Showing posts with label Neighborhood Watch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Neighborhood Watch. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Dunwoody Homeowner Association meeting this Sunday to discuss public safety and rezoning rewrite.
Board
of Directors Meeting
Sunday,
August 4, 2013 @ 7:30 P.M.
Announcements
and introduction of distinguished visitors
1.
Approval of minutes for July 2013
2.
Presentation by Timothy Fecht, Dunwoody
PD on public safety including Neighborhood Watch, crime statistics and the CodeRed warning system.
3. Zoning Code re-write Final Thoughts
4. October 17
Candidate Forum
Votes
as needed on any motions and discussion of recusal of board members on city
commissions/boards during Board only session
Adjourn
Next meeting: September
8, 2013
Friday, May 17, 2013
Dunwoody Neighborhood Watch Update
Good Morning Neighborhood Watch,
Tuesday night we had a meeting of the Neighborhood Watch
Coordinators. We had a great turnout and it was a pleasure meeting
everyone and putting a face to a name. The Dunwoody Police Department is
fortunate to have such an engaged and involved community of volunteers that are
motivated to make this the best city around. We appreciate your time and
commitment to Neighborhood Watch and crime prevention.
For those who were unable to attend I have linked theagenda from our meeting as well as a summary from Rich Lapin (NWC Chestnut
Forest). Mr. Lapin did a great summary and explained the topics
thoroughly. Please see summary below.
“1. Crime Trends in Dunwoody:
Part 1 Crime (murder, rape, etc.) was down 15% through April 2013 vs. a similar
period last year. In overview terms there are about 50 staff with
Dunwoody PD who police many neighborhoods, about 68 of which are on the
neighborhood watch program. They also are responsible for the safety of
47,000 people in our city. As information, when you exclude DUI and
traffic arrests from their totals, about 70% of crime is committed by peoplewho do not live here. Lesson: we need to be vigilant about people who
come here, aren’t familiar by sight to us, and act suspiciously. More
below.
Two issues merited comment:
a) Solicitors:
commercial solicitors are required to have City of Dunwoody licenses; religious
groups are exempt. Beware of unknown people coming through the
neighborhood seeking to do work. Call 911.
b) Tree cutting scam:
we’ve already covered this but this effort involves a team where someone comes
to your door and offers to do an estimate on tree work. You walk with
them, leave your door open or unlocked. One of their accomplices sneaks into
your house to collect easy targets – electronics like computers, iPads, etc. Lesson: If you
didn’t call them, don’t talk to them. If they persist, call 911.
Comment: People may
be reluctant to call 911, please don't be!! Both Chief Grogan and Officer Fecht were very
open in the questions that came up. They both echoed the same theme: you
or I are not “bothering” them. That’s why they’re there and they would
rather respond to calls that aren’t serious knowing that in time, they will
encounter a situation that required an officer. Both Chief and Officer Fecht
encourage us to call. The worst thing that they can hear is a report about
something a civilian like us saw and didn’t say anything until the next day. Timing
is everything on tips to them.
2. Increase watch participation: If you learn
that a neighbor is not on our watch distribution, please have them contact me
with their email address. We’d like to have 100% participation with
everyone who has a computer. We’re getting close to that.
3. Lock, take, hide: Chief encouraged
everyone to lock his/her car on leaving, remove anything of value (purse,
laptop, iPad), or hide anything that you can’t remove. The whole idea is to
make your parked car less of a target than someone else’s in another
neighborhood. This is true even when you park your car in a carport or
garage. Also, keep the doors to your home locked when you leave – and
when you’re home.
4. End of school year tips
now that kids will be at home during the day:
- Answer the door if someone knocks or rings the bell. Answer through the door without opening. Be loud when you do. These tips apply for kids, too. They can say “My mom (or dad) can’t come to the door and I’ve got to take care of my pet pit bull. Down, boy! Come back later.” Your home went from being a target to too much work for the bad guy(s). They will leave.
- Have kids play outside with other kids within a block of their houses. There is safety in numbers.
- Have your kids give you a periodic check in call. Pick a pattern that works for you. If in doubt, use the Dr. Pepper rule: 10, 2, and 4.
- Teach kids to be aware of their surroundings. If they are frightened about an external threat and alone, have them call 911.
