Prevention Works

This Thanksgiving “Lock It or Lose It”

Thanksgiving is one of the busiest times for travelers as many of us hit the road to share the holiday with friends and family. And due to the economy, more of us will be traveling by automobile. According to Triple AAA projections, there will be additional 2.1 percent motorists when compared to last year.

Many holiday travel tips will help you on your journey, but I want to focus on how to keep your vehicle safe as you join those on U.S. highways to travel often unfamiliar routes and to new places that hold potential risks for your vehicle.

While many of us have read the reports indicating an overall drop in crime across the country, we continue to read and hear about increases in personal property crime, especially theft of or from automobiles. The Roanoke Police Department recently launched the “Safer City Roanoke” campaign to address this problem, an expansion of their “Lock It or Lose It” Initiative that was started four years ago.

As you travel this holiday season, protect your vehicle with these tips from McGruff:

• Never leave your vehicle unattended with keys in the ignition.
• Lock your doors and keep the windows closed, even when parked in front of your home.
• Park in busy and well-lighted areas.
• Do not leave valuables—GPS, GPS holder, cell phone—in plain view.
• Equip your vehicle with an alarm or other anti-theft device.
• Never leave your vehicle registration or other personal documents in your vehicle.
• Report auto theft immediately. Provide local authorities with the make/model/license plate and Vehicle ID number.

To utilize these and other crime prevention tips in your community, please visit our home page at www.ncpc.org and see our Rapid Response for Law Enforcement/Community Outreach Tools. NCPC has recently added ten new topics in five languages that can be localized by your police department to help prevent crime in your community.

Binge Drinking: Not Just a College Problem

On October 20, police raided a bar in Fairfield, CT, and found more than 100 underage drinkers, many of them college students. While many debate whether the legal age for consuming alcohol should remain 21 or be lowered to 18, perhaps the question more important than who is drinking is how much people are drinking?

Binge drinking is the dangerous practice of consuming enough alcohol to bring a person’s blood alcohol concentration (BAC) to 0.08 grams percent or above. This typically happens when men consume five or more drinks, and when women consume four or more drinks, in about two hours (National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism). While binge drinking is most often associated with college students, quick stats on binge drinking provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention paint a larger picture of the problem. Notably, 70 percent of binge drinking episodes involve adults older than 25.

Binge drinking carries the risk of alcohol poisoning and other serious health consequences, and can put the drinker at greater risk for being victimized by crime. So, as crime prevention practitioners, how do we reduce the amount of binge drinking that occurs among adults who can legally purchase and consume alcohol? The CDC recommends increasing alcohol taxes and regulating where and when alcohol can be sold.

But another component to addressing binge drinking is increasing public awareness of the problem. Increasing awareness among adults may prove challenging. Many educational materials about alcohol abuse are directed at young people, with key messages about not drinking before age 21. But what materials target adults with messages about the dangers of binge drinking?

It’s Crime Prevention Month, a time to celebrate and enhance our crime prevention efforts. If you have implemented programs or developed materials about binge drinking that target adults in their 20s, I invite you to share them through a comment about this blog. Perhaps your work can inspire another practitioner to expand their alcohol abuse prevention efforts to address a new facet of the issue with a new population.

Across the Country, People Celebrate Crime Prevention Month

During Crime Prevention Month, law enforcement, community groups, and citizens are coming together across the country to create stronger partnerships and safer streets. Whether you’re in Florida, Arizona, or Washington, DC, you will see the effects of the Crime Prevention Month and Celebrate Safe Communities initiatives.

Many communities across the county have used the Celebrate Safe Communities initiative to kick off Crime Prevention Month. Strong partnerships between community groups and law enforcement are especially apparent in Miami, FL, and Marana, AZ.

In Miami, the Citizens/Youth Crime Watch of Miami-Dade County has partnered with local law enforcement to put on events throughout the county for citizens at block parties and for youths at schools throughout the area. The events included visits to local elementary schools to promote Circle of Respect, a National Crime Prevention Council initiative to combat bullying and cyberbullying, and included visits from crime prevention icon McGruff the Crime Dog®. McGruff, through a partnership with Home Depot, made appearances and hosted information tables at local stores.

Many Arizona communities participated in Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods (G.A.I.N) as a part of the Celebrate Safe Communities initiatives. There were 15 events in neighborhoods throughout the state including ten in the town of Marana. These events were used to provide information to residents on how they can keep their homes, communities, and families safe from crime and emphasized the importance of every community member being involved in crime prevention.

