SAFETY NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH (NW) CORNER By Fay Wood, NW Chief Courtesy of Law Enforcement Springtime Crime Prevention Tips Spring is upon us and our crime prevention efforts focus on securing our homes as we spend more time outside and on the road. Your Neighborhood Watch Team recommends that you look over the following list and incorporate these into your daily activity. • Keep doors always locked. If you are working in the back yard, keep your front door and garage door closed and locked; and lock your back door when you are in the front yard. • Always lock your doors when you leave, even if you only plan to be gone for a few minutes. • During the spring weather, many people open windows or sliding glass doors while they are at home. Always remember to close and lock your windows and sliding doors when you go to bed or leave the house. • Install motion-activated lights in your front and back yards, so when someone approaches your home, the lights automatically come on, illuminating that person. • Put all ladders and other tools back into a secure storage area after you use them. Ladders and other tools can be used by criminals to access your home. • Be aware of home improvement scams. If you did not solicit the contractor or salesman who shows up at your door unannounced, do not do business with that person. If in doubt call local law enforcement. • If a utility representative comes to your house, request identification. True representatives will carry their identification, and they will gladly show it to you. • In warm weather months personal property thefts increase; there is a tendency to leave items, such as bicycles, gardening tools, 21 The Lake Ashton Neighborhood Watch “Meet the Police Chiefs Forum” took place at Monday Coffee on April 13. Chief Velasquez from the Lake Wales Police Department and Chief Monroe from the Winter Haven Police Department were there to give City updates and answer questions from residents. On April 24, Neighborhood Watch welcomed Polk County Sheriff, Grady Judd, to Lake Ashton again. He updated Residents on what the Sheriff's Office is working on and gave his perspectives on current issues. lawnmowers, weed eaters, and other yard tools lying around in the open. Make sure you lock up your personal property in your garage or yard shed; it doesn’t take long for someone to ride by and quickly take your property. An open garage door or yard shed can also be inviting. Keep them closed even when you’re at home. • Always remember to roll up your car windows, take any valuables out of your car, and lock your doors every time you exit your vehicle, even if your vehicle is parked in your driveway. • Implement a 9 pm routine where you make a visual check of the inside and outside of your property to make sure the aforementioned tips are adhered to at 9:00 pm or before you turn into bed. Lake Ashton is a great and safe place to live, and it is your Neighborhood Watch Team’s Mission to keep it that way. Enjoy Spring. SPECIAL NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PRESENTATIONS
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