FREE Online Course in Personal and Home Security
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Part 9: How to Reduce Crime in Your
Neighborhood
While we don't like to talk about it - or even think about it
- crime is on the increase in America, and throughout the world.
The number of burglars, muggers, auto thieves, robbers, purse
snatchers, etc., is growing at an alarming rate. Now you, as
a resident, working with neighbors can help reduce the crime
rate.
How? By organizing and/or joining
a neighborhood program in which you and your neighbors get together
to learn how to protect yourselves, your family, your home and
your property. Working together, you can get the criminals off
your block and out of your area.
There's safety in numbers and
power through working with a group. You'll get to know your neighbors
better, and working with them you can reduce crime, develop a
more united community, provide an avenue of communications between
police and citizens, establish on-going crime prevention techniques
in your neighborhood, and renew citizen interest in community
activity.
"Citizens Safety Projects"
are set up to help you do this. It is a joint effort between
private citizens and local police. Such programs have been started
all over the country. Maybe one already exists in your community.
These organizations don't require
frequent meetings (once a month or so). They don't ask anyone
to take personal risks to prevent crime. They leave the responsibility
for catching criminals where it belongs - with the police. This
is NOT a "vigilante" group:
These groups gather citizens
together to learn crime prevention from local authorities. You
cooperate with your neighbors to report suspicious activities
in the neighborhood, to keep an eye on homes when the resident
is away, and to keep everyone in the area mindful of the standard
precautions for property and self that should always be taken.
Criminals avoid neighborhoods where such groups exist.
Through cooperation with local
law enforcement agencies, some of the things you will learn -
and all free - are:
1. What to do in an emergency.
2. How to best identify a suspicious
person.
3. How to identify a vehicle
being used in a suspected criminal activity.
4. Signs to watch out for before
entering a house or apartment that may be in the process of being
burglarized.
5. What to do in case of injury.
6. What to do about suspicious
people loitering on your street.
7. How to identify stolen merchandise.
8. How to recognize auto theft
in progress.
9. How to protect your house
or apartment.
10. How to recognize a burglary
in progress.
11. How to protect yourself and
family - and much more.
It's easy to get your group started.
All you have to do is contact your neighbors and arrange a date,
place and time for the first meeting. Hold the meetings at your
home or that of a neighbor. Try to plan a time that is convenient
to most of your neighbors - preferably in the evening.
Then call your local police department.
They will be happy to give your group informal lectures, free
literature - and in many instances, window stickers and I.D.
cards. Remember, police officers can't be everywhere. Your cooperation
with them is for the benefit of you, your family, your neighbors
and your neighborhood.
These articles are reprinted
with permission from Visec
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