Long gone are the days where all the neighborhood kids played on their bikes in the middle of the street each summer night. Whether you blame it on paranoid parents or uninterested children, one thing is for certain: many neighborhoods today are lacking the close-knit feeling was prominent just ten or 20 years ago. Missing this feeling creates concerns for neighborhood safety overall. However, when it comes down to it, neighborhood safety is a team effort. After all, it’s something everyone will benefit from! And who doesn’t want to live in a safe and friendly neighborhood?

 

Signage

 Making your neighborhood safer could be as easy as installing a few signs. Whether it’s to reinforce the speed limit in the area, or to let drivers know that there are children in the area then it’s a great idea to look into the purchase of custom aluminum metal signs.

  

Get to know your neighbors

 Gone are the days when we would call on our neighbors for a cup of sugar, let ourselves in or even borrow gardening tools! But getting to know them can’t be emphasized enough.

Know whether they work during the day, whether they have children (and if so, what they look like), and what their needs are. Do you live next to an elderly couple that stays home, but sometimes needs help? Or is there a teenage driver in the family? Are there small children you need to look out for? Knowing these things helps you be aware of who is in your neighborhood and what could be suspicious.

 

Look after your outdoor spaces

 It may sound silly, but a neighborhood with mowed lawns, flowers, and freshly painted homes looks like it’s cared for, and this alone can help deter crime. A well-kept yard also provides fewer places for suspicious persons to take cover.

If there is a certain open lot or abandoned home that is an eyesore, work together as a neighborhood to clean up weeds, plant trees, and do a bit of fixing up on the exterior. Not only that, but the neighborhood will look great too, and it’s a way to bring the community together!

  

Close your windows, blinds & curtains at night

A big-screen TV is a less enticing steal if no one knows it’s there. Leaving your blinds open and lights on at night provides a free look into your house, its layout, and the habits of its occupants. And leaving windows open at night or when you’re gone is an invitation for an uninvited guest to come in.

 

Get to know your local police

Express to them your desire to keep the neighborhood safe, and notify them of specific ways they can help. For example, if cars are often speeding through, ask them to patrol the streets. Request that they make a drive-through every night when possible. You might even work with the department to start a Neighborhood Watch program, which again is a fantastic way to bring your community together.