Keep your family safe in the neighborhood July 10, 2008
Posted by Program Coordinator in Resources.Tags: family, neighborhood, strategies
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Some public safety resources for families:
- National Sex Offender Registry. Find offenders living near your home. Keeping in mind that you are prohibited from using this information to harass or intimidate, it is important to be aware of your surroundings (and your family’s surroundings).
- Tips for neighborhood safety. For adults, from the National Crime Prevention Council.
- Tips for neighborhood safety. For organizations, from the Pew Center’s Solutions for America.
- Stay safe in the neighborhood. A guide for kids featuring Scruff McGruff the Crime Dog. (Scruff, McGruff, Chicago, Illinois, Six-oh-six-five-two… and help take a bite out of crime.)
Building connections July 9, 2008
Posted by besachan in Resources.Tags: hotspot, neighborhood, strategies
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Over the last 2 years, a significant number of neighborhood and place-based websites have sprung up. Many of which serve as information and communication hubs in their respective communities. By going to these sites and selecting a ‘tag’ on the far column such as’public safety’, ‘neighborhood safety’, ‘crime’, ‘police’, etc., we can see all of the posts, opinions, and conversations surrounding public safety of other groups in Pittsburgh - what are the public safety issues that our neighbors are talking about, do they have any hotspots, and even, what strategies are they using to solve them? Two such places are the blog for the 15211 zipcode and also the Pittsburgh Dish.
Some public safety tips from real cases July 7, 2008
Posted by Program Coordinator in Resources.Tags: block watches, city government, crime maps, east end, east liberty, gangs, government, hotspot, MONA, phone tree, strategies
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Last week, I dropped in on the Mellon’s Orchard Neighborhood Association (MONA) in East Liberty to get a first-hand look at what an active, organized block watch does. One strategy they employ is compiling a block map – literally, a map of their entire neighborhood with residents’ names and numbers listed on each building. This helps them to identify and track crime hotspots, and notify neighbors of incidents in their surroundings.
- Need a map showing all the buildings in your neighborhood to get started? Check the City’s website for help. Use the interactive grid to locate your neighborhood; download the lot map once you’ve found it.
Another strategy folks have employed is a phone tree. A phone tree, coordinated by a block captain, is an fast, efficient way to disseminate information throughout the neighborhood. Some folks even do an e-mail tree. Use it to spread news about a crime wave, or to alert neighbors when you’ve called 911.
- For a sample phone tree worksheet, click here. (Substitute an e-mail address for “Address” if it better suits your watch.)
Need some information concerning a particular issue you’re having? The U.S. Conference of Mayors has an excellent collection of real-life cases with information about what neighbors have done to respond to their neighborhoods’ crime. For more information, click below:
Kick-Off Discussion June 30, 2008
Posted by Program Coordinator in Resources.Tags: block watches, challenges, kick-off, strategies
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We asked our block watchers the following questions in small group discussion:
- What can you do to keep your neighborhood safe?
- What causes crime in your neighborhood?
- What are your obstacles, assets, and resources?
- What strategies have you found success with? What strategies haven’t you found success with?
And here’s what they had to say…. (more…)
