Do YOU Know

      Your Neighbors?

               Do They Know You?

Did you know the Neighborhood Watch Program has been in effect for over thirty years in towns, cities, and rural areas across the country?  Do you realize how invaluable your eyes and ears can be to your neighbor?  Neighborhood Watch is a program of neighbors watching out for one another and reporting suspicious activity to police.  It’s based on the concept of cooperation between law enforcement, city officials and residents.  By taking an active role in the protection of their homes and families, residents are better able to discourage criminal activity and keep their neighborhoods safe.

The ABCs of Neighborhood Watch

• Any community resident can join — young and old, single or married, renter or home owner.
• A few concerned residents with assistance from their local police department’s Crime Prevention Unit can easily organize a Watch.
• Members learn how to make their homes more secure, watch out for each other and the neighborhood, and report activities that raise their suspicions to the police.
• You can form a Watch group around any geographical unit such as a block, apartment complex, park, business area, or public housing complex.
• Watch groups are not vigilantes. They are simply extra eyes and ears for reporting crime and helping neighbors.

Getting Organized

When a group decides to form a Neighborhood Watch, they:

• Should contact their local police department’s Crime Prevention Unit for help with training members in home security, reporting methods and how to gather information on local crime patterns.
• Select a coordinator and block captains who are responsible for organizing meetings and relaying information to members. Neighborhood Watch meetings can be held in schools, churches or homes.
• Recruit members, contacts new residents and make an effort to involve as many residents as possible.
• Work with the Crime Prevention Unit to purchase and install Neighborhood Watch signs.

Neighbors look for…

• Someone looking into windows and parked cars.
• Unusual noises.
• Property being taken out of closed businesses or houses where no one is at home.
• Vehicles moving slowly with no apparent destination, passing by numerous times, or driving without lights.
• Anyone being forced into a vehicle.
• A stranger sitting in a car or stopping to talk to a child.
• Abandoned cars.
• Strangers running through private yards or alleyways

Additional Projects and Programs

Many projects within a Neighborhood Watch program contribute to its success.  An example is Citizens On Patrol.  As the name implies, Citizens on Patrol are citizens who, after being screened, background checked, and trained by local law enforcement, patrol their communities acting as “eyes and ears” for law enforcement.

 The National Neighborhood Watch Institute offers a system for property protection called Operation Identification.   The program involves marking valuables with a specific number that identifies the owner.  This assists in the retrieval of personal property as well as discourages theft.

Think About It

The Neighborhood Watch Program is one of the most effective and important anti-crime strategies in the country.  For any community that is interested in providing its citizens a safe and pleasant environment, a crime watch program is one of the least expensive ways in which to do so. 

Just think about it!  A police officer patrolling your neighborhood may not recognize a stranger in your yard, but your neighbors would. Neighbors know who you are and the type of car you drive. They may be the first to notice a burglar at your window or a strange car in your driveway.  Be a good neighbor and look out for each other!     

It’s All About Big $$$

In the United States, two vehicles are stolen every minute.  Motor vehicle theft is no longer a crime committed by teenagers simply out for a joyride.  It’s big business often run by organized crime rings out to make big profits at your expense! 

Although more than half (62%) of stolen vehicles are found, sometimes with severe damage, the remaining vehicles end up in the hands of organized criminals and end up going in one of three places:

• Shipped overseas and sold on the black market
• Stripped at a chop shop, with its parts sold to body shop operators who then sell the parts or install them on other vehicles
• Resold to an unsuspecting consumer

Which Would You Choose?

Which car do you think would be more tempting for a car thief? A brand new Honda Civic with a navigation system, XM satellite radio and heated leather seats or one that is 13 years old with fabric seats and been driven over 150,000 miles?  Surprisingly, the thief wants the old car.

At least that’s the word from the “Hot Wheels 2008″ auto theft report from the National Insurance Crime Bureau  (NCIB) that ranks the most stolen vehicles in 2007. At the top of the list is the 1995 Honda Civic followed by the 1991 Honda Accord. This is the fourth year in a row that the ’95 Civic has been in the top 10.

The top 10 most stolen cars in 2007:

Oldies but goodies!  Why are the oldies such goodies in the eyes of car thieves?

They’re full of replacement parts such as catalytic converters. Hondas are especially wanted since Honda engine components fit other Honda car models. That is, parts from a Civic will also fit an Accord.  We see a large amount of older Hondas and Toyotas on the road because they’re so reliable which is a good thing.  Unfortunately, this makes them a bigger target.

