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AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2006 > June > 15 > Entry
Neighorhood Watch makes good sense
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Part 2 of Neighborhood Watch and crime prevention
When we last visited, we were talking about how to throw off the bad guys. Now for some solutions.
First thing that comes to mind is to act crazy all the time. Having been in most of the North Fulton area neighborhoods, I can say that for some of the residents, this may not be a stretch. It is, however, labor-intensive. Remember, we’re in this for the long haul so let’s save the crazy act for the solicitors that come to your door.
Remember: Perception, eyes and ears. First start with the Neighborhood Watch sign. If you have one and it’s run down, ask for a new one, even if you have to pay for it. (For example, if you can’t read the sign for the dirt and mold, you need to clean it.) If you don’t have a sign, you’ll need to order one. (Remember that you have to be in the program to get the sign.)
Organize. Select a coordinator and block captains. How do you do this? Simple. Set up a meeting and ask the crime prevention officer to come and talk about NW. On the night of the meeting, look around. Those who didn’t attend are selected as the coordinator and block captains. I’m kidding. Everyone knows that’s how you select the HOA president.
Organization and consistency are the keys to a good successful program. Get everyone involved and make it fun. Contact your local police department crime prevention unit or Community Oriented Police unit and ask about NW. Make sure you know how the program is going to work and select people who will stay with it. For example, if your neighbor travels three weeks a month, he or she isn’t a good choice. Other disqualifiers may include your neighbor being a burglar. Do some homework on this.
Once the program is up and going remember that you need to communicate with your neighbors constantly. E-mail is the best way to quickly broadcast information. (Remember to verify the information before you add to an urban legend.)
Create a system of checking on homes whose resident’s are out of town. Get your residents in the habit of when they come home later in the evening, drive by the pool or an empty home just to get a look. If something isn’t right, call the police. Note that I didn’t say do a commando-style house-to-house search like they do on TV. Life isn’t like TV. There’s much more paperwork, especially when you get seriously hurt or killed. Remember: Eyes and ears. No Rambo.
Here’s a good summer hint: Know where the kids are. It’s sneak-out season and although this may come as a shock, we can directly tie a lot of vandalism problems to young kids who are out at night, way past when they should be in. Most counties and cities have curfew laws. In Fulton County, it’s 17 years old and younger. 11 p.m. is the cutoff time except for Friday and Saturday nights when it’s about midnight or so. There are conditions so check with your local department.
In Ball Ground, for example, the curfew is based on the type of pickup truck you have and what NASCAR number you have on the back window.
Neighborhood Watch makes good sense and is a good program. Check into it and if it fits, go for it.
Like my friend Sully says: “When it comes to crime, only you can prevent forest fires.”
Comments
Commenting is now closed for this entry.
By RWH
June 15, 2006 12:30 PM | Link to this
I like to call this Community Watch. We live in a community with 13 Sub-divisions, 2,000 and some odd homes. Over 6,000 homeowners and all of the amenties you can asked for; except a skate-boarding arena. Community Watch works! Experience remain high at this level because any active community must have community leaders, 24-7, around the clock. What do future home-buyers say; its what they want, even gated community are not safe as many of us might think; more stuff goes on behind gated community than one wish not to live there anymore. So many of us are trying to find that perfect and peaceful place to live without others being so troublesome. What I like about community watch, once formed and put together; you become part of the Neighorhood Watch Association…you can get free walkie-talkies, vests, and other items to help in this arena. One of the biggest problems is…getting people from your community involved. Once established, you have the police taking an active role! It a good program…if you want to get involved!lNec
By Bermira Gates
June 15, 2006 12:35 PM | Link to this
(Remember to verify the information before you add to an urban legend.) What is this comment about. Can you explain in detail please. Whom ae you referring to. Can you give names.
By Harold
June 15, 2006 1:14 PM | Link to this
Harolds says Neighborhood Watch is the first step down the slope towards having a Neighborhood busybody Association. NO THANKS.
By Adam
June 15, 2006 3:52 PM | Link to this
Re: urban legends. Visit snopes.com for all you ever wanted to know about urban legends. If you get a wild (but purportedly true) story via email, check snopes.com before passing it along to see if it is an urban legend, hoax, or flat out lie.
Re: Harold - Would you rather have a busybody or a burglary? Your kind of attitude is what Steve is talking about in “Holy Batman! How do we protect ourselves?”.
By Lt. Steve
June 15, 2006 3:57 PM | Link to this
Busybody about what? They’re already talking about you. What else can they do? We make more arrests based on people calling 911 complaining about someone suspicious than we do alarms. 2nd most frequent way is responding to barking dogs.
By Elizabeth
June 15, 2006 9:49 PM | Link to this
I’m with you Lt. Steve. We have a HOA and I wouldn’t have it any other way. We’ve acutally been able to successfully take people to court to get them to take care of their house. A delapitated house with a crappy lawn brings property values down more than you’d think!
We have a C.O.P.S. program in our neighborhood and it’s worked out really well. For being right off of a major thoroughfare we have relatively few problems. Being organized and working together is an awesome crime deterrent.
By CoachRick
June 16, 2006 12:40 AM | Link to this
Speaking of watching the neighborhood, I’m tired of watching ‘McBerry for Governor’ signs go up, illegally, on utility poles throughout our neighborhood. Nothing like breaking the law BEFORE you get elected!!!
By laurie
June 16, 2006 12:44 PM | Link to this
Coach Rick, I’ve got an idea. Those signs irk me too. What if we could get a law passed that said that the election LOSERS have to get out there and pick up every sign (theirs and the winner’s), or get charged $1.00 per sign if the city does it? It wouldn’t take long to rack up a big bill considering the campaigners plant them every 2 feet!
By CoachRick
June 17, 2006 8:15 PM | Link to this
laurie, I like your thinking. Actually, I have CE’s authorization to remove any signs illegally placed in the right-of-way but this McBerry spam is out of reach on utility poles. I hope the new city will make sure that the political wannabees follow the code when placing signs. Stephens for something has already lost quite a few signs to a city dumpster. Would save a lot of energy and $$ if they would simply post legally.
By Futility of Neighborhood Watcher
June 19, 2006 7:34 AM | Link to this
How come there is nothing the police will do after you are burglarized? Sure they come by, look, file a report, hand you a manilla index card with the precinct phone number and tell you to report suspicious activity. They do not call back, follow up or even further investigate if your burglary is UNDER a certain cost—unless you are famous or fabulously wealthy or another police officer. What good is a sign, this ounce of prevention when even if the police (miraculously) catch the thief the thief is back on the street within 23 hours all paroled? What good is putting up signs except to make the neighborhood residents more complacent someone else is looking out for their welfare?
By Jennifer
June 19, 2006 10:44 AM | Link to this
I’m all for a Neighborhood Watch program but I do have to say that when I lived in a neighborhood in Decatur (right off of Scott Blvd) the neighborhood watch consisted mostly of stay-at-home moms who were definitely busy bodies and wanted to be in everyone’s business in the neighborhood whether they were doing something wrong or not. I realize this isn’t the norm but it makes me wonder, if they’re so busy looking into my business what are they doing that’s bad? It’s usually the first one to yell, “who farted” who has actually done something wrong.
Of course, these women also put Pace Car stickers on their cars and locked their vehicles in at 25mph during rush hour, so that tells me they really, really have nothing better to do. Btw, one of these same women found her gas pedal when another vehicle tried to pass her. She got right up on his bumper and when he slammed on his brakes it was kind of funny to watch her try to not hit him. I guess she didn’t realize her Land Rover wouldn’t stop as quickly as his BMW.