If you are leaving town:
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" May newsletter:
For Neighborhood Watch to be totally effective, each resident must take an active role in both security
improvement and observation. Stay safe and crime free this summer. Help each other out by keeping watch on
each other’s property. Do your part. Get everyone in your family to do their part too. We are all in this
together. Let’s keep our community a great place to live.
Be alert and cautious when enjoying water sports and activities.
With our hot summer weather more of us will be looking to cool off with a refreshing swim. Virginia Beach is
practically surrounded by water, and we have many lakes, rivers and canals. We all need to be safe when we
are enjoying our time in or near the water, especially
children.
Children: Children ages 1 to 4 have the highest drowning rates. Among children 1 to 4 years old who
died from an unintentional injury, one-third died from drowning. Among children ages 1 to 4, most drownings
occur in home swimming pools. Drowning can happen quickly and quietly anywhere there is water, especially
vulnerable are unsupervised children. It happens in lakes and oceans, pools, bathtubs, and even buckets of water.
Males: Nearly 80% of people who die from drowning are male. Many adults and children report that they can’t swim or that they are weak swimmers. Participation in formal swimming lessons can reduce the risk of drowning among children and young
adults.
https://www.cdc.gov/drowning/facts/index.html
Summer is almost here. Please keep in mind that along with the warm weather and fun activities we may see a
rise in criminal activity. Remember to call all suspicious activity to the police department’s non-emergency
number (757-385-5000). If the circumstance requires immediate police, fire or rescue response, do not hesitate
to call 911. You are not bothering the police when you call, they would much rather respond and have it turn
out to be nothing, than not be called when they are actually needed.
Our neighbors are our best security devices. Unfortunately, many people simply do not take any
effort to know their neighbors. Acknowledge your neighbors when you see them. Just a wave or a friendly
hello will do. We needn’t be close friends with our neighbors in order to look out for their interests. By
knowing when they are at work, on vacation, and so forth, we will be better able to judge whether a stranger
should legitimately be at the neighbor’s home. Inform your neighbors when you will be away and ask them to
let you know when they will be gone. It is a win-win for everyone except would-be burglars.
Don’t speed when driving - Be visible when walking, running, or biking.
Drivers, be aware that the speed limit everywhere in our community is 25 miles per hour. Walkers, runners,
dog walkers and bikers make sure that you will be visible. Wear light, reflective clothing when on the
street. When vehicles are parked on both sides of some of our streets it’s a tight squeeze to drive through. If a
pedestrian is there it becomes downright dangerous.
Have a safe and crime free summer.
Sam Hribal, Civic League Vice President
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