One common interest bonds nearly every community member: the safety of our homes and neighborhoods. The fact of the matter is, connection and community organization are key factors in reducing crime and keeping neighborhoods safe. When individuals band together, the safety of surrounding areas has been proven to increase drastically. So, what actions might you and your neighbors take to up cul-de-sac security?
Let’s put our heads together.
Connect with neighbors
Of all people, your neighbors are most likely to share your commitment to improving neighborhood safety. Connecting with neighbors is a great way to protect your people, places, and things, whether home or away. Collaborating to improve safety conditions can mean keeping an eye on each other’s homes, notifying one another of anything out of the ordinary, offering to collect mail and packages when the other travels, and more.
When connecting with neighbors, exchange contact information if feasible. You never know when you may need it—in an emergency, or next time you’re short an egg for that favorite recipe.
Organize a neighborhood watch
A neighborhood watch is an organized effort that works collectively to discourage crime in a given area. Specifically, neighborhood watch groups strive to prevent vandalism and burglary. A study conducted in the late nineties concluded that, on average, areas where a neighborhood watch was active saw a “16% decrease in crime.”
What exactly a neighborhood watch looks like may vary group by group. The impact of this organization, however, is fixed. Many neighborhood watch groups work closely with local law enforcement, who might help carry out the group’s goals and ensure things run smoothly.
If you’re looking to begin your own neighborhood watch group, consider these steps:
- Recruit and organize as many neighbors as possible
- Contact local law enforcement and schedule a meeting
- Discuss community concerns and develop an action plan
- Decide how you will communicate within the group
- Take action: Hold meetings and neighborhood events
When community members are united by a common goal, so much can be accomplished. Outside of crime prevention, neighborhood watch programs may consider distributing community resources or even volunteering with local organizations.
Secure your home professionally
What’s even more reliable than a watchful neighbor? Professional home security. A comprehensive home security solution takes the safety of your home, and all in it, one step further. If your priority is defending your home from burglary and theft, an intrusion alarm system will provide peace of mind.
Intrusion alarm systems function to secure doors and windows, while providing additional coverage of high-traffic areas within the home. When you step away, this system is “armed” or activated. If a door is breached, the frequency of shattered glass detected, or motion sensed during activation, an alarm will sound on site.
With an EPS Security system, all alarm signals are sent to our award-winning Monitoring Center. When a signal is received, our team of experienced dispatchers will call to notify you of the activity, even sending local authorities if needed. Our Monitoring Center, located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, operates 24/7/365, so you can take a step back.
Video surveillance is an additional security option available to safeguard your home, family, and prized belongings. EPS Security offers HD video surveillance solutions for both indoor and outdoor oversight. Camera solutions function as a proactive safety measure and can operate independently, or alongside an intrusion alarm system, for full coverage of your home. In a neighborhood setting, video surveillance can be especially valuable in keeping a close eye on cars, outbuildings, and more. With connected services, many camera options even offer remote viewing, so you can check from your smartphone to see if your kids made it home from the bus, or if a highly-anticipated package was delivered.
Advertise your security partnership
Advertising the presence of a security system at your home, and maybe several in your neighborhood, acts as an impressive deterrent. Just make sure you actually have the protection to back up the perception. When you partner with EPS Security, our safety guidance does not stop at system installation—it has only just begun. We will provide you with yard signs and window stickers to make it clear to all: Michigan’s security expert has your back.
The EPS advantage
For more than 65 years, EPS Security has provided customized home security solutions to Michiganders. Protecting your people, places, and things has always been our highest priority. With service experts who truly care and work one-on-one to meet your home safety goals, and engineers who craft your system from start to finish, we’ve earned our place as Michigan’s trusted provider. Whether protecting a single home or safeguarding an entire neighborhood, EPS Security is on your side.