Neighborhood Watch

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1. Do not leave your vehicles unlocked

• Do not leave anything of value visible from outside your vehicle
• Park in your driveway or garage if possible
• Keep sheds and garages locked
• Leave your outside lights on all night
• Become more involved in your community, join your Civic League

If you are leaving town:

• Alert a trusted neighbor
• Stop newspaper and mail delivery
• Install timers on interior and exterior lights
• Leave a car parked in your driveway or ask a neighbor to park their car In your driveway
  

If you suspect anything out of the ordinary, see suspicious people, or see suspicious activity in the neighborhood: call the VBPD non

emergency number, 757-385-5000. Give them a description of the person or persons and describe why you feel they are acting suspicious. If you see an actual crime being committed or about to be committed, call VBPD at 911 immediately.
Some of us may be hesitant to report suspicious people or vehicles fearing that we will be regarded as “snoops”. Your own neighbors are your single best security device. The greatest deterrent to a would-be criminal is the fear of getting caught. Each concerned citizen is another pair of eyes to let the criminal know that he is being watched. You are a vital part of Neighborhood Watch. One or two people cannot watch 907 homes. It takes all of us to do our part. Thank you for doing your part it’s paying off.

From the "Lake Smith Ripples" January newsletter:

We hope that everyone had an enjoyable Christmas. All of the lights and decorations around our community show

the pride that we all have in our homes.

It’s a new year and time to make some resolutions other than those that involve food, exercise or getting organized. This year resolve to focus on securing your property. Keep your vehicles locked and your valuables out of sight. Don’t forget to close the garage door. Lock the shed. Keep an eye on your neighbor’s property (they are watching yours). Before going to bed check that all doors are locked and scan the street for anything or anybody that looks suspicious Lock your doors. How many times have you heard that or read that. By now everyone knows that there are groups of individuals that roam neighborhoods in the early morning

hours checking for unlocked vehicles. It’s easy to forget to lock it occasionally but try to make a habit to not leave anything of value in your car. Just assume that someone will enter your vehicle while you are sleeping. If you happen to be up in the early morning hours look for people checking for vehicles that are unlocked. If you see any, call 911 immediately and report it. Do not confront them.

Our own neighbors are our single best security device. Neighborhoods in which people are truly concerned with each other and their mutual safety have extremely low crime rates. Living in a community with a very low crime rate gives you peace of mind. Keeping the crime rate low means that we need to make it difficult on would be criminals.

Here are things we should do to safeguard our possessions.

• Do not leave your vehicles unlocked.

• Do not leave anything of value visible from outside

your vehicle.

• Park in your driveway or garage if possible.

• Leave your outside lights on all night.

If you are leaving town

• Alert a trusted neighbor.

• Stop newspaper and mail delivery.

• Install timers on interior and exterior lights

The greatest deterrent to a would-be criminal is the fear of getting caught. Each concerned citizen is another pair of eyes to let the criminal know that he is being watched. Neighborhood Watch supplies these eyes.

Sam Hribal, Civic League Vice President