Najib El Blog, Safety Tips

Safety Tricks & Treats

Halloween safety tips for your trick-or-treaters & your home:

  1. If you’re driving during trick-or-treat hours, keep your eyes on the road and stay distraction free. Avoid using cell phones and other electronic devices.
  2. Continually scan crosswalks and intersections. Streets don’t empty out just because kids are outside in droves. Please yield to traffic and make sure kids don’t run into the middle of the street – at least, without looking first.
  3. Before kids descend on sweets like a cloud of locusts, have them act like locusts in one way: Travel in swarms rather than one by one. That provides safety in numbers, and the littlest ones may find a hand to hold.
  4. Remind younger children not to talk to strangers. While this may seem obvious, kids get excited when it’s time to trick-or-treat.
  5. Only go to homes with a porch light on an NEVER enter a home or car for a treat.
  6. If you have older children and you’re not going with them, find out what route they plan to travel and check up on them periodically via a call or text message.
  7. If your local community’s trick-or treat hours are after daylight, make sure your children have a flashlight, glow stick, or reflective material attached to their costumes.  Reflective tape, stickers, glow sticks, and other affordable items help trick-or-treaters to be seen in the dark, especially by drivers.
  8. If kids wear masks or wigs, the accessories should have eye holes big enough to allow unlocked vision.  It’s hard enough jostling for goodies in the dark.  Limited vision can be dangerous for a trick-or-treater, even ones pretending to be a superhero with x-ray vision.
  9. Flouncy costume skirts, dresses, and trouser can get in the way, too, forcing kids to lose their footing.
  10. Toy swords? Sticks? Toy guns? NO.
  11. Always examine candy for defects in the manufacturers’ packaging. Encourage your kids not to eat homemade goodies.
  12. home-safety-home-automation-halloween-01Clear your sidewalk and walkway.  Trick-or-treaters are too busy counting candy to pay close attention to where they’re walking, so it’s critical to survey your yard for potential trip and slip hazards. Be sure your yard is free of tripping hazards like hoses and sprinklers, clear walkways of loose gravel, and be sure to clean moss off steps. If your home has an irrigation system, turn the system off well in advance of the big night so your lawn and walkways have a chance to dry.
  13. Avoid using candles.  A glowing jack-o’-lantern makes your home warm and welcoming to candy seekers, but using a candle to illuminate a pumpkin can be dangerous. Costumes, paper decorations and ornamental straw can easily catch on fire. Instead of a traditional candle, use one powered by batteries.
  14. A dimly lit entryway helps set the spooky mood of Halloween, but it also increases the chance of an accident. Make sure the exterior lights of your home are working, and consider turning on flood lights to illuminate the darkest areas of your yard. Even if you’re not going to be home, leave on lights for safety reasons or make sure your motion sensor lights are active to dissuade unsavory characters from vandalizing your home. And, if you won’t be there, make sure you set your security system, just to be safe.
  15. Barking dogs not only scare trick-or-treaters of every age away, they also present a danger. A dog that breaks away from your home might not bite, but he could knock down a toddler or scare a teen right into the street, causing even more danger. Keep all pets securely confined inside your home until the hustle and bustle of the night has passed.
  16. Maybe you won’t be home on Halloween or perhaps it’s difficult for you to answer the door, so you’ve put out a bowl of candy for kids to help themselves. While this seems like the right thing to do, someone could taint the candy. It’s probably unlikely, but it’s definitely not worth taking the chance.
  17. If you’re staying home, clean out the garage and store your car securely in it. When you consider potential vehicle vandalism and theft, your car is best kept in the garage on Halloween.
  18. While nearly all trick-or-treaters are innocent kids out to collect as much candy as they can possibly carry, you must still be cautious of whom you open the door for. If you have an uneasy feeling about the person approaching your door, don’t open it. And as the barrage of trick-or-treaters fades to just a few here and there, it’s a good idea to stop opening the door for the night.
Najib El Blog, Monthly Newsletter

September Newsletter

September 2016

General Update: Crime has been very low again this month. HPD reported only 2 auto burglaries and 1 theft. We received a Constable’s Alert concerning stolen packages from the 1500 block of Kipling which was a result of identity theft. Though the Constable Patrol has brought down crime in our neighborhoods in a dramatic fashion, we must each do our part and take all practical steps to avoid becoming a crime victim.

septembercrimemap-copy

Below is a run down of September’s Activity Report from the Constable Patrol. Each time the deputy on patrol is called out or observes some activity of interest, he/she documents the call and the report is compiled at the end of the month. It’s a nice way to see what our deputies are up to.

