Posted by Benjamin in This was sent to us by Orange County Sheriff’s Office:
Remember Crime Prevention begins with YOU
The things you and your neighbors do together is
called ”Neighborhood Watch”
THINGS A NEIGHBORHOOD CAN DO…
Block by block…resident by resident
Maintain a visible presence
-
Keep watch on homes and those walking or driving through neighborhood.
- Walk and/or bike the neighborhood especially in two’s.
- Sit in your front yard.
- Do things outside in the yard.
- Keep in touch with neighbors and watch each others homes and kids
- Call Sheriff’s Office ASAP at sign of any suspicious person, vehicle and/or activity or concern (dispatch keeps history)
Improve Home Exterior/Interior
- Keep front outside lights on at night (on/off sensor may be used)
- Turn some interior lights on at night when not home
- Always use timers so your homes look “Lived in” all the time, It should look the same if home or not (keep outsiders guessing)
- Keep garage door(s) closed/locked (when not in garage)
- Keep fence and shed gates closed/locked and repaired
- Keep vehicle doors, windows, and trunks closed and locked
- Put vehicles in garage if possible
- Keep all home doors/windows closed/locked, especially when not home
- (install window/sliding door locks/pins and fix broken windows /screens/shutters)
- Keep yard, driveway, sidewalk, and porch well-kept, Well-kept breeds more well-kepts
- Do not leave property outside such as tools, bikes, toys, etc.
- Keep yards mowed, bushes trimmed, trees trimmed, homes well painted, and fences repaired
- Do a home security survey and do what it recommends call Your Crime Prevention Officer (may allow for an insurance discount too)
A home/block with well-kept exterior/landscaping, adequate lighting, fencing, and guard dogs are all part of crime prevention tools that make a difference. Lighting is a cheap way to not have any dark spaces in front of a home. Trees should be trimmed so you can walk under them and for any home to be able to be seen from one end of the block to the other. Home itself should be able to be seen from street and not hidden by landscaping. Bushes near windows and doors should not allow someone to hide behind them to get in windows, doors, and fences.