5. Miscellaneous topics covered:
- Suspicious cars in the neighborhood: tips to look for are these: if there are multiple people in a car and they are more focused on you, call 911. If they are moving slowly and somewhat methodically through the neighborhood without stopping or getting out of the car, call 911. If they pull into a driveway and don’t get out of the car, call 911. The best rule of thumb is if you are suspicious, call 911.
- Vacation watch: The Dunwoody Police Department has a new system called Interactive Defense that allows you to enter and maintain your home watches and receive email and/or text message updates as your home is able to be checked. Simply go to www.dunwoodyids.com and click on "Not Registered? Click Here" in the upper right corner. Once you register you can go to the "Safety Center" tab and click on "Request a Home Watch" on the right of the screen. The Home Watch will directly link to the Dunwoody Police Officers who are on patrol. The police departments website is: http://dunwoodyga.gov/Departments/Dunwoody-Police-Department.aspx.
- Bad weather alert: Chief said that there are a number of services available through the Dunwoody Alert program. More info is available online at: http://dunwoodyga.gov/Departments/Dunwoody-Police-Department/dunwoodyalertnetwork.aspx
- Alarm ordinance: This resulted from 4000 false alarms last year, 90% of which were human error. The ordinance goes into effect on July 1. They key elements are that owners will be able to register their alarm on the website. The electronic portal for this service is still being put together. If you have an alarm, you are required to register it. Noncompliance draws a $100 fine. Each alarm owner will be allowed up to 2 false alarm calls in a year. If there is a third one, there is a $50. In short, the system is designed to make people who create the problem and abuse the system, “pay” for their shortcomings on fine basis. More information coming soon!
6. Just Yell Fire: A watch coordinator in
Wren’s Cross advised that there is a nationally recognized program designed for
girls/ young women ages 11 to 19 to avoid situations where they could be
victims of a sexual assault. It is scheduled for June 4 at 6:30 PM. More
information on the session ($50 per girl, $35 for each additional sibling) is
available from Jane Burdette at 404-557-5628, janeburdette@bellsouth.com. For
background on the program itself, visit www.justyellfire.org,
an organization based in Vancouver, Washington. The previous info is just
background that I’m sharing, not an endorsement as I was not familiar with the
program until this evening. If it’s not age relevant for your household, feel
free to share it with others. Note that class size is limited.”
Remember that there are multiple ways to connect to Dunwoody
Police, please consider following us on:
If there are any questions please feel free to email or call
me.
Thank you,
Officer Tim Fecht
Community Outreach
Public Information Officer
Dunwoody Police
Department
41 Perimeter Center East, Ste. 100
Dunwoody, Ga 30346
Office: 678.382.6917
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Tis the holiday season - be aware of your surroundings.
We wanted to notify everyone of a strong arm theft that occurred on Monday night at Perimeter Mall. A customer had just purchased a laptop from the Apple store and was leaving the mall. An unidentified, young black male, approached the customer from behind and grabbed their arm, causing them to drop the laptop. A brief struggle ensued and the black male picked up the laptop and fled the scene on foot. Video surveillance showed that the suspect was possibly in the store at the same time as the customer and followed them outside. This occurred at approximately 8:30pm near Maggiano’s.
We want to remind everyone to be diligent in their awareness. Suspects such as these target victims that they feel are not aware they are there. Remember to always make eye contact with those people around you and look over your shoulder every once in awhile to check behind you. We are entering the holiday season and crimes such as this will increase. If you feel you are being followed, contact one of the security officers to escort you. As always, if you see a suspicious person or vehicle, don’t hesitate to call 911 and report it.
Thank you,
Officer W. Furman
Community Outreach Unit
Dunwoody Police Department
41 Perimeter Center East, Suite 100
Dunwoody, GA 30346
Office: 678.382.6913 Fax: 770.396.4655
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
When in doubt, neighbors call 911
The Dunwoody North neighborhood has had a string of day time burglaries where they break down the front or side door, take the jewelry, flat screens and computers and are gone in under 5 minutes.
