The neighborhood you choose to live in has a profound impact on your family’s quality of life. It’s worth taking the time to investigate neighborhoods and ensure they’re safe for your children and loved ones. A thorough check includes a number of things, including checking crime rates, observing local conditions, and chatting with neighbors.
Check Crime Rates
A variety of online tools make it easy to compare crime rates between neighborhoods. Services like CrimeReports and SpotCrime allow you to enter an address and see a breakdown of crimes committed in that area. You can also search for a specific type of crime, such as burglary or drug offenses.
Chat with Locals
Talk to neighbors, introduce yourself, and get to know your community. Then, you’ll be more likely to spot suspicious behavior or signs of trouble. Look out for anyone loitering, peering into parked cars, or entering or exiting homes that appear to be unoccupied. Be aware of any unusual noises, such as gunshots or screams. Notice if there’s any garbage or broken windows in yards or on cars. And don’t forget to take a look at local businesses – thriving ones may be an indicator that residents are willing to spend money there.
Neighborhood Watch programs are a proven way to reduce residential crime. They bring together residents and law enforcement in a cooperative effort to keep an eye out for each other. If a neighbor spots suspicious activity, they can call your community’s dedicated, hard-to-forget vanity number or use an app like DialMyCalls to instantly communicate with each other and the police without letting the criminals know they’re being watched.
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