Crime Prevention Tips That Work!!!

    No matter how safe you think your neighborhood is, always keep your car, house, garage, shed, etc., locked at all times. Even if your neighborhood really is free from crime now, if enough folks become careless you’ll soon have a problem. Criminals are street smart and often very observant, so it won’t take them long to figure out where the pickings are easiest. Good lighting is the cheapest night-time crime deterrent and one of the most effective. Automatic on/off switches and motion detector activated lights can reduce electricity costs to a minimum. Where possible, trim shrubbery to allow for visual sightlines from the street. Overgrown areas obstruct sightlines and reduce night-time light, giving criminals more places to hide. If you have an alarm, use it. If you don’t have an alarm, get one! Alarms can be installed to conform to almost any budget, and even the most basic alarm is better than none. Consider adding a portable wireless panic button which can activate your home alarm if you are attacked in your yard or driveway. (And don’t forget to post security and alarm yard signs & window decals all over the place!) If you think residence burglaries only occur at night, the F.B.I. begs to disagree! Fact is, a burglary can occur at any time but more and more residence burglaries occur in the morning. With Mom and Dad at work, the kids in school or daycare, Grandma living a thousand miles away and few homes with full-time domestic staff, the burglars just made the logical choice.

    Never hire casual labor if you aren’t familiar with the worker, either through personal acquaintance or a recent reference from a trusted source. Just because someone is carrying a bucket and brush, don’t think this necessarily means that person is a legitimate window or car washer.     Be careful about hiring small contractors who drive around the neighborhood looking for work - they may be scam artists. Check their references and ask how long their helpers have been with them – it’s a bad sign if you constantly see new faces every day.

    Be especially watchful if construction or repair work is going on in your neighborhood within a block or so of your location. Never leave any property visible inside your vehicle. Even inexpensive items like CD’s, loose change, clothing or books can prompt a petty thief to break in. Also remember to park your vehicle in a lighted area whenever possible. Use your patrol for escorts to and from your house. After all, that’s one of the reasons we’re there. When you call us, give us a precise arrival or departure time so we can coordinate multiple requests.

    If you’re leaving town, call in a patrol request and we’ll keep an eye on your property. If you like, we’ll remove your mail and newspapers to a safe place so it won’t be obvious that no one has been home for some time. If you observe a suspicious person in the neighborhood, call us and we’ll begin a surveillance. If you observe actual criminal activity, call NOPD, then call us. Lastly and most importantly, be aware of your surroundings at all times. Become “street smart” and make your personal security an unconscious habit. Before you walk out the door of your house or turn off the ignition in your vehicle, take a look around to make sure you are safe. We don’t just mean take a quick glance – spend a few moments visually scanning in every direction and think about your environment. Look before you leap!

Distributed as a public service by New Orleans Private Patrol