Neighborhood Watch

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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" December newsletter:

It’s that time of the year again. We just ate our way through Thanksgiving and now we are getting ready for Christmas. While you are stressing about how you can make this another great Christmas make sure that you take time to pause and enjoy this joyful season.

We live in one of the best neighborhoods in VirginiaBeach. When outsiders drive through our community, they notice the well-maintained lawns and the pride of ownership we take in our homes. These things contribute to the reason that our crime rate is lower than other similar sized communities in Virginia Beach. Criminals know a neighborhood like ours is not the kind of place that is productive for them. We keep our vehicles locked and valuables out of sight, our garages and sheds are locked and

we watch out for our neighbors, so criminals move on to more lax areas. We need to continue making our community unattractive to criminals.

I have been working with our Community Police Liaison Officer to get the speed monitor placed on Five Forks Road for the last couple of months to no avail. He told me that they will have an officer assigned to monitor speed in the interim until the monitor becomes available.

Since the time change and darkness comes earlier I have noticed more people out running, walking or biking wearing dark colored clothing. At least, please wear light colored clothes so that drivers can see you sooner. Don’t forget about your dog. A reflective collar just might save its life.

Remember: Criminals Love Holidays and ShoppingToo! 

The arrival of Thanksgiving officially kicks off the holiday shopping and celebration season. Your Virginia Beach Police Department will have extra officers on patrol around the malls and shopping centers and on the roadways throughout the city. BUT “WE need YOU to help US help YOU” and this statement is especially important during this time of year. Please do not put yourself or your property into the situation of being an easy or inviting target to would-be thieves. Your situational awareness does make a

difference and is of the utmost importance in the prevention

Sam Hribal, Civic League Vice President