During this past month, we had more car burglaries and suspicious activity than usual. These types of events seem to come in small crime waves and are often a small ripple compared to what is happening to the general Houston area and adjacent neighborhoods. Arrests have been made in adjacent areas and it is possible these criminals were also preying on our area. Nevertheless, we have to do all we can to be aware that we live in a very urban area and have an open neighborhood.
These criminals are crafty and coordinate their activities; for example one person will drive the area and will coordinate with one on foot stealing from cars and then call to be picked up. They will dress in what looks to be a company shirt and walk through the neighborhood and look for what can be stolen easily. If a car is on the street and has visible items of value, it is a target. The more targets they see in a neighborhood, the bolder they are to check cars in driveways and even behind gates. These criminals are able to commit these crimes in record time with minimal noise.
Here is what we have to do to make sure that people with criminal intentions avoid our neighborhood:
_ Watch: Spend a bit more time in the front yard watching the traffic of cars and people.
_ Listen: Dogs often recognize noises out of the ordinary and be alert to their barking
_ Walk: Take a walk in the neighborhood and say "Hi" to neighbors. If you see people walking around the neighborhood that you don't recognize as part of the neighborhood, by all means capture a good description and contact the Constable Deputies to investigate.
_ Talk: Let neighbors know if you are expecting contractors and other home services when you are not home.
_ Clear: When possible, keep your cars off the street so that unusual traffic is more visible to fellow neighbors and Deputies. Please put your BPHA stickers on your cars.
_ Maintain your home/lawn/street: When a home or lawn is not maintained or bags are left on the street, it can indicate that people are not at home and/or concerned about the appearance of the neighborhood. This is an invitation to criminal activity.
Please keep the yard uncluttered, bushes trimmed, yard edged, and the home in fair to great order and keep the sidewalks and street clear.
As you know, neighbors are the first line of defense to the types of crimes we have seen in our area. Your memberships have hired the Constable Deputies to be able to quickly respond to our requests and provide greater access and availability than what HPD is able to provide alone. Our Deputies are available to address common neighborhood issues, investigate suspicious activity and make arrests as needed.
We are all very fortunate to live in a neighborhood that continues to increase in value and we must be pro-active to ensure it is well protected.
Tuesday October 6th - Neighbor Night Out - 7PM
We have great neighbors; bright, resourceful and involved in many different interests. This annual event is an opportunity to catch up with neighbors and also serves a key role in maintaining the security of the neighborhood.
It requires very little to participate, a stroll down the driveway and maybe a lawn chair. Please show your support to your neighbors and join in the events for your block. If your block is shy to have an event, please take the initiative to have a neighbor or two for a smaller event.