*Contract Check – 405
*Meet the Citizen – 35
Accident – 2
Local Alarm – 7
Business Check – 2
Park Check – 20
School Check – 6
Disturbance/ Loud Noise – 4
Drug/OD/Possession – 1
Property Found/Lost – 1
Suspicious Person Call – 14
Theft – 1
Traffic Stop – 9
Vacation Watch – 149
Abandoned Vehicle – 5
Suspicious Vehicle – 5

*Contract Check refers to an observation and/or inquiry at a specific location (think of it as a drive by and safety check of your home). Meet the Citizen means precisely that.  One of our patrolling deputies had the chance to engage with a neighbor!
Najib El Blog, Safety Tips

National Night Out Safety Tips from Crime Stoppers

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT began in 1984 to promote involvement in crime prevention activities, police-community partnerships, and neighborhood camaraderie, as well as to send a message to criminals that neighborhoods are organized and fighting back.

Crime Stoppers of Houston is proud to support all of our communities on NATIONAL NIGHT OUT.

Did you know?

  • Every 15 seconds a burglary occurs, with the average dollar loss being $2,251.
  • Homes without security systems are up to 300% more likely to be broken into.
  • Most break-ins occur during the day when you are at work.
  • 95% of burglars surveyed would run if they met a large, unwelcoming dog face-to-face.
  • Your local law enforcement department provides home security checks.
  • Getting to know your neighbors is a great defense to keep your neighborhood safe.
  • A neighborhood with mowed lawns, flowers, and freshly painted homes looks like it’s cared for and this alone can help deter crime.

1.  Entrust a neighbor or a friend who lives close by with an extra key to your home in case of emergencies. It is not recommended to hide a key around your home.

2.  Keep shrubbery trimmed away from windows. It will add to your curb appeal and won’t allow someone to hide. Maintain outdoor lighting and landscaping.

3.  Install security cameras and make a habit of using your alarm and locking windows and doors, including interior doors to an attached garage.

4.  Use timers on lamps in your home. It will appear as someone is home and will provide lighting if you arrive home after dark.

5.  Postpone your social media travel updates until you return. Updating in real-time alerts others of an empty house.

6.  Have packages delivered to an alternate address such as a work address if you are not going to be home during a delivery.

7.  Alert your local law enforcement department if you plan to be away from your home for an extended period of time.

Tips for Parents

*  Know the location of your children.  Create a system of communication for knowing where they are or when they reach their destination.

*  Set limits on where they can and cannot go in the neighborhood.  Consider potential dangers such as busy roads, abandoned houses, railroad tracks, registered sex offenders, etc.

*  Familiarize your child with the neighborhood.  Show them safe places they can go if they need help such as a neighbor’s home, the fire station, police station, trusted stores or business offices.

*  Be sure your child has memorized your home address and phone number along with the phone number of another trusted adult.

*  Remind your child to “check first” before they leave the house.

KEEP YOUR HOME SAFE:  Prevention is Key! 

Most neighborhood crimes that occurr are crimes of opportunity.   Unlocked cars and easy access to you home are a burglar’s dream. We cannot take for granted how safe we feel in our homes and community.  Anything from running a quick errand and leaving your purse or briefcase in the car, forgetting to turn on your alarm or forgetting to lock your windows could put you at risk.

Do Something Tips

  •   Being aware of your neighbors’ habits can assist in noticing if something does not seem right.
  •   Work together with your neighbors by looking out for suspicious and/or unusual behavior in the neighborhood.
  •   Create an email chain for your street/neighborhood to help keep the neighborhood abreast of safety tips and crime trends.
  •   Get outside and be visible by hosting block parties, going for walks, playing in the front yard to show potential criminals that you live in a tight knit community where neighbors look out for one another.
  •   If something seems questionable or to report suspicious activity, call the non-emergency line of your local police.
  •   Don’t enter your home if doors or windows are open that you don’t recall leaving open. Call the police from a safe distance.
  •   Call your neighbor if you see a service vehicle at their house while they are gone.

