I'm in the process of setting up a neighborhood watch in our community. It's an interesting process. I even had the idea that we could hire a mobile security unit during the day- which is relatively inexpensive- because burglaries occur primarily between 10am and 2pm (I've graphed the burglaries in our area), and mobile security units cost as little as 17 per hour. It's not so much that I expect the units to do much, but having them driving around, and putting signs up about them, will be a rather large deterrent, I could think. And the companies said we could move the 4 hour period around, so thieves would never know when the units would be there. If you live in a community that has dues, this might be something for you to think about. As a board member, I am continually trying to find ways to spend the money we govern in ways that benefit everyone, and increased safety is something everyone appreciates.
Let me also mention video. I think I mentioned recently that we installed a video system- mostly so we could check on the house remotely when we are on vacations. But the cameras take great pictures, and more and more people have them, and recently the police in our area used such video on the news (video from homeowners) to put out pictures of suspects in crimes, who were then caught. I would suggest to anyone here, if you have a little extra cash lying around, to invest in this type of system. It's great. And if you are in California you know that the courts are forcing the state to release about 46 thousand prisoners due to jail overcrowding. With that many prisoners entering the population, you know there will be some problems- so if you are in California, you might as well prepare for it. They will be low risk prisoners, but still....
Here's more about the prison situation:
businessinsider.com |
