Everyone wants to live in a safe neighborhood. Homeowners, especially parents, spend days, weeks and even months looking at houses before they move just to try to get a house in a neighborhood with a low crime rate. However, not everyone can afford to live in the best neighborhoods. In this economy, people are lucky just to have a house, much less one in a crime-free neighborhood. Besides, there really isn’t such a thing as a crime-free neighborhood. No matter where you go, you can be a victim if you aren’t careful.
With that in mind, here are 10 ways to make your home and neighborhood safer. By instituting these suggestions, not only will your home be more secure, but your neighborhood will be as well.
1. Start a neighborhood watch group. If there is already one in place, be sure it is still active.
2. Install motion-activated security lighting. If every house on the block were to do this, the entire neighborhood would be adequately lit and burglars would have nowhere to hide.
3. Install live security surveillance cameras. Do this in conjunction with your own home security system, but also do this for any community-shared property in your neighborhood.
4. Form community patrols. Schedule all participants in the neighborhood watch group to go on neighborhood patrols. Just the mere presence of someone near the houses is a good deterrent for would-be burglars.
5. Post security signs and neighborhood watch signs around the neighborhood. It has been proven that the presence of signs notifying people that a home security system is in use can reduce crime by as much as 80%.
6. Increase neighbor participation by organizing and holding neighborhood-wide events such as block parties, barbecues and other fun get-togethers.
7. Watch the local news report daily so you are aware of any potential criminal activity near or in your neighborhood.
8. If you live in a gated community, make sure your gate is made out of steel and is functioning properly. The whole purpose of a gate is to keep undesirable elements out, but if it isn’t working right or made out of a strong material, it isn’t doing its job.
9. Continuously educate your neighbors about home and neighborhood security, especially when you have new people move in. This will keep the neighborhood watch group active and up-to-date.
10. Encourage neighbors to keep their landscaping trimmed back so that there are fewer hiding places for would-be burglars. In addition, it helps other neighbors keep an eye on your property, which is what a neighborhood watch group is all about.