What really struck me was some a portion of the manual entitled :"Twelve Ways to Improve Our Easton Neighborhoods Right Now." The suggestions really could apply anywhere and make your community safer. So below, with apologies to Easton, are 10 abbreviated tips on making your community safer.
1. Report crime promptly. - Don't assume someone else will call. Do it yourself. Police are unable to act without knowing there is a problem.
2. Report nuisances and other noncriminal problems promptly. - If you see something and think that someone ought to do something, then you should call and report the problem.
3. Take away opportunities for crime. - Lock your car and don't leave valuables inside them, Trim your bushes and trees to make it difficult for a person to hide and make sure you have a clear view of the street. Police will often perform courtesy safety checks of your home.
4.Make a list of the names ans phone numbers of every neighbor on your block. - It's not society's fault that no one knows their neighbors. It's yours.
5. Meet the kids who live in your neighborhood and know them by name. - Naturally, you want to do this very publicly or in the presence of their parents.
6. Turn on your porch light. - Keep it lit from dusk to dawn. Neighborhoods that are well lit have less crime.
7. Walk around the block every day. - Neighbors benefit when responsible citizens walk in the community.
8. Drive slowly on neighborhood streets - This tends to slow others down, too, especially if they are behind you. And it might save the life of a kid darting out to get a ball.
9. Pick up litter near your home, even if you don't live there. - People litter less in areas where they see no litter.
10. Stay where you are. - Long-term residents make a community more healthy.
