Neighborhood Watch

If you are interested in playing a vital part in building a partnership between your community and the Arroyo Grande Police Department, consider becoming a member of the Neighborhood Watch program. As a member of the Neighborhood Watch program you will become part of an organized community group with your neighbors to discuss and respond to your neighborhood’s concerns. The Neighborhood Watch program is a nationwide network of local concerned citizens working together, neighborhood by neighborhood, community by community, in partnerships with local police departments to solve neighborhood problems.

Being a member of Neighborhood Watch does not require a great deal of time, but it does require a commitment to become involved and work with your neighbors. The Arroyo Grande Police Department will assist in organizing and providing initial direction for each Neighborhood Watch program. The Department will provide identifying Neighborhood Watch street signs and home decals. Members of the Department will instruct the Neighborhood Watch program on a wide variety of subjects from crime prevention tips, personal safety advice, home protection systems, and narcotics and gang identification.

Through the Neighborhood Watch program you will be able not only to meet and get to know your neighbors on a more personal level, but you will also be able to meet and become personally acquainted with the Police Officers who patrol your community. Neighborhood Watch will give you the opportunity to interact with your Police Officers and your Police Department.

Remember, it only takes one person in your neighborhood to plant the seed of a Neighborhood Watch that will grow into an effective partner with your Police Department in protecting you and your community. If you have that desire to be a leader and help your neighborhood help itself toward the goal of a safer community, contact John Allen at the Arroyo Grande Police Department at 805/473-5100 for more information.

Burglary Prevention

The real truth is that nothing can make your home completely burglar proof. But you are certainly not completely helpless to make your home dramatically less vulnerable to a burglar by following a few simple suggestions:

• When you leave your home even for a short period of time, lock your doors and windows. It is surprising how many people do not use even the most basic burglary prevention tools- locks on doors and windows.

• Inspect your door locks for the level of security they provide. “Double key” deadbolt door locks offer greater security because you need to use a key to open the lock from the outside and the inside of the door. If a burglar enters your home through a door or window he can leave your home simply by turning a door knob or handle on the inside of a door unless the door is secured with a “double key” door lock. In that case the burglar must use a key or break the lock. If you want to be able to quickly leave your residence in the event of an emergency, leave a key in the inside “double key” deadbolt lock while you are inside your home, but be certain to remove the key when you leave your home.

• The length of the “throw” on a deadbolt door lock is critical. The “throw” is the metal bar that extends from the door lock into the doorjamb. The longer the “throw” the more difficult it is for a burglar to break the deadbolt door lock without shattering the doorjamb.

• The windows that are easiest for a burglar to defeat are louvered windowpanes. Louvered panes can be easily removed by removing the clips that hold the windowpanes in place.

• Consider all the “pros and cons” before deciding to install bars on your windows. If you chose to install window bars be certain that they can be opened easily and quickly from the inside in the event you need to escape a house fire.

• Stop newspaper and mail delivery and put the interior lights in your home on a timer while you are away from your home for any extended period.

• Request a vacation house check while you are away from your home for an extended period of time. The Police Department offers a regular vacation house check service to check the security of your home.

• Keep the trees, bushes, and plants around the immediate perimeter of your home reasonably trimmed to allow more unobstructed views of your home.

• Consider installing exterior motion detector lights around the perimeter of your home if you do not live in an environment where the lights will be continually illuminated by animals.

• Burglar alarms are an option you might consider installing, but remember that even the most sophisticated and expensive burglar alarms have limitations. The Police Department does not directly receive burglar alarm activations. Alarm activations are first transmitted to the alarm company, then forwarded to the Police Department, so there is some delay in a police response. As an option, consider simply posting notices or decals on your property or home that your home is alarmed, even if it not. It may not always be successful, but most burglars are interested in targets of opportunity or least resistance and will likely not tempt fate by trying to see if your home really is alarmed.

