The Firing Line Forums - View Single Post

Pyzon · December 22, 2009, 10:42 AM

Just a few more details needed to help critique this situation:

1.) When the lady next door called both of her adjacent neighbors, did she also call the sheriff's office, and did they respond in a timely manner ?

2.) Is the sheriff aware of the increased amount of missing stuff since newcomers have taken up residency ? I mean the sheriff, not deputies or responders.

3.) How well do you and your neighbors know the people in the area that have resided there for awhile ?

4.) Any kind of neighborhood watch (official or casual) in operation ?

5.) Is 25 minutes the response time that is "typical" in your neighborhood ?

If the lady next door did not call the sheriff first, she is asking you and the other guy to be her security network, which may be fine with you neighbors or may not be, but that has to be with your consent. Best to call the officials just to get things rolling ahead of time before calling you two, especially if it is a real threat.

If a conversation has not taken place with the sheriff, do it soon. They can't upgrade the service unless they know you are having a problem. Your neighborhood is not the only one with increased crime due to the economic meltdown, and the police/sheriff are experiencing budget difficulties also. But the sheriff is an elected official that should be aware of and interested in the service his office is providing to the taxfpayers/voters. The renters in your area are not directly taxpayers.

Get to know your neighbors better, and eventually you will become aware of those that share your concern for your safety and security. You will also get to know which neighbors are the problem, and they will feel the heat if they know you are watching them and their visitors. If it gets too uncomfortable for the dirballs they will move to a neighborhood with easier pickings. If they are stealing from their neighbors you need to make them feel uncomfortable. The landlords should be held accountable for the quality of the tenants they rent to also.

Encourage your friends and neighbors to invest in better locks, better lights and better common sense in closing garage doors, bringing bikes, mowers and lawn equipment inside before dark. It ain't like it used to be in any of our neighborhoods, so we need to quit making it easy for the thieves.

Encourage the neighbors that give a damn to be more aware of who is cruising your streets. Most cell phones have cameras, and most of us carry them routinely but are clueless about how they work and how to take a pic. Learn how to quickly take a picture and photograph the suspicious visitors and maybe they will quit coming around. They don't like exposure from lights or scrutiny from others.

One last thing is some of the trail or game cameras use infrared (no obvious bright flash) for night photos and can be easily hidden around a house. Some are pretty affordable (under $200 or so). Check out the Scoutguard cameras that can even take multiple exposures and video.

It's time to take back the neighborhood while we can, because I think it is going to get much worse before we turn the corner again.

Good luck, friend.

December 22, 2009, 10:42 AM	#3
Pyzon Senior Member Join Date: January 17, 2009 Posts: 296	Just a few more details needed to help critique this situation: 1.) When the lady next door called both of her adjacent neighbors, did she also call the sheriff's office, and did they respond in a timely manner ? 2.) Is the sheriff aware of the increased amount of missing stuff since newcomers have taken up residency ? I mean the sheriff, not deputies or responders. 3.) How well do you and your neighbors know the people in the area that have resided there for awhile ? 4.) Any kind of neighborhood watch (official or casual) in operation ? 5.) Is 25 minutes the response time that is "typical" in your neighborhood ? If the lady next door did not call the sheriff first, she is asking you and the other guy to be her security network, which may be fine with you neighbors or may not be, but that has to be with your consent. Best to call the officials just to get things rolling ahead of time before calling you two, especially if it is a real threat. If a conversation has not taken place with the sheriff, do it soon. They can't upgrade the service unless they know you are having a problem. Your neighborhood is not the only one with increased crime due to the economic meltdown, and the police/sheriff are experiencing budget difficulties also. But the sheriff is an elected official that should be aware of and interested in the service his office is providing to the taxfpayers/voters. The renters in your area are not directly taxpayers. Get to know your neighbors better, and eventually you will become aware of those that share your concern for your safety and security. You will also get to know which neighbors are the problem, and they will feel the heat if they know you are watching them and their visitors. If it gets too uncomfortable for the dirballs they will move to a neighborhood with easier pickings. If they are stealing from their neighbors you need to make them feel uncomfortable. The landlords should be held accountable for the quality of the tenants they rent to also. Encourage your friends and neighbors to invest in better locks, better lights and better common sense in closing garage doors, bringing bikes, mowers and lawn equipment inside before dark. It ain't like it used to be in any of our neighborhoods, so we need to quit making it easy for the thieves. Encourage the neighbors that give a damn to be more aware of who is cruising your streets. Most cell phones have cameras, and most of us carry them routinely but are clueless about how they work and how to take a pic. Learn how to quickly take a picture and photograph the suspicious visitors and maybe they will quit coming around. They don't like exposure from lights or scrutiny from others. One last thing is some of the trail or game cameras use infrared (no obvious bright flash) for night photos and can be easily hidden around a house. Some are pretty affordable (under $200 or so). Check out the Scoutguard cameras that can even take multiple exposures and video. It's time to take back the neighborhood while we can, because I think it is going to get much worse before we turn the corner again. Good luck, friend.