Remember the whole "it takes a village" mantra from the 1990s? As silly it may have sounded at the time (and, let's face it, still sounds), there really was something to it. Though the village to which former First Lady Hillary Clinton - the coiner of the phrase - is rather a town or suburb, the idea holds quite true. She spoke of raising children, but the idea applies to several areas of life. It takes a village for things to function, to move, to work, to flow.

When it comes to home security, the it takes a village idea holds true as well. We all can and should take personal steps to ensure the security of our houses and apartments by installing home alarm systems, locking our doors, talking to our children about positive security habits and keeping a watchful eye on our surroundings. Nevertheless, when we involve our communities, we can really improve the safety and security of the places in which we live.

A great way to promote community well-being and security? A neighborhood watch program. Though the idea may at first seem silly, neighborhood watch programs are an excellent way to improve home security.

Getting started with a neighborhood watch program can be a bit difficult at first - you never know how resistant or hesitant your neighbors may be. To start out, hold a meeting to discuss the possibility of starting some sort of neighborhood security effort. Host a gathering at your home with refreshments on a weeknight, and make sure to keep things casual. Use this time as a forum for neighbors to discuss their questions and concerns and toss about ideas as to what can be done.

At this gathering, pass around a sign-up sheet for those interested in participating in a neighborhood watch program. Don't be discouraged if not everyone is eager to sign up right away - it can be a bit of pressure. At a later date, hold a meeting with those who've signed up and devise a plan and time schedule of who will patrol and where and when.

Prior to this step, however, contact local law enforcement agencies for tips about starting up a neighborhood watch program - they should be happy to help. Find out about laws and procedures related to issues such as alerting the police and citizen's arrest. A neighborhood watch program is a good idea, but not if you'll be breaking the law in participating.

Once you've gotten your advice and made schedules, get started. Patrolling should be done in teams of two at later hours of the night. Each individual should have a cell phone or other type of device to alert in case of an emergency, and if something fishy is noticed, make sure patrollers call the police instead of acting on their own. A relatively easy and definitely free way to improve home security, neighborhood watch programs are a fantastic idea.