• Be certain that your valuable property is clearly identified and that you maintain a record of that identification in a separate location in case your home is burglarized. The easiest way to maintain a record of your property is with serial numbers. For valuable property without serial numbers consider engraving a unique sequence of numbers and/or letters, not your driver’s license number or Social Security number, on the property. The Police Department can lend you an engraving tool. If the property has no serial number and is too small to engrave with an identification number but it is still valuable and distinctive, for example a piece of expensive jewelry, consider taking a photograph of the property. It is much easier to provide a photograph of a piece of jewelry than to try to describe the jewelry in words. Without a numerical or photographic record of your property it may be very difficult for an investigating officer to identify and return your recovered stolen property to you.

• A final point, but certainly one of the most important points- become aware of your neighbors and your neighborhood. Take the time to get to know your neighbors so that you will be aware when something at your neighbor’s home does not seem to be “right.” It probably isn’t. Ask your neighbors to watch your home while you are away and be willing to watch their homes while they are away. Look out for each other. Consider forming or joining a Neighborhood Watch program. Contact the Arroyo Grande Police Department at 805/473-5100 for information on the Neighborhood Watch program.

You can make a difference and you can make your home much more secure.

Personal Safety Tips

Fear of crime, particularly the fear of becoming a victim of violent crime, is more often than not based on perception rather than reality. Reports of violent crime are prevalent in the media, fueling the perception that violent crime is pervasive throughout our communities. The reality is far different.

After peaking in the early 1980’s, the statistics related to violent crime- murder, rape, robbery, and assaults- dropped dramatically in the following two decades for persons of every gender, race, national origin, and income level. Despite recent scattered spikes in violent crime statistics in specific areas or cities, the rate of violent crime still remains at historically low levels.

But that does little to ease the fear of violent crime based on perceptions. Arroyo Grande’s rate of violent crime is extremely low and has been for some time. For the Arroyo Grande Police Department to be successful in keeping that rate of violent crime so low, everyone in our community needs to work with us by being careful, being vigilant, and taking common sense precautions in safeguarding their personal safety.

Walk confidently and assertively, remaining alert to your surroundings and taking notice of anyone who passes you or who is behind you. Awareness of your surroundings and having a plan for responding to a threat are probably the two most important elements in personal safety. Try not to walk or jog early in the morning or late at night when it is dark and the streets or paths are more likely to be deserted; instead, walk or jog in well-lighted areas and try to have a companion with you. If you must walk in dark or deserted neighborhoods, walk down the middle of the street if the lack of vehicular traffic allows you to do that safely.

Avoid walking or jogging close to bushes, alleys, and any area that might offer someone a place of concealment. If a vehicle drives slowly along side you, or if the occupants of a vehicle bother you or attempt to engage you in conversation or ask directions, reply from a distance. Never get too close to the vehicle. If the occupants of the vehicle continue to follow or bother you, cross the street and walk or run in the opposite direction.

If you think someone is following you, turn around and check. Switch directions or cross the street. If you are still being followed, walk or run to the nearest lighted house or place of business. If you feel you are in danger, don’t be afraid to make as much noise as possible by screaming for help and running. Sometimes yelling “Fire!” as a last resort has more impact in attracting attention and help.

Wear clothes and shoes that give you freedom of movement. Carry a whistle or personal safety device. If you carry a purse, hold it close to your body. Keep your wallet in a front or buttoned hip pocket. Carry as little cash as possible, only the money you will likely need on a particular day. Don’t display your cash or other inviting targets like pagers, cell phones, hand-held electronic games, or expensive jewelry or clothing.

Don’t overburden yourself with bags or packages that might hinder your ability to run or protect yourself. If you are loading your vehicle, take several loads to the vehicle if necessary. Try to park in well-lighted areas with good visibility and close to walkways, stores, and other people. Always lock the vehicle doors and take the keys when you leave your vehicle, even if only for a few minutes and even in your own driveway. Never leave your vehicle motor running when you are not in your vehicle. Don’t leave valuable items clearly visible inside your vehicle. Make sure you have your key out and readily available as you approach your vehicle when returning to it. Do everything you can to keep a stranger from getting into your vehicle or to keep a stranger from forcing you into another vehicle. Check the backseat of your vehicle before you enter the vehicle just in case someone has managed to get into your vehicle and is trying to hide.