A Few Simple Steps  Could Save You a Major Headache!

The NCIB encourages everyone to follow what it calls a “layered approach” to auto theft protection.   The four layers are:

Layer #1 – Common Sense: The common sense approach to protection is the easiest and most cost-effective way to protect your vehicle. You should always:

• Remove keys from ignition
• Lock doors/close windows
• Park in well-lit areas

Layer #2 – Warning Device: The second layer of protection is using visible or audible devices to warn thieves that your vehicle is protected. A few examples are:

• Audible alarms
• Steering column collars
• Steering wheel/Brake pedal lock
• Brake locks
• Wheel locks
• Tire locks/Tire deflators
• Theft deterrent decals
• Identification markers in or on vehicle

 Layer #3 – Immobilizing Device: The third layer of protection is using a device to prevent thieves from bypassing your ignition and hot-wiring the vehicle.  Some electronic devices have computer chips in ignition keys. Other devices inhibit the flow of electricity or fuel to the engine until a hidden switch or button is activated.  Popular devices include:

• Smart keys
• Fuse cut-offs
• Kill switches
• Starter, ignition and fuel disablers
• Wireless, ignition authentication

Layer # 4 – Tracking Device: The final layer of protection is a tracking device that emits a signal to police or a monitoring station when the vehicle is stolen.  Tracking devices are extremely effective in helping authorities recover stolen vehicles.

Common sense and awareness coupled with a few simple steps can save you a great deal of frustration while making a car thief’s life a little more difficult.

A parent’s worst fear is having their child irreversibly hurt in such a way that leaves emotional scars for life.  Sexual assault is a perfect example of such a fear.  Unfortunately, much of what we know regarding sexual assault against children is based on myths. As a result, some of our fears are unwarranted while other beliefs leave our children unprotected. 

What You Know: Fact or Fiction

The people behind Megan’s Law in California have put together a great quiz to test your knowledge about sex offenders. Take the quiz to find out how much of what you know is accurate or based on myths. Then come back here for some tips on how to keep your children safe.

Here are a couple questions that cover some of the most common misconceptions we’ve come across:

Most child sexual abusers use physical force or threat to gain compliance from their victims.

False. In the majority of cases, abusers gain access to their victims through deception and enticement, seldom using force. Abuse typically occurs within a long-term, ongoing relationship between the offender and victim and escalates over time.

Most child sexual abusers find their victims by frequenting such places as schoolyards and playgrounds.

False. Most child sexual abusers offend against children whom they know and with whom they have established a relationship.

Most men who commit sexual offenses do not know their victim.

False. 90% of child victims know their offender, with almost half of the offenders being a family member. Of sexual assaults against people age 12 and up, approximately 80% of the victims know the offender.

Child sexual abusers are only attracted to children and are not capable of appropriate sexual relationships.

False. While there is a small subset of child sexual abusers who are exclusively attracted to children, the majority of the individuals who sexually abuse children are (or have previously been) attracted to adults.

Only men commit sexual assault.

False. While most sex offenders are male, sometimes sex offenses are committed by female offenders.

• Megan’s Law—Facts about Sex Offenders [California Office of Attorney General]

Did you pass this small portion of the quiz?  Flying colors or not, you are now armed with factual information. This is invaluable when teaching your kids how to protect themselves. 

Safety Tips—Teach Your Children

• Knowledge is power. Parents, you can educate yourself about those known offenders who reside in your community by contacting your local law enforcement agency.
• Remember, most sexual assaults are committed by someone the victim knows. A stranger doesn’t pose the highest risk to your children. 80-95% of sex offenders are known to their victims.  This includes relatives, friends and authority figures such as teachers and coaches.  Communicate with your children that if they feel uncomfortable in someone’s presence, to trust their instincts. Take steps to distance themselves from him or her. Don’t be afraid to make a scene if necessary. Many assault victims report that they were too polite. Tell someone!
• Avoid high-risk situations. Be observant and aware of your surroundings. Avoid poorly lit areas where an attacker might hide. Identify safe people in your neighborhood that you or your children can go to if you need help. Be thoughtful and use good judgment in choosing your friends and partners. Be cautious about making personal contact with those you meet on the internet.

Great Place to Start

The Federal Bureau of Investigation—Crimes Against Children is an invaluable website.  From here you can choose any state.  Each states’ website provides a wealth of information including sex offender facts, warning signs, victim services, community notification process, contact information, etc. Also, the Center For Missing And Exploited Children is another fantastic resource offering registry websites, child safety information and related news links.

