10 Top Tips To Make Your Neighborhood Safe

Before moving home, you are bound to do a little research into the area you’re moving to.

You might check how good the schools are, or you can look at how long it takes you to get to your favorite restaurant whenever you get a craving. But these aren’t the only factors you need to think about, you should also consider how safe the area is. 

Even looking at the recent crime statistics won’t tell the full story, though, and you might find that the area has some safety issues that you didn’t realize at first. Of course, everyone wants to live somewhere they feel safe and secure, both for themselves, their kids, and any guests that come to visit. So, if you want to make your neighborhood feel safer, here are ten tips to consider.

Get to Know Everyone 

No matter where you go, the community is one of the most important things around, and it will do wonders for making your neighborhood feel safer than ever before. There are horror stories of awful neighbors who do everything they can to disrupt your life, but these are often in the minority. 

People naturally want to be good to other people. They want to help one another when they are in need and getting to know each other with a simple door-knock and hello when moving in will make your new neighborhood feel more like home. Recently, social media has given neighborhoods the chance to keep in touch at all times, especially with specific neighborhood groups. 

Be Involved 

There’s no point in complaining about the overall safety of your neighborhood if you don’t do anything to change that. This is why being involved in meetings is so important for making actual change. If your neighborhood hosts a regular meeting, whether weekly, every other week, or every month, make sure you get involved to raise your concerns. 

It could be that you bring unknown issues to their attention. Previously, other residents have highlighted ways to locate 5g towers in your area under concerns of radiation. For others, they have brought up instances of antisocial behavior that some members of the community were not aware of but were able to take action against. 

Encourage Security Camera and Lights 

Security systems such as alarms, cameras, and lights are all excellent deterrents against burglaries. They do not always work, of course, but they can go a long way towards convincing thieves to go elsewhere. 

You can’t merely expect your system to protect the entire neighborhood, though. If you want to get the most out of it, encouraging security systems for everyone will help protect your community. People can spend as much or as little as they like, but showing them that a bright and well-lit area is less prone to crime should help convince anyone who’s on the fence. 

Keep Your Garden Looking Good

You might not think that your garden can correlate to crime, but if you’re someone who hates yard work, you might be one of the reasons that the crime rate in your area is higher than usual. A poorly maintained garden encourages mess, and this will directly impact the overall safety of your neighborhood. 

Furthermore, letting your grass grow too long or your tree branches overhang will cause other safety issues. Dry twigs can become a fire hazard during the summer, whereas overgrown bushes give thieves better places to hide without being spotted. 

Don’t Assume You’re Safe

Complacency is one of the biggest factors in crime. People become too comfortable wherever they live and they assume that nothing will happen because something hasn’t happened in the time they have lived there. 

But, nothing has happened because you have taken all the necessary precautions. If you lock your doors every day, even when you’re in the house, you don’t give people a chance to break in. leaving your doors unlocked encourages thieves to enter your home. The same goes for leaving expensive jewelry out or answering the door to strangers. By all means, don’t live in fear, but remain vigilant. 

Keep Windows and Blinds Closed (At Night)

Everyone has been guilty of leaving the windows and blinds open at night, especially on those humid summer nights where you need some fresh air circulating. However, while you can probably get away with leaving your bedroom window open, you mustn’t leave other access points open for intruders. 

Before going to bed, make sure you close the windows downstairs and close the blinds. If burglars can see that there is no one around, they might take the chance. By closing the blinds or curtains, there is an element of mystery that is not worth risking on their part. 

Make Everyone Accountable 

Neighborhood safety does not begin and end with you. If you want to ensure the entire neighborhood is safe from possible crime problems, you must make everyone accountable. 

This means you can offer to help anyone who might struggle to install security systems or maintain their lawn, while also demonstrating why neighborhood safety is so important. You might also want to start a Neighborhood Watch group that will protect everyone more effectively, whereas sharing responsibility for looking after people’s homes when they are away on vacation will also encourage a sense of community. 

Educate New Residents

A neighborhood won’t thrive without fresh faces now and again. People will grow up and move on, and other families will move in. These people will come in without knowing anything about how to keep this neighborhood safe, so it’s up to you and other residents to educate them. 

When they first move in, stop by and introduce yourself so they know who you are. You won’t want to go into too many details at first, otherwise, you might scare them off before they’re settled. Instead, invite them to a neighborhood event so they can get to know everyone else and then let them know how to keep their home safe. 

Highlight Suspicious Activity

Knowing how to recognize suspicious activity will go a long way towards keeping your neighborhood safe. The problem is that some residents might feel anything is suspicious activity, and this could waste time and resources. 

Instead, go over what types of activity might seem suspicious. A couple of kids hanging out on a street corner can be an annoyance, but if they’re local kids from the neighborhood, there’s no need to call the police. A mysterious car circling the block (without a fast food logo plastered on the side), on the other hand, might be a sign that something isn’t quite right.  

Work Hard to Reclaim Empty Spaces

Empty spaces can be a significant magnet for crime. They become a dumping ground for old mattresses and appliances, they might even be a place where kids will mess around and cause mischief. These empty spaces are one of the first signs that your neighborhood could become unsafe, so you and the community must work hard to reclaim them. 

Rather than let empty lots become overgrown with weeds, consider ways you can make them useful. Community gardens or play areas are two common solutions, but there are plenty of other ideas to consider to make your community safer and more attractive. 

Safe As Houses 

Feeling safe anywhere is essential, but if there’s one place everyone wants to feel secure, it’s their neighborhood. This is something everyone can agree on, so don’t be afraid to encourage better safety in your community to make sure everyone can go to sleep at night or leave for work in the morning without worrying about their home.