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Toward a Safer Tidewater-Peninsula - Citizens Guide to Avoiding Crime

NCJ Number
83309
Date Published
Unknown
Length
41 pages
Annotation
This handbook lists specific crime prevention measures that citizens should take to increase their personal security and that of their homes, their neighborhoods, and their businesses.
Abstract
The manual is intended for use by residents of the Tidewater-Peninsula area of Virginia but is applicable elsewhere as well. Neighborhood residents should form a Block Security program to protect themselves, their families, and their property. Block Security gathers citizens into a neighborhood group to learn crime prevention techniques from local police representatives. Citizens should be alert to strangers in the neighborhood, screams, persons peering into parked cars, and persons showing unusual mental or physical symptoms. Residential security measures should include a door peephole, solid doors with strong frames, deadbolt locks, and a clear view of the front entrance. Citizens should also mark personal property, such as cameras and bicycles, with an electric engraving pen available at most law enforcement agencies. Personal security measures should include attention to safety on the street and on public transportation, prevention of attacks, and safety in an automobile or on an elevator. Measures to prevent vehicle thefts and crime in commercial establishments are also listed. Actions to take before, during, and after an armed robbery are outlined. Forms, diagrams, and checklists are provided.