The Dunwoody Police Department has stepped up patrols and I have had daily updates from Chief Grogan, therefore I know that the Police Department is doing everything they can. In fact a community meeting is being scheduled for next week (date pending confirmation) so the residents can get a first hand update along with suggestions on how to participate in a Neighborhood Watch program.
For example, you should be a good neighbor by being a nosy neighbor. Watch what happens around you and if something is out of place, call the police by dialing 911.
If there is a car parked on the street that seems out of place or there is anything that just doesn't feel right about something happening in your neighborhood, please call 911.
It is the neighbors together looking out for one another which will make this a safer place to live.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Random Thoughts - Radar Signs, Dunwoody Twitter, Neighborhood Watch & Citizens Police Academy
Speeding has been a topic of this blog for quite awhile therefore I have pursued a number initiatives (passed out Slow Down signs, proposed law changes, installed speed limit signs in Brook Run Park, intersection and cross walk installations, and recently a grant proposal) to affect change. This week I was notified by my good friends at PEDS (Pedestrians Educating Drivers on Safety) that Dunwoody has been chosen as a demonstration project for sign installation. Our Public Works Director, Mr. Richard Meehan has already been in contact with RadarSign regarding possible locations and installation. More information will be forthcoming in several weeks and I will report on it once the installation is complete.
Dunwoody Twitter
The updated City of Dunwoody website has been promised in the next month or so, therefore with the hopes of it having an RSS feed for updates, I reserved the DunwoodyGA twitter account. (Oops, I guess I should tell the City Manager before he reads this on my blog?)
If you are unfamiliar with twitter, think of it as sending a short e-mail to the internet and allowing anyone to read it if they so desire. I created one for my blog and set it up to feed twitter every time I update the blog, other than that I really haven't utilized twitter to its full potential.
If your reading this and have a twitter account, please do me a favor and follow @dunwoodynorth and @DunwoodyGa if you are interested in doing so and I'll follow you back.
http://twitter.com/dunwoodynorth
http://twitter.com/DunwoodyGA
Unincorporated Neighborhood Watch?
Oh how I wish the unincorporated areas of Doraville that voted down the annexation would follow the lead of the Decatur residents by organizing an effective neighborhood watch, but personally I just don't see it happening.
Sandy Springs' Citizens Police Academy
Give the Dunwoody Police Department a little time to get up and running, let us get an effective neighborhood watch program and then I am guessing a year or two down the road that we will be evaluating this Sandy Springs program to see if it could work for us.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Free SLOW DOWN Yard Signs from PEDS.org
Our SLOW DOWN yard signs are back, this time in black. Paid for by the Governor's Office of Highway Safety, these yard signs are available to metro area residents at no charge. You can pick up signs at these distribution events:
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Decatur: Oakhurst Village Earth Day celebration.
10:00AM to 2:00PM. MAP.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Lenox Square Mall: Earth Day event in the parking lot.
10:00AM to 2:00PM. MAP
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Roswell Area Park: Near the first parking lot on the left.
2:00PM to 6:00PM. MAP.
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Grant Park: In the Zoo Atlanta parking area, at the traffic circle, in front of the Cyclorama.
2:00PM to 5:00PM. MAP.
You can see all these locations on one map. We encourage you to coordinate with your neighborhood association so that one person picks up signs on behalf of the community. Please spread the word by forwarding this email to others. Quantities are limited.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED: We need to load the signs in a car or truck, get them to distribution sites, hand them out and bring back the leftovers. You'll receive a lot of appreciation, plus a "My way or the highway" PEDS t-shirt, access to our Bushnell Radar Gun for a week and a chance to meet other people working to tame their streets. If you can help out, or if you want to coordinate a distribution day at another location, contact Michael Orta at 404-522-3747 or collaborate@peds.org.
Saturday, March 22, 2008
DeKalb Police is asking for our support on Tuesday
Lisa Unkefer our Neighborhood Watch Coordinator received this e-mail from the DeKalb County Police asking us for their support at Tuesday's BOC Meeting.
From: dkpdcommrel@yahoo.com [mailto:dkpdcommrel@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, March 21, 2008 2:57 PM
To: A. L. Fowler
Subject: March 25, 2008 BOC meeting!
Dear Community Friends,
The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners will meet on March 25, 2008, 9:00 a.m. at the Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur, Georgia 30030.
