CENTER4NEIGHBORHOODS

What to Teach Children About Strangers

admin — Wed, 08 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Nowadays, it is very difficult to feel safe when you send your child to school or allow them to hang out with their friends. So many kids get put into situations publicly that can be dangerous or uncomfortable for them. This is why it is a very wise decision to teach your children about the dangers associated with talking to strangers. While it is important for you to tell your kids that they should not do anything a stranger asks them to do, you also need to make sure that your kids are still polite to other people.

One of the major issues that parents are facing nowadays is teaching their kids to be polite while ignoring strangers. The problem is, there is nothing wrong with asking a stranger how they are doing or helping them with a door if their hands are full. You need to find the right median between being polite and making sure that your child is not going out of their way to talk to strangers who may be dangerous to them. Sit down with your kids and just simply start talking to them about some of the concerns that you have about their daily activities.

Report Suspicious Behavior: If it Doesn’t Look Right, it Probably Isn’t

admin — Thu, 21 Mar 2013 00:00:00 +0000

Creating a safe environment in our neighborhoods is an important job we have today. Maintaining a good relationship with your neighbors can lead to a safer neighborhood. Keeping a good rapport with your neighbors helps to identify suspicious activity faster. Good neighbors should help each other with various problems to keep the neighborhood safe.

Involving yourself with your neighbors within a neighborhood watch program is a good start to a safer community. A neighborhood watch will make sure everyone is safe in the community. Neighborhood watch programs usually report suspicious events occurring in the neighborhood. Reporting suspicious events quickly can ensure troublemakers are apprehended quickly, creating a more secure community.

There are many steps you can take in your own home to increase your security. Making sure your doors and windows are secure whenever you leave your home will help prevent intrusions. Security cameras can be installed around your home to boost your security, and catch any criminals that may enter your home when you aren’t there. Most security cameras today can be monitored on the Internet from any computer. This gives you peace of mind whenever you leave your house. Home safety is an important responsibility of any homeowner.

Choosing a Safe House in Your Neighborhood

admin — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 00:00:00 +0000

Before becoming enamored with homes you would like to purchase, check out the neighborhood. This is especially true if you are moving to an unfamiliar area. Look to the local police for crime statistics and if there is a prison nearby. The Chamber of Commerce is another good resource. Your broker can provide demographic statistics as well. Once you are comfortable that you are in your preferred area, you can start looking into the school system and riding the neighborhood to ascertain the homes are maintained to your satisfaction.

Now you are ready to grab a notepad and start viewing the individual homes. Make sure to write down the pros and cons to address your safety concerns. Is there a security system present? Note how many doors lead outside, how visible they are and check the locking systems. And, do not forget about the windows. Look around for fire extinguishers, smoke detectors and if the home has upper levels check how far it is to the ground.

Once you have all the important facts covered concerning the family’s safety, go ahead and enjoy the aesthetics of your possible new dream home.

Consider Taking a Self Defense Class

admin — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Though targeted most at females, a self-defense class can be beneficial for a person of any sex, age, and race. Everyone likes to think they live in a safe world where they are protected from any forms of harm, but reality shows that things do not always work out that way. It is better to be prepared in the chance of a situation arising than to not be prepared if one actually does.

What is self-defense? Literally speaking, self-defense is defending ones self. It also means having awareness at all times and possessing the skills to be able to escape any act of violence or assault. Classes dedicated to self-defense will teach the student different techniques and how to maintain composure if they are caught in an unsafe scenario.

With all the beneficial information these classes offer, they are also inexpensive. They are sometimes also offered for free at local colleges and churches. So using money as an excuse does not work for not taking a class that helps teach you how to save something as important as your life and well-being.

So since we unfortunately do not live in a perfect world, and harm does not discriminate against your social status, age, race, or sex, investing a minimal amount of money and some time into a self-defense class can be one of the best decisions you have ever made.

The Importance of Security Systems

admin — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Security systems protect your investments, as well as the people you love. The home contains many valuable items located within a small area. This makes theft a huge possibility, and a lucrative endeavor for any criminally minded entrepreneur.

Investing in a security system means that you can leave your home peacefully, without the worry that your things are in jeopardy. Living your life without stress is a much healthier alternative to living with constant worry.

