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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.