At the heart of every community are the people who live
there. Our community is the place we live, work, learn, play and relax. At the end of the day most
people can’t wait to return to a place called home. Although our worlds can
seem overwhelmingly busy and complex the sense of home becomes more important
than ever.
Most homeowners
are very concerned with public safety in their community. Neighborhood safety is often a main
concern of homeowners and unfortunately, even the safest community is
susceptible to crime. According to the preliminary 2012 Uniform Crime Report published by the FBI, nearly every U.S.
region saw an increase in violent crime, robbery, aggravated assault, property
crime, burglary and larceny-theft since 2011.
Living in a
Homeowner’s Association community can actually provide benefits other non HOA
communities do not get to enjoy. Added security measures may be one of those
things. Some neighborhoods
experience less crime than others, but no neighborhood is crime free. Even
quiet, historically safe communities are apt to face a crime threat at some
point.
Most HOA’s have
an aggressive neighborhood crime watch program, but beyond that there are
things community members can do to add extra security measures to what the HOA
is doing.
Take these Six simple steps to
help keep your community stay safe and secure:
1. Get to know your neighbors
2. Develop a neighborhood safety policy
3. Remind homeowners about security.
4. Develop relationships with local law enforcement
5. Publish tips and news on crimes in your HOA
monthly newsletter.
6. Public Awareness-Help residents stay aware
of help resources and public assistance in fighting crime
Whatever safety
measures your homeowners association takes, be sure to communicate the
responsibilities of the association—and the homeowners—to help keep everyone
safe.
