Property crimes constitute about 70% of crimes committed in the US. This is followed by larceny and theft, with a staggering crime rate of 1,549 per 100,000 people. Most of these are left unsolved by the authorities because individuals who commit these crimes usually target homes with no security measures. Additionally, these crimes are committed in vulnerable neighborhoods with no proactive security measures.
The cost of property crime is believed to be $15 billion every year. This is not counting the injuries that some people experience. This is devastating for any families that have been a victim of such crimes. In light of this, communities should be at the forefront of keeping their members safe. It can be quite challenging to implement measures that reduce crimes within your neighborhood. Thankfully, there are some simple ways you can protect your community from such violations.
Property Crimes
Property crimes essentially are crimes done within someone’s property, may it be their home, office, or land. These kinds of crimes are usually related to larceny or burglary, but some are related to violence. Studies have found that members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer (LGBTQ) demographic are more likely to be victims of property crimes. Its also found that people of color are more likely to be a victim of such crimes. Property crime rates, especially those that are violent in nature, are considered actions by others to suppress a certain demographic’s freedom of expression. However, it is unknown if property crime and suppression of freedom of expression are related.
Neighborhood Watch
One of the ways you can protect your community from property crimes is by having a neighborhood watch. Neighborhood Watch is a group of people who work in conjunction with local law enforcement within the area. They report crime and possible crimes that happen within their community. They are usually around at night, but some participate even in the mornings.
Neighborhood watch has been known to reduce crime rates within a community through various efforts. There are many ways that neighborhood watch can protect your community from property crime. One of which is through patrols in where they survey different streets looking for any signs of crime. This kind of neighborhood watch usually has vehicles with LED light bars to signify that they are part of the watch. This is to help members of your community identify them at night. It is also a signal for those who have witnessed a crime and are finding ways to report it.
Another way that neighborhood watch can keep property crime rates low within your community is through seminars and relaying crime prevention strategies. The neighborhood watch can conduct training and seminars to teach community members how to protect themselves from crime. They can also teach them preventive ways for a break-in or security measures when a crime is currently happening.
Security Devices
Installation of security devices such as CCTV cameras is another way you can protect your community from crime.
Many property crimes are left unsolved, and CCTV cameras can help catch the culprit or report possible crimes within a particular part of your community. It could also identify illegal meetings or discrete drug-related transactions happening within your community. The best way to utilize these security devices is through proactive surveillance of the community. This way, you can identify specific areas with higher crime rates than others and place more resources there to keep them safe.
Programs to Reduce Crime Rate Among the Youth
Palo Alto, California, has one of the highest crime rates in the US. The crime rate within the city was at 133 crimes per 100,000 people in 2017. In 2018, the crime rate reduced by 20% and eventually drastically decreased throughout the years. This is because of the community’s dedication to reducing the crime rate among its youth. One way to do this is through community policing.
Law enforcement in Palo Alto didn’t aim to take down criminals. They aim to find ways to proactively stop them from committing crimes. The patrolling police go to homes and ask them if there is anything they need help with or even just chat regarding events that usually transpire within the area. Some members of the local police force also created faith-based groups to keep the youth from committing crimes.
There are even areas where people can exercise through dancing. All of these things helped reduce crime rates within Palo Alto in less than five years.
Through these proactive programs, you can help reduce the crime rate in your community. You can also help increase awareness about crime. This might even get you more people to join in the fight against crime in your community.