While we have no control over who lives next door or on our cul-de-sac, we can choose to bring neighbors together for the common good of increased safety. Local governments and police agencies are increasingly embracing technologies like Citigraf, which help improve neighborhood safety in new ways.
These security techniques for connecting CCTV camera networks greatly increase their reach and scalability. They help detect illegal or irregular activity and make it easier for law enforcement authorities to access evidence when trying to arrest criminals.
Community engagement can reduce rates of break-ins and stolen packages, while also improving everyone’s sense of well-being. Neighborhood safety is a joint venture that starts with you. How can you help improve safety in your neighborhood? Here are some suggestions:
Neighborly relations
Meeting your neighbors could be a win-win scenario. This may seem self-explanatory, but it is the first and most important step towards creating a safer area. Introduce yourself to people in your immediate vicinity, stay in touch and create genuine connections.
Socializing based on physical activity is a great way to get to know your neighbors. Offer to be a resource in case of an emergency or if they need help; some neighbors might accept your offer. See if they are willing to share their requirements.
Maybe you’ll be a mutual resource for each other in times of need, whether it’s babysitting for a few hours, knowing who to contact if pets run away, company for an evening walk, or delivering mail and packages while you’re gone so it feels like you’re home .
Neighborhood Watch
Neighborhood Watch groups, or similar organizations, raise neighborhood awareness of what’s going on. This exercise makes you and others more aware of strange occurrences. Consider creating a neighborhood watch program if yours doesn’t already exist.
When anything goes wrong in the area, whether it’s property crime or something more serious like violent crime, the community call tree can help. You can also encourage neighbors to report security situations and burglaries to the neighborhood safety group so others know what to look out for.
These organizations can alert you to specific criminal incidents, so you don’t just rely on assumptions about the safety of the area. Consider when you should contact the police and when you should use other public safety options in your community.
Keep it clean
Because trimmed foliage provides fewer places to hide, a well-maintained yard can help deter crime. Of course, fences can keep out unwanted guests. Trim overgrown trees and bushes, repair damaged lighting and other lighting fixtures (or report them to the competent municipal authorities).
Make sure your lights and locks, as well as your neighbors’, are in working order. Organizing a cleanup can not only create a sense of community pride, but it will also allow you to address issues that could pose a safety or security risk.
Improve street lighting
Burglars often target poorly lit residential areas, so if the neighborhood you live in has a lot of open spaces, you should make sure all areas are well lit. Street lamps are not the only option.
You can require every home to turn on porch lights at night and install lights in backyards and along houses so intruders can’t hide in the dark. Burglars prefer houses with multiple entrances or duplexes, so make sure all doors and pathways are well lit at all times.
A safer, more pleasant place
It takes a team to improve neighborhood safety, but someone has to start. There are ways you can attract burglars without even realizing it. You’ll find that when you meet and get to know people in your community, talk about your concerns, and implement some of the suggestions above, your community becomes not only safer, but also more fun.
Read more Author: Steve Hughes
Categories: How to
Source: HIS Education