A Resource at Your Fingertips!

Be sure to set yourself up on RAIDS Online to receive email notifications about crime occurring in your area.  You can designate a specific radius from your home address and specify crime types of your interest, such as sexual assaults. It’s that easy!

Much of crime fighting focuses on people—criminals, police officers, victims and even the general public. Unfortunately, people can be difficult to work with and hard to change. So what if we took people out of the equation and instead tried to prevent crime through something that is easy to change: the physical environments we live and work in everyday? 

That’s exactly the idea behind the approach known as Crime Prevention through Environmental Design (CPTED). The basic idea behind CPTED is to use the environment to change the behavior of criminals in order to limit crime. Let’s look at how we can use CPTED to prevent crime through some simple changes to our homes, cars and workplaces. 

Is Your House a Target for Burglars?

What makes your home attractive to a burglar? If a burglar is considering your neighborhood, you want to make sure your house isn’t at the top of the list of prime properties to burglarize. If the choice is between your house and one down the street, access will be the deciding factor.

When targeting potential houses, there are a number of visual factors that a burglar uses:

• Are doors and windows hidden? (Can I get in and out without being seen?)
• Is anybody home? (Clues: newspapers piled up on the driveway, various flyers stuck in the front door, an unshoveled driveway.)
• No sign of an alarm system. (Can I remain “anonymous”?)
• Valuables are visible from the street. (Are the goods worth the risk?)

Knowing Your Adversary

According to the FBI Uniform Crime Report 2005, over 62 % of residential burglaries occured between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. These crimes are most often committed when residences are most likely to be unoccupied.  According to the U.S. Department of Justice burglaries of residential properties accounted for 70.3 % of all burglary offenses.

Burglars are opportunists, that  means they don’t choose victims randomly.  They look for easy opportunities — houses that can be approached without neighbors seeing or hearing anything, or a door or window left cracked open.  Some burglars cruise a neighborhood looking for a house that seems unoccupied. They may try to ring the doorbell.  If no one responds, they’ll examine the house more closely. They may test the doors and locks, take note of window locations, look for alarms, and so on.

Three Key Principles of CPTED

Let’s take a look at the three main principles of CPTED along with a few examples of each.

Natural Surveillance

Areas where people and their activities can be easily observed are covered by natural surveillance. Environments need to be created where there’s plenty of opportunity for people engaged in their normal, everyday behavior to observe the space around them. 

Examples:     

• Make sure the house and the grounds are visible from the street and by neighbors.
• Make sure all entranceways are illuminated at night.
• Verify shrubbery, trees and other landscaping are well-located and maintained.
• Verify entrances and windows are free of other obstructions.

Natural Access Control

Most burglars will try to find a way into an area where they won’t be easily seen.  Limiting access and increasing natural surveillance makes this much harder.  By selectively placing fencing, lighting and landscaping, natural access control occurs.

Examples:

• Verify all possible points of entry and exit are visible.
• Use a locking gate between front and back yards.
• Try to eliminate design features that provide access to roofs or upper levels.

Natural Territorial Reinforcement:

An environment designed to clearly distinguish private space does two things. First, it creates a sense of ownership.  Second, it creates an environment where “strangers” or “intruders” stand out. 

Examples:       

• Installing fencing, pavement, lighting and landscaping expresses ownership and further defines private space.
• Display security system signs at entry  points.

Secure Your Space—Other CPTED Strategies

In addition to following the three key principles of CPTED, you can secure the premise by asking yourself the following questions: 

• Is the door hardware (for example, locks, latches, handles, hinges,) durable and securely installed?
• Is the locking mechanism effective on sliding doors?
• Is the garage door kept locked? Are tools and ladders kept where they can’t be accessed by a burglar?
• Do the basement and ground-floor windows have adequate locks?
• Are second-story windows that might be reached (for example, from the garage roof, ladder or overhanging tree limb) locked?
• Are all interior doors leading to the exterior (for example, basement, garage) locked?

One Final Suggestion . . .

Don’t tweet your travel plans!  Make sure to do the following before leaving for vacation:

• Lock all deadbolts.
• Leave a few lights on or set a few on timers.
• Stop newspaper delivery.
• Place mail on hold at the post office.
• Notify neighbors of your travel plans.

How have you changed your space to prevent crime in your area? Spread the crime prevention! Share your ideas, experiences, successes, failures, or thoughts with others in the comment section.