Anyone have a crime watch group in their neighborhood?

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I only ask because the neighbor's alarm was blaring a while ago. he lives alone, and I guess he was at work. It finally stopped and most likely reset itself about about thirty minutes.

I called the cops about it. I couldn't figure out what the weird noise was, I thought it was the computer. LOL Then I opened the door and heard it very well.

The woman on the phone said that if I heard any breaking glass or saw anyone to call back at 911. So far, haven't even seen the cops.

I was thinking that this would be a pretty good day for the burglars to hit houses as most homemakers would be out shopping, and of course their spouses would likely be at work, and kids in school.

Hard to take into account the nutty neighbors like me who work nights and don't shop much. [We see and hear most everything when the windows are open.]

Be safe all! I don't want to read anything bad happening to anyone, okay?

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001

Answers

Do youlike how I didn't refer to gender when I mentioned homemakers and spouses? Isn't that just too PC? LOL

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001

Our "neighborhood watch" is only active in the summer. I hate it and refuse to participate. The idea is EXCELLENT, but the residents on my street who are over 60 are too nosey and want to know far too much about my business, especially why I'm not married, what men I'm seeing (none as far as they know), what I'm doing to meet men, and why I can't dress better and donate money to all their causes (I haven't given a penny to anyone who knocks at my door and asks for donnations or who wants me to buy things). None of this stuff is any of their concern! The younger residents don't bother me.

We all help each other out in the winter, though. Everyone who can shovels. That keeps me from being on their black list, I think.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001


meemur, we had a couple guys going door to door Monday or Tuesday ostensibly selling something, but when the doors were open they seemed more interested in looking inside behind whoever opened the door.

Then just this morning my neighbor's alarm went off. This is the neighbor behind us. Prior to these guys, a neighbor across the street had an attempted break-in while she was home. The next day the house behind her was burgled. This was while our house was being worked on, btw.

We haven't yet settled on an alarm company, but really should get one in here to repair and upgrade the system we have. Fortunately for whatever company we choose, the wiring is already there. I'll have to add a little thingy to the alarm phone connection for the adsl, tho.

While I dislike watching the neighbors, it is hard not too unless I keep the drapes closed. during the summer we do that, but when it is cool and breezy like now I tend to let nature air the house and so the drapes are open. At this time, however, the drapes are actually king size sheets for the most part since I have not yet found the drapery hooks! They gotta be here somewhere!

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001


IMHO alarms are a mixed blessing, Barefoot. Around here, criminals with smarts can get around them. The rest of the time, they often go off whenever there is a power surge, and there are a lot of them.

I like the "poor but honest look." If I were further into the country, I'll add a couple of rusted junk cars, plus a dozen big dog dishes to my front porch, and no one would ever bother me.

Curtain hooks are $1.97 at K-mart, unless you buy those Martha Stewart kind, which are $5 for some reason.

I've used sheets as curtains many a time. I've also used Army surplus wool blankets, at $2 each, which beat the heck out of the $300.00 a Martha Stewart type wanted to charge me for "real" drapes.

I eventually went to triple pane windows and mini-blinds.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001


Vertical blinds. Windoware has REALLY good prices and nice styles. I like the curved vinyl blinds we have--dust just slides right off 'em! Plus, they're easy for the cats to shove aside when they want to check on the neighbors, lol!

What you say about neighborhood watch, Meems, is true of those I've worked in. The older folks are great but a wee bit too nosey. Of course, I'm not saying anything about those binoculars I have at the ready. . .

Sun film is a great privacy tool. I also recommend a nice little "No Solicitors" sign on the door. An NRA membership sign is also good. In addition, I've been trying to find a battery-operated door intercom for ages. I'd put in the other kind but drilling through brick and fishing for wires in the wall is so TEDIOUS. The ones that connect into the doorbell wiring aren't practical--the doorbell transformer is buried under tons of loose insulation in the attic somewhere.

Dog food dishes--excellent idea. Marking them with names like "Brutus" and "Caesar" is also wise. Keep water in one for authenticity. The Hungarian and I both have dog houses we picked up at estate sales. I'm thinking of a "Beware of Dog" sign for the gate.

Anything that deters a burglar is a good idea. They will often go next door where there isn't as much of a problem getting in. Buy extra-long screws and replace those in your deadbolt plates (both sides), takes more than a few kicks to break down the door and burglars don't like it if they can't get in on the first kick or two. Planting prickly shrubs under your windows is a good idea too, but make sure the height they reach isn't more than you want. Window bars are easy to get used to, but make sure they have a quick-release lock.

Instal low-voltage lighting. Get the ones with floodlights and point them at windows and doors. (VERY easy to install.) Replace porch lights with motion-sensitive lights.

Most important--never open the door if you're not expecting anyone, even in daytime. Ask who it is and, if they want to use the phone, tell them you'd be glad to call someone for them and, of course, refuse drinks of water and bathroom visits.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001



About the dog food bowls, it is a good idea. However, they must not be clean (ie new) bowls. Get them a little dirty and put a couple scratches on them. Always have fresh water in them, and maybe buy a small bag of dog food for large breeds. Place a couple of chunks in the bowl. Replenish if something else eats it. Also, get a dog toy for a larger dog and leave around the porches. One of those huge pull rope types, as typically smaller dogs won't bother with those. Get the rugged type of toys and not the ones for wimpy dogs. [Then again, since you have the items around, why not just get a dog? Say a good protection dog. Adopt one from the pound, and you'll have a loyal and loving friend. Seems they know that you rescued them from certain death and will love and lick to to death.)

