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" September newsletter:

Summer is almost gone. Things are changing. The days are getting shorter, nights are getting cooler, kids are in school, and the tourists are gone. One thing that never changes is that some people are always looking to find ways to separate us from our hard-earned money and/or possessions. We have been able to reduce crime in our community because everyone does their part watching out for suspicious people and suspicious activity and reporting it promptly to the police. The police would rather you call

than wished you had called.

Keeping your vehicles, sheds, and garages locked causes criminals to move on to less diligent communities. We can’t be home all the time so it’s up to every one of us to try to keep watch on our neighbor’s property. The police cannot be everywhere. We have to watch out for each other.

Please be aware of how your actions affect your neighbors. Consider your nearby neighbors when you are having a party. The speed limit in our community is 25 MPH, if you are running, walking or biking on the street at night please wear easily visible light-colored clothing.

National Night Out was August 5th, the weather was perfect, and we had the largest number of groups ever to participate this year. Most were in Haygood Point, three were in Lake Smith Terrace. Additionally, three new people hosted National Night Out events. Hopefully, Lake Smith Terrace will be more involved next year. Everyone enjoyed having the opportunity to spend time catching up with their neighbors and interacting with the police and other city agencies in a casual setting. National Night Out is a

community event not exclusive to Civic League members. A special Thank You to: Beth Toone, Carol Pincavage, Theresa & Terry Gray, Heather Brinkman, James & Mary Dean, John Eason, Carolyn Walsh, Larry Huggins, and Mike Stuart for hosting National Night Out events this year. These events are growing each year and most of us who participated are looking forward to next year’s

National Night Out. If you are interested in hosting a National Night Out, contact me and I will explain what’s involved.

Enjoy the autumn weather. Get outside and take time to appreciate your safe neighborhood.

Sam Hribal, Civic League Vice President