The meeting will again discuss a 4% across the board pay raise for police officers. May I remind you that this is an additional 4% on top of the possible 4% for merit. Therefore, our police officers can attain an 8% pay raise this coming budget year.
We need your support! We encourage all that can attend this meeting to attend and support the men and women of the DeKalb County Police Department.
Please RSVP to let me know if you will attend.
Thank you ,
Al Fowler
Public Education Specialist
DKPD North
alfowler@co.dekalb.ga.us
404-294-2858
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Dunwoody North Neighborhood Watch quoted in AJC no holiday from crime article
By Marcus K. Garner
Some leave their purses open on the front seat of their cars. Others may leave a laptop sitting in plain sight in the SUV's cargo bay. Then there's the new GPS system attached to the windshield, just above the dashboard ... in an unlocked car. These are just a few examples of the easy pickings some criminals come across on the Northside. Law enforcement officials say people tend to get careless during the holidays, when crime typically is on the rise. And thieves reap the benefits.
"It's one of those things where it's a crime of opportunity," said Roswell Police Lt. James McGee. "You leave a door cracked or unlocked at home. People are leaving cars unlocked or leaving expensive things in their cars." A ride-along Monday with Alpharetta police Officer John Robinson proved this, as the officer found the garage door open and nobody home in one neighborhood, and an open purse in an area shopping center.
Common sense can protect your property, Sandy Springs police Lt. Steve Rose said. "Many thieves are taking whatever they can find and fencing them out or selling them on the street for whatever cash they can get," Lt. Rose said. "This is their cash plus-up for holiday shopping." Such was the case during Thanksgiving weekend when six teenagers entered more than 150 cars over a three-day period. They found only 50 of the cars locked, and took a huge haul of valuable items.
Last week, Rose reported several break-ins where thieves had apparently stolen garage door openers from cars. "The thieves later returned to the house when the victim was gone," he wrote in his weekly column. "They opened the garage door, drove inside, and then closed the door to hide the car while going through the house." Other Sandy Springs reports offered warnings to GPS device owners. "In one case the victim's GPS was in the car that was stolen," Rose said. "The GPS was programmed to "home" and it gave directions to the victim's home." It's important to stay alert while shopping, as well.
Alpharetta police spokesman George Gordon said that although the department has stepped up patrols around the North Point Mall area to deter crime, some shoppers still make theft all too easy. "We've had people go to Best Buy and get a $1,400 plasma TV, and leave it in their car when they go to eat ... with the door unlocked," Gordon said. "Of course, it's gone when they get back."
Roswell's McGee said people have called to report being followed after they leave a shopping area with a car full of gifts. "Watch your surroundings when you leave a store," he said.
Lisa Unkefer, neighborhood watch coordinator for the Dunwoody North Civic Association, said the best deterrent for home break-ins is neighborly vigilance. "Having neighbors watch over is a big deterrent," she said.
But Rose warns that the smartest tactic is not to make theft easy for criminals. "The risk vs. opportunity is the most important thing to remember, because it affects every crime that's committed," he said. "Crooks take the path of least resistance. Victims are often the lazy ones or the procrastinators who think that it won't happen to them."
Staying safe at home
- Vary the times you leave home and come back.
- Leave your lights on a timer.
- Leave a radio or TV turned up loud when you leave the house.
- Keep your garage door closed.
- If you are traveling, stop your mail delivery or have a trusted person retrieve your mail.
- Trim shrubs and any landscaping that obstructs your entry and exit areas
- Join a neighborhood watch group. Become active in your homeowners association.
- Lock your vehicle at all times.
- Watch your surroundings when you leave a store.
- Call police and don't go home if you see a car you think is following you.
- Don't program the GPS for 'home' unless you need to.
- Remove GPS units or garage door openers each time you exit your car.
- If there is a theft, reprogram the garage door opener.
- Do not leave any item(s) of value in your vehicle unattended.
- If you purchase an expensive item please take it home prior to stopping at another business or restaurant.
- Always park your vehicle in a lighted area at night.
- Be aware of your surroundings and try to shop when other patrons are present.
- Do not display large amounts of cash.
- Carry your credit cards and cash in your front pockets.
- Do not leave a purse unattended.
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