How to Report a Tip – CRIME STOPPERS

  1. Call 713-222-TIPS (8477)
  2. Text TIP610 plus your tip to CRIMES (274637)
  3. Go to crime-stoppers.org
Najib El Blog, Monthly Newsletter

August Newsletter

August 2016 Update

General Update: Crime has been low again this month with few home or vehicle burglaries to speak of.  In fact, our neighborhoods have seen a dramatic drop in crime generally with some astounding year-over-year statistics.  For the first six months of 2016:

  • Violent crime is down 100%
  • Auto theft is down 88%
  • Burglary is down 61%
  • Theft is down 95%
  • Robbery is down 86%

Source: HPD & Harris County Constable’s Department, Precinct 1.

The Constable attributes these significant reductions in crime to the deterrence value of having marked patrol cars in our neighborhood during high crime times as well as the multiple arrests the Constable has made to move the criminal element out of our neighborhood.

That is why it is so critical that we all pitch in to keep the constable patrol funded.  The Security Foundation Board of Directors is pleased to announce that our Mandell/Winlow fundraising this year was successful and that we will be able to purchase next year’s contract to keep the constable patrol running through October of 2017.

However, the number of Mandell Place and Winlow Place residents subscribing to the Constable Patrol has significantly diminished over last year, dropping from 183 to 111 subscribers.  One of thereasons that we are able to renew the contract for next year despite this fall off in subscribers is a significant financial buffer left over from last year’s fundraising efforts.  That buffer is now depleted and can only be rebuilt by increasing our subscriber base.

For those who have already subscribed, thank you so much for your contribution to our neighborhood’s safety and security. For those who have not subscribed or renewed please do so now. Please also keep reminding your friends and neighbors to subscribe too!

 

A Note From Constable Rosen: The neighborhood crime that our patrol deputies come across most frequently is the nighttime burglary of parked cars and trucks. In the dark, crooks pull on door handles to see which ones are unlocked. Or they bash through vehicle windows using a heavy tool such as a tire iron. Once inside, they grab cash, coins and wallets, or anything re-sellable such as laptop computers, cell phones, jewelry, athletic equipment and other items.

But there are ways to drastically reduce the chance that your vehicle is the next target. Some of the actions are so simple that you might think every vehicle owner does them. But you’d be surprised how many people don’t. Locking your doors may cause a criminal to sneak to the next car or truck in the search for something easier to steal. Park in a well-lit area, whether that’s your driveway or on the street. Crooks would rather work in the shadows or darkness. When you are not in your vehicle, hide valuables in the trunk or remove them. A purse, phone, coat, briefcase or ring left in plain sight makes your car or truck a lure for the bad guys. They want to commit a crime of opportunity. You want to remove the opportunity. These steps cost nothing.

Vehicle alarm systems, driveway gates and easily-noticed residential security cameras can all reduce these common crimes. Also, there are kits that truck owners can buy to make their vehicle tailgates much harder to remove. Many rims and hubcaps can be locked, too. Of course, Precinct 1 deputies will continue to be on the lookout for anyone “casing” neighborhoods in search of the cars that are easiest to enter. We always need your help with this vigilance. If you see suspicious activity, call our dispatch line, 713-755-7628 to let us know.

 

Security Tips: The constable patrol is most effective when we all take common sense steps to deter crime:

  • Activate your security system at all times, and connect it directly to the Constable Dispatch (you must call your alarm company and have their responding agency listed as Harris County Constable Precinct One at 713-755-7628).
  • Report crime and suspicious activity to the constable’s office at 713-755-7628. Make sure to mention that you are calling from a “contract neighborhood.” (For emergencies in progress, dial 911).
  • Take down license plate numbers or take a cell phone photo of suspicious cars or people you notice around the neighborhood.
  • Go to the website and sign-up for security alerts.
  • Lock your garage and car.
  • Do not leave items in car.
  • Never disclose Constable Patrol hours of operation via online social networks (like Facebook or Nextdoor). We are disadvantaged if potential criminals are aware of our vulnerabilities.