also writes at Pajamas Media and Shooting Illustrated, and occasionally does Twitter.