For Pedro Amparo, his experiences living in the South Bronx were inspiration enough for him to organize his rough neighborhood of Simonico in the Villa Duarte district of Santo Domingo, introducing a program called “Protect your area”. The program is starting to produce good results and this is why Simonico shows sharp contrasts with the nearby neighborhoods of Maquiteria, Calero and Los Pinos, where residents are still without protection. A series of assaults, robberies and burglaries pushed the citizens of Simonico to join in a mutual protection association, defending their own territory. Based on his experience in the South Bronx, where he saw the Housing Authority work with neighbors to safeguard the projects, Pedro Amparo, who now heads the Simonico Neighborhood Watch, put his version of the program into action. The aim is to integrate as many neighbors as possible into watching out for the whole neighborhood. Program members, including some young people who were previously considered delinquents, are educated about the need to protect their area. As a result of the program’s success, the people of Simonico are planning to extend their program and help neighboring barrios. The Neighborhood Watch is planning to obtain uniforms and ID badges for its members, to foster a greater sense of belonging. So far, the program has received support from churches and the judicial authorities.