Community Safety Tips

What to Watch For and What to Do

Community safety relies upon the involvement of citizens in protecting their own neighborhood. Be alert for:

Someone running from a car or home.
Someone screaming. If you cannot determine what the screams are, call the police at 911 and report it.
Someone going door-to-door in the neighborhood or looking into windows and parked cars.
Someone asking about past residents.
A person who seems to have no purpose wandering in the neighborhood.
Any unusual or suspicious noise that you cannot explain, such as breaking glass or pounding.
Vehicles moving slowly, without lights, or with no apparent destination.
Business transactions conducted from a vehicle. This could involve the sale of drugs or stolen goods.
Offers of merchandise at ridiculously low prices. It is probably stolen property.
Property carried by someone on foot at an unusual hour or place especially if the person is running.
Property being removed from closed businesses or unoccupied residences.
A stranger entering a neighbor’s home that appears to be unoccupied.
A stranger in a car stopping to beckon to a child.
A child resisting the advances of an adult.

The police need to have accurate information as quickly as possible about a suspicious activity or crime in progress.

Call 911 and give your name. If a member of a Neighborhood Watch or other community safety program, identify yourself as a member.
Describe the event as briefly as possible; where, when, how, and who did it.
Tell if the crime is in progress or if it has already occurred.
Describe the suspect: sex, race, age, height, weight, hair color and length, clothing, beard or mustache, and distinctive characteristics.
Describe the vehicle involved: color, make, model, year, license plate, special markings, dents, and which direction they went.