In 1994 I hired Ted Lawson to help finish the Community Watch Administration Manual. He helped with the edit and made sure it covered all the points. His work with numerous not-for-profit organizations had qualified him in a unique way to contribute some real substance to the book and program.

In the spring we finished the Community Watch Administration Manual, The Block Captain’s Handbook and The Citizen’s Guide to Community Watch. All told, it took us about a year and a half to do all the research and write them. Don and Ted had contacted dozens of successful watch programs all around the US and spent over a thousand hours interviewing and researching to complete the product.

Finally in 1994, after two years, I published the Community Watch Administration Manual. It is full of charts, sample press releases, tons of the forms necessary to set up a program, detailed instructions on everything you need to keep it going. The sections include Planning, Communications, Management, Volunteers, Implementation, Meetings, Programs, Homeland Security (added after 9/11/2001), Motivation, Promotion and Publicity, Resource Development, and Evaluation.   

In 1994 I also published The Block Captain’s Handbook.  It was developed to give a block captain everything he or she needs to set up and run a small group of citizens to keep their neighborhood or small community a safer place to be. This has been a very popular book and is also offered today also by the National Association of Town Watch.

Citizen’s Guide to Community Watch. It is an educational book that teaches people how to be part of a Community Watch Group. It has been very popular for law enforcement because it taught them how to be an effective member of a community watch group.

I had spent close to $100,000 to produce these products and when I had them in my hands. I had nearly bankrupted the company investing in the program and now I had to get out and sell it.

The first week I had the first copy in my hands I hit the road. I traveled down I-5 and started presenting it to police departments and sheriff’s officer. I presented it to 20 different departments between Medford , Oregon and Los Angeles , California . 19 of the people I presented it to said they had to have a copy. My initial price was $295 introductory price which was discounted from $495. Evan at that seemingly high price it was a huge hit. The departments knew that it would save them hundreds of staff hours to get the same information and still be lacking. It helped that there was nothing on the market like it. (To my knowledge there is still nothing like it.)

(In 2003 I hired David Sours to bring it up to date and add additional information to deal with terrorism and the threats that come with it. When we released the Third Edition, the price had come down to $54.95.)

One day I was called by the Poly Klaas Foundation and asked about putting on a presentation about Community Watch to the community of Petaluma , California .

Poly Klaas was the little girl who was abducted from her bedroom in October of 1993 and murdered by a sub-human, scum bucket named Richard Davis.

I really wasn't ready to make a public presentation of this type but decided that it was the best thing to do. When I got there, I met Eve Nichol, Poly Klaas’ mom. I could see her pain. I felt her pain. I knew that she was carrying enough. I didn't share my story with her.

I gave the presentation and it went well. I had a chance to meet people in Petaluma and learned a lot about the abduction and how a neighbor had seen Davis lurking around the house and never even called the police. If he had, I believe there would have been no abduction or need for me to go give the speech. I became emotionally attached to the story and thought about it for quite some time.

In 1994, I began producing a film for KOBI 5M a local television station and NBC affiliate . I presented the idea of "A Line in the Sand, Taking a Stand Against Crime" to the owner, Patsy Smullen and after some deliberation, she agreed. I had made several short films to teach but this was my first television production. The film was about how we as citizens have the power to make a difference. It was based on the abduction of a little girl from her bedroom paralleled against a girl who had bee taught what to do if someone tried to abduct her. It is a powerful film that brought tears to many a tough police officer who views it.

The initial broadcast received an 8 market share rating and was nominated for a 1995, Emmy award. I wasn't impressed with the nomination because I wasn't producing for recognition or awards. I thought the market share was good because that meant thousands of people saw the film and heard the message and would be interested in working harder to make a difference in their communities. I was right.

Within a few days, I received dozens of letters and phone calls asking me how people could get involved and police departments wanting to hear more about Community Watch. I had several police agencies in my region ask me to speak to community groups and help them promote Community Watch.

I achieved a short-lived local celebrity status but that didn't matter except that it made me more credible.

I received a call from Al Ward, president of The International Society of Crime Prevention Practitioners (ISCPP). They wanted some information about community watch and were very interested to see that we had referenced Sir Robert Peal in the film Line in the Sand – Taking a Stand Against Crime.

He invited me to speak at the convention. I said “Sure. I would be glad to. By the way, how many people will be there?” He told me that the typical convention had around 300 people. That was another, “What did you just do?” I didn't want to give the presentation to that many people and I wasn't ready to get up in front of all the police officers from around the world but my financial status was such that I really needed to. I was warmly welcomed to the convention and made some pretty important contacts including the contact with the ISCPP. That turned out to be a very important connection for the next few years. And it didn't hurt because I sold lots of manuals, and films at the conventions.

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