Everybody would love to live in an area that is totally free of crime, but unfortunately, this cannot be the case. However, this doesn’t mean that you are left powerless. There are plenty of ways in which you can make your neighborhood safer, and a lot of them are extremely straightforward; and these are the ones that are going to be the focus of the following blog post in order to provide you with some ideas and inspiration.
Befriend Your Neighbors
The simple act of saying “hello” to your neighbors and forming a friendship can have a big impact straight away. You can offer to help out with looking after their houses while they are away on vacation, and they can also do the same for you. Perhaps there are small kids or older adults in the area that need you to keep an eye on them. When you offer to help out, it is more likely that your neighbors are going to reciprocate. Before you know it, you have an entire neighborhood looking out for one another.
Organize a Neighborhood Watch
If there is already a neighborhood watch in your area, you can take steps to join up with it. However, you may need to be the one who is proactively starting this kind of organization. Start by canvasing your neighbors to see who is interested in getting involved. Then, you can set up some meetings and ideally get in touch with the local law enforcement service. This way, the two groups can work in tandem in order to ensure a safer neighborhood.
Get to Know Law Enforcement
Communities tend to be safest when people and law enforcement know one another and there is a mutual interest in helping one another. Simply knowing the name and face of your local officer can end up making a big difference. This article tells you all you need to know about the best police scanner if this is an area that could help you out. If you should ever need to report a crime in the local area, you will know exactly who to contact first. Not only is this a benefit to you, but it can also help your local police force deal with unsolved crime in the area. Essentially, it is a win-win situation.
Improve Street Lighting
Burglars prefer to stay under the cover of darkness as much as possible, so if you can improve the lighting situation on your own street, this is certainly going to be advantageous to you. Start with your own house and encourage your neighbors to also invest in some motion-sensor lighting. If you have a problem with the general street lighting in the area, it may be worth getting in contact with your local council to try and get the situation solved.
Support Community Initiatives
Often, crime is committed by younger people, so if you can support any initiatives that keep them on the straight and narrow, this is certainly going to be of benefit to your local area. It could be that a local sports club is being set up and may be struggling for funding. Alternatively, it could be a dance or a music group. If you are unable to help with your own money, you could always offer your own skills as a teacher or an instructor. Not only are you doing your bit for local safety, but you are also helping to enhance the community as a whole, and this leads to an enormous sense of personal satisfaction.
Keep Greenery Neat and Tidy
The simple act of gardening can also go a long way towards making your community that little bit safer. Criminals like to have places to hide, and these are often in amongst greenery, shrubs, bushes, and so on. So, if everything is getting a bit overgrown, now is the time to pull out a pair of shears and trim it all back! Not only does this reduce the number of places that are available for hiding, but it also serves to make your community that little bit neater and tidier.
As you can see from this list of techniques above, there is plenty that you can do to improve the safety of your own neighborhood, and none of them have to be overly complicated. Sometimes, it is the simple ideas that are the most effective. Essentially, the foundation of them is all about taking a more active interest in your local area and forming connections with your neighbors. This way, all of you are working hard for one another to create a local area that is much nicer to live in. Also, forming connections with your local law enforcement means that both groups are working together in harmony rather than staying at odds.
