In talking about crime prevention recently, Premier Hau Pei-tsun has repeatedly mentioned that he wants people in local communities to "help each other to keep watch."

The phrase comes from a passage in Mencius that goes: "Neither in burying the dead, nor in changing his abode, does a man go beyond the confines of his village. If those who own land within each well-field befriend one another both at home and abroad, help each other to keep watch and succor each other in illness, they will live in love and harmony." [tr. by D.C. Lau]

For 2,000 years that passage epitomized the traditional community spirit in China. Unfortunately, with the breakdown of agricultural society, it has gradually disappeared from modern industrial and commercial society. But the deteriorating crime situation has actually furnished the chance for a turnaround in apathetic neighborhood relations.

The Lutati community in the Neihu district of Taipei is a good example.

Under the urging of Weng Fu-lai, the neighborhood management community not only set up sentry boxes and strengthened its full-time guard service but imitated ancient times by organizing able-bodied citizens to serve as night watchmen.

Every five or ten families form a squad that rotates on duty. As soon as the sun goes down, the person on duty dons a uniform, picks up a nightstick and goes out to patrol the community.

In addition, each home is equipped with an alarm that can be sounded to bring the neighbors running to help should a thief break in. Several thieves have been caught that way, it is said.

The spirit of "befriending one another at home and abroad and succoring each other in illness" is also in full force here. When you enter the community you may occasionally see signposts without any numbers on them. They are car-pool stops for the convenience of families without means of transportation. The routes are distinguished by color, and if you want to hitch a ride you simply wait by the sign until someone drives by who happens to be going your way.

The Lungmen community in Taipei's Sungshan district is another successful example. Ho Hui-yu and eleven other mothers raised funds by renting out neighborhood parking spaces and then hired personnel for a patrol squad to maintain neighborhood cleanliness and security.

For the safety of children, elementary school students have been organized into "anti-kidnapping" teams and are escorted to and from school every day by neighborhood mothers acting in rotation.

These measures have proven highly effective, and real estate prices in the community are now much higher than in surrounding areas.

What leaves cause for concern is that there is still a big gray area between "pursuing the ideal" and "meeting a threat." Most of the public still hold a perfunctory attitude toward their living surroundings and lack the will to take positive action unless direct harm is caused to them personally.

Dr. Huang Ying-che, who lives on the second floor of an apartment building facing the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall, relates that the residents made a lot of news in May and June when their protests forced an illegally operated restaurant below them to close its doors. But on September 1 the same restaurant began operating again in the same location--with a remodeled kitchen.

"The degree of concern of the residents is inversely related to the height of the floor they live on," he says. The higher up they are, the less bothered they are by the smoke and the less they want to cause trouble.

Associate Professor Huang Fu-yuan of the crime prevention department at the Central Police College states that the main factor in whether or not a community is successful in carrying out a neighborhood watch program is "need." They have to be aware of a need before the will can be created to take action. Security is an important basic need, and once a threat to security is sensed, it is easy to get people to join together to protect themselves.

Chen Lai-hung, in charge of general affairs at the Housewives' United Environmental Protection Foundation, says that, according to her long experience in promoting community activities, the secret to getting people to take part in neighborhood affairs is "designing things aimed at their immediate, vital concerns."

It also helps to have friendly relations among neighbors and a few "concerned individuals." Weng Fu-lai was known for his penchant for inviting neighbors over for tea before he was appointed to the neighborhood committee member, and now he is serving his fourth term as chairman.

But in successfully carrying out a neighborhood watch program, the authority of the government is ultimately required as a backup. Many people who remain inactive in the movement complain that they are not unwilling to take part but they lack confidence, because they have seen too many examples of undesirable elements caught by the government cropping up again later.

"That does indeed happen at present, because our laws are too lax and don't have a deterrent effect," frankly states Fang Chin-kui head of the first section in the Taipei City Department of Reconstruction.

He points out that irregular businesses in residential areas must first be fined a total of three times before they can be prosecuted, and that coordination with the Taipei City Department of Public Works is required to take the more effective step of cutting off their water and electricity.

To improve its enforcement efficiency, the Taipei City government in March of last year set up a united law enforcement task force, jointly run by the offices of education, public works, tax, environmental protection, and building management, and a similar agency has since been set up in Kaohsiung.

In a recent report to the Executive Yuan on the crime problem, a comprehensive examination was made of 22 types of behavior that adversely affect social order. After the meeting it was resolved that a toll-free law enforcement hot line will be set up in every city and county, and that a special report will be made on ways to improve law enforcement efficiency, which has been adversely affected by a lack of manpower in the past.

With these "backup forces" on the way and citizens working together to help, maybe Peach Blossom Spring, the peaceful, idyllic community of the ancients, is not beyond attainment.

[Picture Caption]

Under the joint efforts of a group of mothers, the Lungmen community set up a patrol squad, hired guards and drove out sex establishments, giving the neighborhood a new look.

Residents of the Minsheng community have reached a consensus on keeping sex businesses out of their neighborhood. The banner reads, "Good neighbors of the Minsheng community; thank you for responding to the call to drive the sex industry out of our residential area." (photo by Arthur Cheng)

One out of every three households in the Lungtang community in Taipei has an alarm bell, and one out of five has a burglar alarm. Besides stopping thieves, the alarms can also be used to summon help in case of an emergency.

Combining a neighborhood watch program with a linkup to the police station provides double security.

"A distant relative isn't worth as much as a near neighbor," the saying goes. A household crime prevention program in the Chengyi community provides children with a safe and carefree place to live.

Residents of the Minsheng community have reached a consensus on keeping sex businesses out of their neighborhood. The banner reads, "Good neighbors of the Minsheng community; thank you for responding to the call to drive the sex industry out of our residential area." （photo by Arthur Cheng）

One out of every three households in the Lungtang community in Taipei has an alarm bell, and one out of five has a burglar alarm. Besides stopping thieves, the alarms can also be used to summon help in case of an emergency.

Combining a neighborhood watch program with a linkup to the police station provides double security.

"A distant relative isn't worth as much as a near neighbor," the saying goes. A household crime prevention program in the Chengyi community provides children with a safe and carefree place to live.