| The city of Tamarac in Florida is close to Fort Lauderdale and the eastern coast. According to the 2010 census, there are around 60,000 people living in the city. It was originally created to be a community for adults complete with two-bedroom homes that required no maintenance and was founded in the early 1960’s by Ken Behring. Though it was intended to be a very peaceful community, there is now some crime and many residents are wondering what they can do about it. Crime Within the City Tamarac has a crime index of 28 right now, which means it’s safer than about 28% of cities in the United States. A person living in the city has a one in 48 chance of being the victim of a property crime, which is lower than the average of one in 36 for all of Florida. For the most part, the western part of the city seems to have less crime and the eastern parts of the city tend to have higher amounts of crime. Know the Neighborhood Crime Residents of this city are going to want to take the time to learn more about the crime levels in this neighborhood. While the city-wide levels can indicate how likely crime is to occur, it is often worse in some neighborhoods compared to others. When a person takes the time to learn about the specific crime occurring in their neighborhood, they can take proactive steps to ensure their home is protected, as well as their entire neighborhood. A person can often look online at their local police department’s website or other websites to learn where crime is happening in the city and what kinds of crime is occurring near them. Protect the Neighborhood to Lower Crime Neighborhood watch programs can significantly reduce the amount of crime that occurs within a neighborhood. Thieves know they’re being watched carefully, which makes them reconsider entering the neighborhood. If they do enter the neighborhood, their suspicious activity might alert someone watching the neighborhood and the police will be notified faster, hopefully before a crime is committed. If a person finds out there isn’t a neighborhood watch program for their neighborhood, there are a few things they can do. The person can contact the local police department to learn how to start a neighborhood watch program. The police have experience with this and can provide all the information the person needs to get started.The person should start to hold regular meetings to help them get to know the neighbors, find out who is home more and can keep a close eye on the neighborhood, and help neighbors start talking so they’ll learn who drives what vehicle, who they can ask to keep an eye on their home when they’re out of town, and more.They should check out the facts about crime in the neighborhood by visiting the police department website and other websites to explain the need for watching the neighborhood and ask the neighbors to contact the police for any suspicious behavior to help prevent crime. Consider a Security System to Aid in Preventing Crime Neighborhood watch programs can help reduce the crime in the neighborhoods within Tamarac, but what if there’s a time when there’s no one actively watching the neighborhood? Perhaps everyone is busy for an hour or two during the day and a thief wanders into the neighborhood looking for something to steal. If this happens, the homeowner is going to want something extra to help protect their home. They might want to consider investing in a security system. DIY Security Systems – In relatively safe areas, a DIY security system might be sufficient. The person won’t have to worry about monthly fees for service and they can build the system using the components they prefer. They can also keep an eye on their home using their smartphone if they install cameras and be alerted if there’s any movement near their home.Monitored Security Systems – In areas with more crime or if the person travels often, a monitored security system might be beneficial. Although they’ll need to pay a monthly service fee, they’ll know someone is always watching their home, even if they’re not able to check on it on their own. Any motion that is detected when the system is armed will alert a dispatcher who can contact the police for help. Combining Security Systems and a Neighborhood Watch Program If a homeowner decides to install a security system, DIY or monitored, it can be beneficial for the neighborhood watch program. Installing cameras means there might be a record of an unusual car driving by or a suspicious person walking to their neighbor’s house. This footage could help the police find the thief and prosecute them, which might not have been possible without a security camera to show who was going past the home. If the person has alerts set up to notify them of any movement detected by the security camera, they might be alerted to a suspicious person and can contact the police even though they aren’t at home. Even if a person lives in an area of Tamarac that has lower crime rates, it’s going to be important for them to continue to protect their home. Residents of this city might want to combine neighborhood watch programs with security systems for their homes to protect their home as much as possible, and their neighbor’s. This way, they can work to protect not only their own home but the community to make it safer overall. |