Barefoot, I hope that your neighbor is okay.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001


I'm not sharing my house with big dogs because I have less than 800 square feet. One mouthy Siamese just fits. I dogsit periodically since I have a fenced-in back yard, and I'm always glad when the large critters go home. A pug or dog about that size would fit, but I dislike having to deal with the problems that plague most small dogs, not to mention the yappiness that seems to come with most of them.

If I ever move into a 3-bedroom, I'll think about getting a lab or some such.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001


I was in a neighbor hood watch everywhere I lived. Would now, too, except the only neighbor I can see is the A$$hole that likes his targets of the "kitty" kind!

so I always make it look "active" here..and when I am pooper scooping, I leave a few LARGE piles where they can be clearly seen!

But the 5 other neighbors on this rd, all look out for each other. (NO ONE likes "mr. beer-drinking gunhappy!"

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001


I forgot to mention. If you ever decide to start a neighborhood watch group, insist right from the start that no last names or addresses are used in any flyer, communication, or newsletter. First name and street are sufficient. Telephone numbers do have to be publicized but at least a threatening phone call can be traced via *69, Caller ID, or tracing.

I got prettily heavily involved in neighborhood watch in one city, went to FBI seminars, all the city meetings for NW leaders, etc. I found out the worst thing is that if you're successful, the crooks in the neighborhood will come after you. One NW leader had her house firebombed, several found bullet holes in their houses, others had their vehicles vandalized. The scariest moment for me is when some obvious gangbangers came and sat at the back at one monthly meeting. After that, we had a uniformed police officer in attendance, at least for the first half-hour, and that solved the problem.

The police really appreciate NW groups, most of them anyway, and will respond faster if a NW block captain or coordinator calls for help. They also tend to give more credibility to NW persons too. We used to pay back a little by getting a lot of contributions at Christmas and New Year's to take care of food, coffee, tea and soft drinks when all the restaurants were closed. That was a very popular project and cops talked about it for weeks!

A major plus of being involved in NW is you can go on the "Ride-along Program" and see what police work is really like. I did about 55 hours when I first came to Durham, getting a feel for the place and the people. What an experience! I wouldn't do it without Kevlar now, though!

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001


I put alot of that sun screen film on my windows. It not only helps during the summer heat but, during the day, you can see out and no one can see into the house. Think of a T, my house is where the top bar touches the other part. There is a street looking straight at my house. If a car ever lost its brakes, it would hit my house. I needed the privacy because when the cars made a stop at the intersection, they looked right into my parlor window.

I have solar motion lights in the front and back of the house. If the electricity went off for whatever reason....they would still work.

-- Anonymous, November 23, 2001



Where I live we all kind of watch out for our neighbors. By the time the law gets out here it would be to late. We once had a guy come down our private drive. He was very drunk didn't know where he was. Sure sobered up in a hurry stareing down the barrel of my 30.06.

-- Anonymous, November 24, 2001

A guy who we didn't know, came to our front door (a few years back), he wouldn't leave even after I got a loaded 357 and put it on a bench next to me... by the front door. I ended up calling the cops.

-- Anonymous, November 24, 2001

Maggie, you are much more kinder than me. Where I live it can take the police about an hour and a half to respond. That is why the neighbors here look after one another.

-- Anonymous, November 24, 2001

So basically, Kip, the police just take the bodies away, huh?

glad you have such cooperative neighbors.

We have lights outside, and street lights too, and the dog signs which need to be replaced as they are faded, but we try to not leave anything out front except the cars. Both cars have The Club on them, or should!

We have a floodlight fixture which is on a high corner [not that high but you work with what you have] and it has a motion sensor.

The backyard is our playpen. We have all sorts of things, some living, out there. We tend to keep it dark out there, although we do have the garden lights around the pond. Also, we have two solar garden lights but they aren't too bright. The neighbors have bright lights in their backyards so we have been trying to grow tall things along the fence to block them. The gates are always locked unless we are using them, so anything that tries to escape has to be taken over the fence. Still working out a good method for embedding glass shards in the tops of the boards of the fence. Seems that razor wire is illegal around here. darn!

-- Anonymous, November 24, 2001


Did I tell you about my friend in New Orleans, had a biness in a high-crime area, got tired of break-ins, and installed two alligators in the backyard? It worked but he ran afoul of the wildlife laws, even though he had an experienced keeper to look after them and provided the proper environment.

-- Anonymous, November 24, 2001


Kip,

I lived in a residential area at the time and the cops where only minutes away. If I lived out in the country,like you do and felt a person was going to hurt me, the gun would have stayed in my hand. The screen door was locked and the gun was close enough to me, in case he tried to break in.

I wanted to add to someone elses post, about not letting any stranger into your house to use the phone....not even a man from Goodwill or Salvatiion Army.

-- Anonymous, November 24, 2001


When I lived in a rural area, I had very few strangers drop by. The one time a bad-looking guy with shifty eyes did come by, I was out front skinning rabbits. He eyed my knife, watched me skin a rabbit, and moved on down the road to the next house, where the homeowner shot him when he tried to break in and steal a stereo.

-- Anonymous, November 24, 2001

And people think urban areas aren't safe! Jeeze!

-- Anonymous, November 24, 2001

>Did I tell you about my friend in New Orleans, had a biness in a high-crime area, got tired of break-ins, and installed two alligators in the backyard?

I meant to comment on this and got sidetracked. That's so cool! I imagine the alligators were quite a conversation piece!

-- Anonymous, November 25, 2001


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