How many remember the
days of not having to lock your car doors, or your house doors for fear of
strangers walking in, let alone a burglar? How many remember that a new face in
your neighborhood just meant there was a new neighbor or someone had lost their
way looking for an address, not someone casing the neighborhood looking for a
house where the family is not home or who has alarms and who does not? Or how
many of you could sit on your front porch and enjoy the evening listening to
the quiet of the neighborhood, instead have to listen to the constant booming of a stereo and watching
‘supposedly’ covert drug deals?
Most of these things are
pretty much a reality now, and they can happen in the most upscale
neighborhoods.
The months of July and August are vacation times and there are
increased home invasion instances reported during these months. There is an Annual crime prevention awareness
program called National Night Out [NNO] and it is just that - a National
Awareness campaign to bring the problem of crime and drug trafficking in our
neighborhoods to the forefront. The NNO event is always held the first Tuesday in
August throughout the nation. This year
the date will be Tuesday, August 6th.
Over 15,700
cities in all 50 states, U.S. territories, Canadian cities, and military bases
around the world will host a variety of activities for the evening. A National
Association of Town Watch representative states, “This is a night for America
to stand together to promote awareness, safety and neighborhood unity. National
Night Out showcases the vital importance of police-community partnerships and
citizen involvement in our fight to build a safer nation. On NNO, we invite
neighborhoods nationwide to join us in Giving
Crime & Drugs a Going Away Party”. Here in Decatur we have participated
in this program since the late ‘80’s. The corporate sponsor for the past few years
has been Target. This year the Nextdoor.com and Associa programs have come on
board as sponsors.
Did you know - A home
burglary happens every 14.6 seconds somewhere in the United States. They enter
your home via the first floor 81% of the time, 34% through the front door; 23% through a
first-floor window; 22% through the back door. Property crime makes up slightly more than three-quarters of all crime in
the United States. Most (62.4 percent) of residential burglaries take place
during the day, between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. As far as drug trafficking goes, it
could invade all neighborhoods, whether inner city or the more affluent
neighborhoods, and happen at any time of the day or night. These are just a few
statistics on home burglary’s let alone the other crimes that could invade your
neighborhood. Some of these burglaries or other illegal activities could have
been prevented if they were seen and reported by a neighbor. When you know the people that live around you
and they know you it decreases the uncertainty and surprises of what goes on in
your environment. They watch you house when you are gone and you return the
favor when they are gone.
So please, help us celebrate an evening of
anti-drug/crime awareness by visiting Mueller, Hess, or Fairview Parks between
5:30 and 8:00pm. Meet and greet your neighbors, strike up a relationship that
works at preventing your neighborhood at becoming a ‘free for all’ for illegal
activities. Don’t forget to turn on your porch light to show the unity of the
program. Bring the family and have fun. Make sure you invite your neighbors and
your friends.
Send a message to criminals that we are ‘watching
them’ and we are the eyes and ears of the neighborhood for the Police!
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