Crime Prevention

• Stay alert and tuned in to your surroundings
• Send the message that you're calm, confident, and know where you're going
• Trust your instincts
• Know the neighborhoods where you live and work

• Stick to well-lighted, well-traveled streets. Avoid shortcuts through wooded areas, parking lots or alleys
• Don't flash large amounts of cash or other tempting targets like expensive jewelry or clothing
• Carry a purse close to your body, not dangling by the straps
• Put a wallet in an inside coat or front pants pocket, not a back pocket
• Don't wear shoes or clothing that restrict your movements
• Have your car or house key in hand before you reach the door
• If you think someone is following you, switch direction or cross the street. Walk toward an open store, restaurant, or lighted house. If you're scared, yell for help

• Keep your car in good running condition
• Always roll up the windows and lock car doors
• Avoid parking in isolated areas. Be especially alert in lots and underground parking garage
• If you think someone is following you, don't head home. Drive to the nearest police or fire station, gas station, or other open business to get help
• Don't pick up hitchhikers

If Someone Tries to Rob You

• Don't resist. Give up your property, don't give up your life
• Report the crime to the police. Try to describe the attacker accurately. Your actions can help prevent others from being victims

• Did you know that in almost half of all completed residential burglaries, thieves simply breezed in through unlocked doors or crawled through unlocked windows?
• Make sure every external door has a sturdy, well-installed dead bolt lock. Key-in-the-knob locks alone are not enough
• Sliding glass doors can offer easy access if they are not properly secured. You can secure them by installing commercially available locks or putting a broomstick or dowel in the inside track to jam the door
• Give an extra key to a neighbor you trust
• When you move into a new house or apartment, rekey the locks

• A lock on a flimsy door is about as effective as locking your car door but leaving the window down
• All outside doors should be metal or solid wood
• If your doors don't fit tightly in their frames, install weather stripping around them
• Install a peephole or wide-angle viewer in all entry doors so that you can see who is outside without opening the door. Door chains break easily and don't keep out intruders

Check the Outside

• Look at your house from the outside; make sure you know the following tips:
• Install outside lights and keep them on at night
• Keep your yard clean - prune back shrubbery so it doesn't hide door or windows
• Clearly display your house number so police and other emergency vehicles can find your home quickly
• Create the illusion that you're home by setting some timers that will turn your lights on and off in different areas of your house throughout the evening
• Ask law enforcement for a free home security survey

There's More You Can Do

• Join a Neighborhood Watch group. If one doesn't exist, you can start one with help from local law enforcement
• Never leave a message on your answering machine that indicates you may be away from home. Rather than saying "I'm not home right now", say, "I'm not available right now".
• Work with neighbors and local government to organize community clean-ups. The cleaner your neighborhood, the less attractive it is to crime

• Any community resident can join--young and old, single and married, renter and homeowner
• A few concerned residents, a community organization, or a saw enforcement agency can spearhead the effort to organize a Watch
• Members learn how to make their homes more secure, watch out for each other and the neighborhood, and report activities that rise suspicions to the police department
• You can form a Watch group around any geographical unit; a block, apartment, park, business area, public housing complex, office, marina
• Watch groups are not vigilantes. They are extra eyes and ears for reporting crime and helping neighbors. Neighborhood Watch helps build pride and serves as a springboard for efforts that address community concerns such as recreation for youth, childcare and affordable housing

Getting Organized

• When a group decides to form a Neighborhood Watch, it:
• Contacts the police department for help in training members in home security and reporting skills and for information on local crime patterns
• Selects a coordinator or block captain(s) who is (are) responsible for organizing meetings and relaying information to members
• Recruits members, keeping up-to-date on new residents and making special efforts to involve the elderly, working parents, and young people
• Works with law enforcement to put up Neighborhood Watch signs, usually after at least 50 percent of all households are enrolled

Neighbors Look For...

• Someone screaming or shouting for help
• Someone looking into windows and parked cars
• Unusual noises
• Property being taken out of houses where no one is at home or from closed businesses
• Cars, vans, or trucks moving slowly with no apparent destination, or without lights
• Abandoned cars
• Report these incidents to the police department. Talk about the problem with your neighbors

How to Report

• Give your name and address
• Briefly describe the event -- what happened, when, where, and who was involved
• Describe the suspect: sex and race, age, weight, hair color, clothing, distinctive characteristics such as beard, mustache, scars, or accent
• Describe the vehicle if one was involved; color, make, model, year, license plate, and special features such as stickers, dents, or decals

Staying Alive

• It's an unfortunate fact that when a neighborhood crime crisis goes away, so does enthusiasm for Neighborhood Watch. Work to keep your Watch group a vital force for community well being
• Organize regular meetings that focus on current issues such as drug abuse, "hate" or biased-motivated violence, crime in schools, etc.
• Organize community patrols to walk around streets or apartment complexes and alert police to crime and suspicious activities and identify problems needing attention
• Publish a newsletter that gives prevention tips and local crime news, recognizes residents of all ages who have "made a difference", and highlights community events
• Don't forget social events that give neighbors a chance to know each other -- a block party, potluck dinner, volleyball or softball game or picnic