Most neighborhoods these days seem to be struggling with the issue of security, from property crimes like burglary and vandalism to personal safety. With larceny-theft being the most common form of property crime in the country, chances are that your home or vehicle could be attacked anytime.
But you don’t have to sit and wait for the worst to happen when you can do something about it.
Alone, there isn’t much you can accomplish if your surroundings are unsafe. But you can take advantage of the safety in numbers by working with your community to create a safe locale.
Let’s look at a number of ways you can keep your community safe.
1.It Starts With You
Whatever good you want to do should start with you to set an example. Your neighbors will begin to notice your efforts, which may inspire them to join in.
You don’t need to go big all at once. Start with your own home and fix the things that can make your property vulnerable, like unkempt bushes, poor lighting, or weak locks.
Maintain your lawn to improve visibility and encourage your neighbors to do the same by citing security reasons.
2.Befriend Your Neighbors
Have you noticed that these days people seem to just want to close themselves off and live their own lives?
That way of life certainly wasn’t common in the previous decades, like the 80s. Perhaps it’s the technology that’s turning people into loners stuck on their phones. But as we see in the news, this “stranger” lifestyle contributes a lot to crimes.
You can change things in your community by getting to know and befriending your neighbors. This may spur a domino effect situation where everyone knows everyone, which has tons of advantages.
First of all, strangers in the neighborhood will be easily spotted, and that alone can prevent many potential crimes.
3.Try Security Services
Theft and property damage can result in a heavy setback. If your residence is in a high-crime area, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to enlist the services of a residential security guard.
Analyze the risks and determine your course of action.
For instance, a state like California has some high-risk neighborhoods, which have one thing in common: affluence. Places like these usually demand the presence of security officers. You’d also be contributing to the community’s overall safety because guards are known to discourage criminals.
4.Community Groups
Encourage the creation of a community group if there isn’t one. It could be anything, from a simple social gathering to a fully-fledged HOA.
Community groups are generally overlooked, but research shows that they make many valuable contributions to the areas they serve.
Through these groups, what you can achieve as a community is limitless because of that strength in numbers factor.
Security, which is a huge problem, can easily stop being an issue once you come together and develop measures to secure the neighborhood. As an alliance, you can draft rules that discourage crimes, drugs, unwanted behavior, etc.
5.Encourage Speaking Up
Whoever sees something out of place or suspicious should speak up rather than ignore or try to rationalize it.
Sometimes, the unlikely explanations are correct, but our minds simply don’t want to accept them.
Make a pact with your neighbors to always say something when they notice things out of the ordinary, like a car slowly driving past your property. It doesn’t necessarily mean calling the police, but mentioning these things to each other could make all the difference.
6.Stay Informed
When everyone is well informed, the whole community will benefit because it’ll be easier to notice things that are out of place. You may be ignoring certain warning signs due to the lack of information. That can change.
With crimes getting more sophisticated, stay updated with current events and crime trends to arm yourself with the necessary knowledge.
Open up to others if you’re aware of something they may not know. Help your community embrace awareness, and it’ll go a long way to building a safer environment for everyone.
Conclusion
Focusing on personal safety is important, but so is community safety. Your surroundings will affect your life and the lives of your family members. But you can ensure the effect the environment has on your family is positive by taking steps to secure your community.