Monday, November 16, 2015

Elise Wims | Apres Ski

Elise Wims | Apres Ski. You are not a experienced manager.  Your ego gets in the way. Your people skills are questionable.  You should seek employment elsewhere.  Sincerely,karyngray@gmail

Monday, September 17, 2007

Neighborhood Watch?

Why Do We Need a Neighborhood Watch?

Because law enforcement officers can't be on every street corner in Hickory Hills, it's the responsibility of residents to watch for and report suspicious activity. Criminals gravitate to neighborhoods where they feel they can operate safely and avoid ones where they are likely to be caught. By starting an active and vital neighborhood watch group and posting the neighborhood watch signs, we've put potential offenders on notice that we're on the lookout for them and will report their presence to the police immediately. Even criminals understand the risk of staying in neighborhoods where they're not welcome.

Does a Neighborhood Watch really work?

Yes, it does, and we have the numbers to prove it. Before the Hickory Hills Neighborhood Watch was started in September 2006, the Bel Air Police Department was answering an average of 70-100 calls per month to our neighborhood. When we approached them with our concerns and intention to start a watch group, they responded by making themselves more visible in our community via frequent premise checks, following up on residents' tips, regularly disbursing bands of youthful loiterers who roamed our streets after dark and assigning an officer to work as our community liaison. We purchased and set up surveillance equipment in strategic areas to identify lawbreakers and troublemakers, documented all calls to the police and identified chronic offenders, sent letters to owners housing these offenders and, where appropriate, imposed fines on those owners to encourage compliance and more thorough tenant screening. Over the past 12 months, our calls have been drastically reduced. In August 2007, there were only 14 calls---mostly routine--- and the 3 most serious were for only minor disturbances. That is dramatic progress!

How Can I Help My Watch Group?

Attend the meetings. Signs are posted in each hallway approximately one week prior to neighborhood watch meetings so you'll know when to attend. These meetings are held in the Community Room one Saturday morning a month to make it convenient for those who work and they last only about an hour. You'll learn where the trouble areas are, what's being done, what to watch for and who to contact with your concerns. Our community liaison is Officer Alex McComas of the BAPD. Alex attends every meeting and offers excellent suggestions and safety tips, informs us about our call record for the previous month and often brings a guest speaker from a branch of law enforcement or social services to help us understand how we can further streamline and enhance our watch group efficiency and protect our neighborhood.

Report all suspicious activity.

If you think a crime is in progress, call 911 to report it to the police. Don't wait; call immediately. Five minutes can be the difference between catching or losing a suspect. No fact is too trivial, so tell the police as much as you can. In many cases, it's what the victims and witnesses tell law enforcement about the suspect that results in an arrest. When you report a crime, don't be afraid to give police your name and address. This information is kept private for your safety. While law enforcement will respond to anonymous tips and even an anonymous tip is better than none at all, successful prosecution requires witnesses. If you're the victim of a crime, report it and stick with it all the way to prosecution. The majority of criminals who are arrested for property crimes are convicted and being a witness in court is not as much trouble as you think. If you've observed activity that has aroused your suspicions but feel there's no immediate threat, phone the BAPD non-emergency number: 410-638-4500. Be sure to tell the officer that you are participating in the neighborhood watch program. If you wish to simply discuss your concerns with a watch group leader or feel you lack sufficient evidence about a situation to phone police, use the Hickory Hills Watch Line at 443-372-4303. You may leave a message and your call will be returned within 24 hours. The watch group leader will know to how to route the information to the proper agency to get results and your personal information will be kept confidential.

Know your neighbors and your neighborhood.

Don't live in the shadows. This is your community and you should feel comfortable in it. Get out and walk about, sit on the benches located around the development and observe the activity around you. When you're familiar with what is routine for a community, it's easier to detect what is out of place. Talk to your neighbors and get to know the people in your building. Some of the best protection comes from residents looking out for one another. If something doesn't look right to you, report it immediately so it can be investigated promptly. Be pro-active, not reactive. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

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