COMMUNITY WATCH
A Community Watch “Thank You!”
The BPPA would like to thank the Newport Beach Police Department for sending us 6 of their “finest” to speak to us about their Community Watch Program. Officer Kathy lead the informative meeting. The NBPD is very interested in working with us to make our neighborhood a safer place to live.
BLOCK CAPTAINS NEEDED
The BPPA Board with help from the NBPD will develop a neighborhood watch program and have put out a call for “Block Captains”. Four of these positions were filled before the evening was over. Volunteering as a Block Captain is not time consuming and simple to do. Raise awareness by hosting one meeting a year for the neighbors on your block. The NBPD will give you all the literature and lead the meeting for you. Contact John Bonar at (949) 566-9005 to volunteer.
FREE NBPD SECURITY INSPECTIONS
The Newport Beach Police Department offers free home security inspections to any resident of Newport Beach. A representative of the police department will review your current means of security and offer suggestions on how to improve the security of your home. They will also review the exterior of your home and discuss possible improvements to your lighting and landscaping that could help “Harden your Home” against crime.
How secure is your home? If you’re locked out of your home, can you still get in? Possibly through an unlocked window in the back, or by using an extra key hidden under a flowerpot on the front porch. If you can break into your home, so can a burglar! A small investment of time and money can make your home more secure.
HELPFUL SECURITY TIPS FROM NBPD
- Always lock your windows and doors when you go out, even if for only a few minutes.
- All windows should have two locks.
- Place a wooden metal stick in all sliding door and window tracks or place a security pin (a large nail will also work) through the frame.
- Keep the landscaping around your home trimmed down around doorways, windows and light fixtures.
- Never leave a purse, wallet or other valuables in plain sight.
- Keep your porch lights on dusk to dawn.
- Give the same importance to garage doors as you would your front door. Make sure they are of a solid core construction and have a deadbolt lock.
- All sliding glass doors and windows should be equipped with anti-lift protection.
- Anti-lift protection can prevent your door or window from being lifted out of its track. A suspect can easily lift a window out of the track even if the window is locked. Install a security pin that slides through both frames securing the window in place or insert a minimum of two screws into the upper track or through the window frame.
- Use several timers to turn on interior lights throughout your home. These timers should be used when you are both on vacation and at home.
- To keep your valuables safe consider using a safety deposit box at your local bank.
- Never leave a house key available under a doormat, in a flowerpot, or on the ledge of a door. These are the first places a burglar will look!
- Install a peephole in your front door. NEVER open the door to someone you don’t know!
- Engrave your valuables with you California driver license number. This makes your property more difficult to pawn and helps law enforcement to identify your property, if it is recovered.
- If you will be away for several days, have a trusted friend or neighbor pickup your paper and mail.
- Join Neighborhood Watch! The best crime prevention device ever invented is a good neighbor.