Adopting good safety habits and making sure everyone in your home is aware of good, solid safety protocol, even at the basic level is necessary for everyday life. In the event of an emergency, being aware of safety habits can help save lives and prevent tragedy. The safety of you and your family will always be a concern, something that lingers at the back of your mind throughout the day. It’s natural. But keeping your family and your home safe can be easy.
It’s important to know that a safe neighborhood can mean a safe home, too! After all, no one exists in isolation, so to act as a responsible citizen would mean that you’re a good neighbor and would also inspire others to do the same. Being a good neighbor also means that you need to know your neighbors. Regular interaction with them helps to build trust and even lasting friendships! So, how do you start to know the people within your neighborhood to stay safe and feel safe?
1. Build A Relationship With Your Neighbors
Okay, we’re not going to like everyone who lives in our neighborhood, but this doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t try! Yes, there are some people who would rather be left alone – this could be for the worse or for the better. Either way, reaching out to your neighbors is a great start in creating a safer neighborhood for everyone in your locality. Make a point of establishing some kind of rapport with your neighbors. Of course, getting their contact numbers in the case that there’s suspicious activity in the area is really useful.
This, along with being on good terms with them, gives you a solid foundation and helps you to look out for each other. If you go out to work every day, find out who works from home so that they can keep an eye out for you in the event of any concerning activity around. This kind of network creates a cooperative home area for you, your family, and those around you, giving you peace of mind knowing that you’re always looking out for each other.
2. Do Your Neighbors Have Surveillance Cameras?
Bad things do occur, sometimes we just can’t help it. Find out which of your neighbors have installed surveillance cameras on their premises – this is particularly helpful if one or more of their cameras points out onto the street or are outward-facing. In the event of a hit and run, petty theft, or burglary, surveillance footage from one of your neighbors can really drive forward a case and police could be able to use this information to track down perpetrators.
3. Stay Up To Date On Crime Stats And Let Others Know
If you’ve heard of people loitering around the area suspiciously, especially near your home or a neighbor’s, let as many people in the neighborhood know. In some cases, such behavior can have rational, innocent explanations behind them and one of your neighbors could help put your mind at rest about the issue. On the other hand, your neighbors could also keep an eye out and remain on alert.
Knowing what’s been happening in terms of the crime statistics helps you and your entire neighborhood stay on the lookout and be extra vigilant. Creating some kind of neighborhood forum, like a WhatsApp group, can help you get the word out quickly and local authorities can be informed when they need to be.
If you’ve just moved into a new neighborhood, you’re going to want to know who you’re living next to, or who’s living nearby. If you’ve been a permanent, reputable fixture of your neighborhood and someone moves in next door or down the road, you’ll want to know whether they’re trustworthy or not, too. The last thing you’d want is for your children to be playing outside on their own and your new neighbor is a registered sex offender.
Knowing your neighbors and knowing what to look out for is something that we need to be aware of, even if that sounds unfortunate. Some people can appear to be trustworthy and reputable, but may have skeletons in the closet that you’d need to be aware of – especially if you were planning on building a friendship with the family next door. If you’re suspicious, look up your neighbor on Nuwber. If there’s anything to be worried about, the site will pull up relevant criminal records or anything else about them that can be found in publicly accessible records.
5. Communicate With Local Law Enforcement
As a neighborhood and a community, it’s important to be on good terms with your local law enforcement agencies and get to know them, too. Learn who the regulars are on the force. Local law enforcement is there to help you and your neighborhood feel safe, but as a neighborhood, you can keep them informed, too. That way, they can offer support and also help to educate you and your fellow residents on how to deal with any issues that may arise in terms of crime and safety.
6. Create Or Join A Neighborhood Watch
Also known as a “home watch” or “community watch”, a neighborhood watch is a proactive way of keeping your neighborhood safe, together. These neighborhood watches are run by your community and work together with local law enforcement to keep crime at bay in your locality. If you’ve just moved into a new home and neighborhood, find out whether a neighborhood watch exists and learn what you can do to support them.
If your neighborhood doesn’t already have its own neighborhood watch, get to know your neighbors better, and encourage each other to organize one for the good of the community. Remember, a neighborhood watch is not a vigilante group, but an organized group that keeps a proactive eye out, working together for the sake of the community’s well being.
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