Your home is where your loved ones sleep, and if a criminal enters your home they will stop at nothing to get away without being arrested. This could potentially mean danger for the people you care about who stand between this robber and getting away. Security systems prevent this type of danger by alerting the authorities as break ins happen.

Home security systems also allow for convictions to be made should things be stolen from your home. Cameras and other sensors have the capability of recording these intruders as they enter or exit your home. By having physical proof of these misdeeds, robbers can be taken to court and successfully tried for their criminal activity.

Your home is an investment which needs to be protected. Security systems provide this type of service.

Three Tips to Create a Safer Household

admin — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:00:00 +0000

When you want a safe place to raise your family, choosing the right neighborhood can be one of the most important deciding factors when you buy a house. You want a neighborhood that is safe for your kids to play in, and you want a neighborhood you can feel secure in. With the hustle and bustle of day to day life, it can be very hard to get to know your neighbors, but knowing the people you live around is important because all of you play a role in keeping your neighborhood safe. Here are a few things that you and your neighbors can do to help keep your neighborhood a pleasant place to call home.

There is no better way to get to know your neighbors than to plan a neighborhood block party. A block party can be a fun way to build new friendships, and get to really know the people who surround you. It’s a way to build a bond amongst neighbors, and can turn a simple wave on the way to work into a close friendship.

Another way to build familiarity amongst neighbors is to create a neighborhood directory. Go around to your neighbors homes, and have everyone add their name, phone number, and email address as a way to keep everyone updated on the happenings in the neighborhood. If someone is out of town, then everyone will know to keep a vigilant eye out on the vacationing neighbors home.

Yet another way to keep your neighborhood safe is to create a neighborhood watch. A neighborhood watch group gets the citizens to work with the police to help keep crime down in neighborhoods. The police can’t always be around in every neighborhood, and with a neighborhood watch, the citizens get to provide an extra set of eyes for the police. If you want information about how you can start your own neighborhood watch, http://www.nnwi.org/ is a website that can help you get started.

Everyone wants to raise their family in a safe neighborhood environment, and these are just a few of the many ideas you can use to help create the safe neighborhood you and your family want to live in. Creating a safe neighborhood involves participation from everyone in the neighborhood, and there are many ways to create the ideal living situation if everyone helps. They say it takes a village to raise a child, and creating a safe neighborhood is a good way to start.

Simple Steps to Help Keep Neighborhoods Save

admin — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Living in a safe neighborhood is the top priority for many families. There are simple steps that people can take to help make sure their neighborhood stays as safe as possible. The most important step is making sure that there is communication between everyone living in the neighborhood. When people talk to each other about what problems are occurring, and what might occur in the future, people can do a better job protecting themselves.

One simple way to do this is start some type of neighborhood watch program. This can be just a simple program that keeps everyone aware of threats and the lines of communication open. It is also important to educate children about the dangers of drugs and strangers to make sure they remain safe.

Keeping personal possessions and homes secured is a great way to also keep neighborhoods safe. By doing this burglars and other people are less likely to come back to a particular neighborhood. One of the best ways to keep a home safe would be with a home security system. This will alert you and the police of anything strange going on. By keeping homes safe and by keeping lines of communication open; neighborhoods can remain protected.

Take Advantage of Technology

www.center4neighborhoods.org — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 21:52:59 +0000

With our world being as busy as it is it’s not always convenient to stop by a neighbor’s house to ask questions about neighborhood issues, convey information, or just to get the word out that you’re having a BBQ in two hours and the back gate is open to all! Our neighborhood recently started using i-neighbors as a method to do all of those things and more. Recently there was some very suspicious activity in the neighborhood and within minutes of it being noticed by one homeowner, every registered homeowner on the site was alerted and the police were called. Likewise, when someone in the neighborhood has a general question like “who can you recommend for lawn service (or babysitting, or roof repairyou get the idea), the forum is open for first-hand references and testimonials. The site was launched in 2004 and it now serves thousands of neighborhoods across the United States and Canada. The site’s tag line is “bringing your neighbors together,” and it certainly does — without having to walk door-to-door to get a message out.