A Safety Note from Jim Hardy - NPU F Pubic Safety Chair

We’ve unfortunately experienced several burglaries and home invasions recently in this area.  While we can’t prevent all of these crimes, there are some things we each can do to deter or detect these crimes:

Lock it up:

• Lock all doors and windows, including your garage door, even while you’re home.
• Strengthen doors and frames.
• Use dead bolt locks on exterior doors.

Light it up

• Light exterior, particularly entrances so thieves won’t be hidden.
• Use exterior motion detectors on lights.
• Replace burned out bulbs immediately.
• Put interior lights on timers to turn on and off at intervals.
• Use exterior cameras connected to your alarm system.

Make Some Noise

• Use an alarm system on doors and windows.
• Make sure it’s on.
• Get a dog to alert you and scare off burglars.

Don’t be predictable.

• Change your daily routine so thieves can’t plan their activities easily.

Be aware of Unusual (out of the norm) activities in your neighborhood.

• Unknown vehicles slowly driving down street, particularly circling block.
• Unknown people walking slowly through neighborhood, particularly if paying specific attention to certain homes.
• Door to door soliciting in the neighborhood.  Who are they? Who do they represent? Are they going to all   homes?  What time of day do they come by?

Be prepared when you’re away for an extended period:

• Ask neighbors to watch your home while you’re away. Leave a phone number where you can be reached in case of an emergency.
• Have your mail and newspapers picked up by a neighbor or held at the post office.
• Have packages delivered to at-home neighbor, not left on doorstep

Know your neighbors. 

• Meet and engage with people on your street and encourage them to watch out for any suspicious activity when you are not home.
• Get involved in a neighborhood watch group.
• Report suspicious activities to police and your neighbors.

Join your neighborhood community/civic association

• Help present a group voice to public officials (police, politicians).

Join your neighborhood security patrol.

• Effectiveness of security patrols is dependent on neighborhood participation/membership.  The more members, the more money to use for patrols.

AWARENESS is the best security enhancement.

Jim Hardy
NPU F Public Safety Chair

Note: Jim is recently retired as the Department of Homeland Security’s Protective Security Advisor (PSA) for the State of Georgia, after over 45 years of law enforcement, security and management experience with the US Air Force, municipal police and private industry. We are lucky to have him as a member of our community and an active participant in our Neighborhood Planning Unit. From time to time he will be writing safety notes which we will share here.