If you notice someone you think is following you when you are driving, drive immediately to the nearest busy, brightly lighted area such as a gas station, fast food store, or a fire station. Do not continue to drive to your original destination and do not drive home. Write down the license plate, make, model, and color of the vehicle. Call “911” immediately. If the vehicle leaves the area, provide a direction of travel to the “911” operator.

Most importantly, if you are unsuccessful in avoiding a robbery or assault and someone tries to rob you, giving up your property may be your best chance to survive the attack. Property can be replaced. Don’t give up your life. If you decide instead to resist or fight your attacker, remember that is your decision. That decision must be made based on how you believe your attacker will respond if you resist or fight. You may be successful in resisting or fighting. Or you may provoke a more violent response from your attacker. Only you are in the very difficult and very lonely position of weighing those options. If you resist or fight, be creative. Use anything, any object, or any tactic that you think will help you. You must be willing to do or use anything to survive once you make that decision to resist or fight. You must be fully committed not only physically but mentally to survive through any means.

If you would like additional information regarding personal safety, the National Crime Prevention Council has a wealth of information on its website at www.ncpc.org or you may contact the Arroyo Grande Police Department at 805/473-5100.

Stopping the Violence - Keeping the Peace

No community, even Arroyo Grande, is insulated from acts of violence. But that does not mean that we as individuals, as families, and as a community, cannot work together toward stopping the violence. There are things that we can do and that we should do to stop the violence. We owe that to ourselves, to our families, and to our communities.

If you are irritated, frustrated, angry, or ready to explode, you are not alone. Whether it’s an argument with a friend, aggravation because another driver cut in front of you on the highway or a disagreement over the best way to do a job, conflict is an unavoidable part of everyday life. But that conflict causes stress, hurts friendships, and can cause injury or death. You cannot always avoid conflict, but you can learn to manage it without violence. You can use conflict to improve your life and learn from your past mistakes.

To manage personal conflict without violence you need skills. Understand your own feelings about conflict. Recognize your own “triggers,” words or actions that immediately provoke in you an emotional response like anger or violence. It could be a facial expression, a tone of voice, a pointing finger, or a certain phrase. If you know your “triggers” you can better control your emotions.

Practice active listening. Try to understand what the other person is really saying. Listen carefully, instead of thinking about what you’re going to say next. Active listening demands concentration and body language that clearly shows you are paying attention.

Create options for resolving a conflict. Many people can only think of two ways to manage conflict- fighting or avoiding the problem. Get the facts straight, brainstorm all the ideas that might help resolve the argument, then discuss the pros, cons, and consequences of those ideas.

Critique your response to conflict. If your style isn’t working- you’re being left with raging emotions that lead to more problems- try to change your response.

State your needs and clearly define the problem. Talk directly. Talk about the issues without insulting, name-calling, or blaming the other person. Discuss together various ways of meeting your needs and the needs of the other person or solving the problem. Be flexible and open-minded. Talk it through and work on a solution together.

For young adults and children- settle arguments with words, not fists or weapons. Don’t stand around and form an audience. Don’t abuse yourself with alcoholic beverages and drugs. Stay away from people and places associated with them. Stick with friends who are also against violence and drugs. Stay away from known trouble spots. Get involved to make your schools safer and better by working against violence and the abuses of alcoholic beverages and drugs, counseling your peers, and settling disputes peacefully. If there are no programs to help make your school safer and better, help start one. And for adults and parents- make sure the young people in our communities have positive ways to spend their time through organized activities and recreation, tutoring programs, part-time work, and volunteer opportunities. Build a pro-active partnership with the police, focusing on solving problems instead of reacting to crises. The Arroyo Grande Police Department, and all the police agencies in our area, stands ready to work with our communities in partnerships to reduce the violence that hurts us all.

This article was developed in part from information gathered from the official website of the Los Angeles Police Department.