Safety Tips

Presented at the Annual HOA Meeting – Neighborhood Safety Tips


Below is a list of suggestions from local law enforcement and some internet

searches to make the neighborhood as safe as possible. The main thing is to make

the neighborhood as UNINVITING as possible to criminals. When criminals have

success in an area, whether or not it is your house or not, they come back to that

area. Most criminal actions are taking advantage of the opportunity given to them

by the homeowner and/or the neighborhood.


Things each individual can do:

  • Keep car, house and garage doors closed and locked at all times (always roll up

windows):

  • An unlocked car also opens up the possibility the person can get access to the house through a garage door opener or the visor buttons for the garage door that most cars have in them these days.


  • Keep cars in garage when possible, even then do not leave keys in.

  • Do not leave ANYTHING in sight in cars left outside, a lot of break-ins are when they see valuables in plain sight. Can also put valuables in the trunk.

  • Carry your drivers’ license, registration, and insurance card with you. Don't leave personal identification documents or credit cards in your vehicle.

  • Copy your license plate and vehicle identification (VIN) numbers and keep in a safe place, just in case you need quick access to the for the authorities.

  • Most crime occurs in the early morning hours, but planning occurs at all hours, this is why it is important to keep garages, etc… closed all the time

  • Never leave your car running and unattended, even to dash into the house for “a second”

  • Investigate the purchase of an auto alarm system (house & car), motion lights, etc…. 

  • Keep outside lights on at night. 

  • Keep bushed trimmed.

  • Have mail held at the Post Office or have a trusted neighbor pick it up: Mail overflowing from a mailbox can be taken as a sign that no one is home.

  • Arrange to have the yard mowed while you are away.

  • Don’t post updates on facebook: Many vacationers like to post photos on Facebook that show them having a great time on their travels. However, not posting pictures of yourself on vacation is an important summer safety tip.

  • Report ANY/ALL unusual activity to an HOA board member or the police

  • Meet your neighbors. Developing a sense of community helps everyone. Neighbors on friendly terms are more likely to watch out for one another, report suspicious activity and be more aware of what’s going on in their community.


  • Things the HOA can do (still plenty of room on the Fountains HOA board and committees for more volunteers):

    • Plan community events where neighbors can get to know one another.

    • Create a safety committee: This group should be responsible for regularly walking the property to identity possible security issues—lights that need replacing, hedges that need trimming, doors or gates that don’t close properly and so on.

    • Establish relationships with local law enforcement. Invite police officers who patrol your area to come speak at board meetings and annual meetings. Identify a community liaison within the police department as your main point of contact for security issues, and check in occasionally. You don’t want your first contact with law enforcement to be the result of an incident.

    • Remind homeowners about security. Publish a monthly safety tip in your homeowner’s association publication. Post crime statistics of your community. Talk about policies meant to keep your community safe, such as not providing door codes to others, keeping gates shut and not allowing strangers through security measures.