What if everything you thought about neighborhood safety was wrong? Stephanie L. Mann, a crime prevention pioneer and visionary behind the national Neighborhood Watch Program, joins me today on the Magnify Your Message Podcast to share the unexpected strategies that make neighborhoods safer—and stronger.
Back in the 1970s, Stephanie achieved what seemed impossible: she helped her Berkeley community cut crime in half within just two and a half years—all without the help of a local police department. Inspired by her success, she wrote Alternative to Fear, a groundbreaking book funded by The California Department of Youth. This guide, distributed to thousands of police departments, libraries, and even the FBI, became the foundation for the Neighborhood Watch Program that has since transformed communities nationwide.
Listen in as Stephanie reveals:
⚡️ Why reducing crime by 48% in her Berkeley neighborhood didn’t involve hiring more police—and what she did instead that worked.
⚡️ The surprising way that empowering neighbors to clean up a park transformed an entire community—and how you can replicate it.
⚡️ The unexpected role of positive media stories in driving down crime and bringing people together.
⚡️ How focusing on children, including preventing child sex trafficking, is a critical key to long-term community safety.
Tune in now to challenge your assumptions about safety, learn practical tools for immediate impact, and hear the inspiring story of a woman who turned adversity into a mission to protect us all.
👉 Listen to the full episode today! This will change how you see your neighborhood—and your role in it. Share it with friends and let’s start a safety revolution together! 💪
About the guest:
Stephanie Mann is a crime and violence prevention consultant of over 4 decades, and she educates parents how to keep kids safe in an unsafe world. She has authored 5 books, on home, family, neighborhood and community safety, one of which helped launch the national “Neighborhood Watch” Program.
She has received various awards, such as Citizen of the Year in Orinda CA, Office of the Attorney General State of CA, International Peace Council and Women's Federation for World Peace Award in NY, among others.
Resources:
Website: https://safekidsnow.com/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/safekidsnow
Instagram: www.instagram.com/safekidsnow