In Washington, DC, NCPC, the National Sheriffs’ Association, U.S. Department of Justice, and Washington Area Mass Transit Authority (WMATA) Police have partnered to provide crime prevention, personal safety, and situational awareness information to Metro riders at four high-traffic stations in the downtown area. Metro riders were greeted in the morning by NCPC staff, WMATA police officers and McGruff, who handed out informational brochures. Riders at the Metro Center station were visibly excited to see McGruff and get information on how they could stay safe on and off the Metro.

Throughout the month there will continue to be events held across the country. The events may be part of Red Ribbon Week or Halloween Safety fairs but, like events focused on Crime Prevention Month or Celebrate Safe Communities, will accomplish a major goal, bringing law enforcement and community members together while focusing on the necessity of all citizens to be involved in keeping themselves, their families, and their communities safe from crime.

Circle of Respect: Are You In It?

Recent acts of disrespectful behavior that have played out in the media have left many of us scratching our heads and wondering what has happened to the way we treat each other in America? From the inappropriate MTV Video Music Awards moment to other high-profile outbursts, the civility in this country appears to be declining. While these acts weren’t by any means criminal, a lack of respect is at the heart of many issues that individuals face across the nation.

The National Crime Prevention Council’s (NCPC) Circle of Respect (COR) initiative is a national campaign to create safer and more caring communities by cultivating a culture of respect in America. During the initial phase of the campaign, COR aims to create a nationwide movement that will fundamentally change the way people, particularly young people, view bullying and cyberbullying behavior. To help advance its goal, NCPC will begin hosting an online Circle of Respect Book Club in October to generate a guided national discussion about this hurtful and damaging behavior. If you would like to learn more about the Circle of Respect Book Club click here.

Joining the Circle of Respect movement means choosing to be intentional about the way we interact with others, as well as the way we teach our children and youth to interact with others. It means choosing to hold our family, friends and neighbors in a positive regard, and practicing our ability to put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. It’s a national movement that is long overdue. Circle of Respect: Are You In It?

United We Serve: Serving for Safety

Hurricane season is upon us, and while we are much better at predicting, tracking, and preparing for storms than we were a few decades ago, the aftermath of these natural disasters is unchanged—destruction, casualties, and profound disruption to our daily living. Time and again, however, research shows that people who believe themselves to be “prepared” for disasters often aren’t as prepared as they think. The same goes for our safety and security.

We often think we have taken enough precautions to thwart the criminals among us, but the daily crime logs tell a different story. Preventing the small disasters that don’t grab the national headlines— a burglary, an assault, the looting of a bank account— needs the same kind of education as the larger disasters looming on the evening news. We can prepare for these small disasters much the same way we prepare for the bigger ones when we nail plywood over our windows and sandbag levees.

This summer the Obama administration has launched United We Serve—an initiative to tap into the American attributes of neighborliness, giving, and volunteering. So far United We Serve has highlighted the topics of education, the environment, and the health of our citizens. This week (August 24-30) the United We Serve initiative is emphasizing safety and security. At the National Crime Prevention Council we emphasize safety and security every day though our support of Neighborhood Watch programs that engage citizens to do their part to make their communities safe, our children and youth safety resources that prepare families for the threats that face children as they grow from toddlers to teens to young adults, and our commitment to community-wide crime prevention, victim services, and other justice programs.

Go to NCPC’s website for information and resources to help you and your community become safer and more secure. Then, visit the United We Serve website to learn about safety and security volunteer opportunities in your community and to access user-friendly toolkits to help you start your own. Through United We Serve and NCPC, ordinary citizens can make extraordinary contributions to strengthen communities and improve the quality of life for those most in need and at risk. The United We Serve effort is dedicated to making service not just a “sometimes” thing but a way of life for every American. While there is no questioning our capacity to deliver a “pound” of response, isn’t it time for an “ounce” of preparation and prevention?

Battling Gangs: A Novel Use of Civil Injunctions

According National District Attorney's Association (NDAA), the United States has 30,000 gangs with 800,000 members whose crimes, tactics, and strategies are getting more sophisticated each day.  Communities and local law enforcement agencies are responding with new strategies as well—in this case, the use of civil injunctions to disrupt gang activities. John Wilkinson, an attorney and program manager for the Gun Violence and Homeland Security programs of the NDAA, says that using civil injunctions to disrupt gangs is not a cure all, but can be useful for communities that are serious about reducing the influence of gangs.

In a recent NCPC conference call, Mr. Wilkinson explained that an injunction is a court order to stop individuals, their associates, or an organization from preventing an individual or the general public from enjoying life and property.  Civil injunctions previously were used to prevent harm to the community by a factory or business; however California began to take this new anti-gang approach with  criminal street gangs because the law considers them identifiable associations (due to their “colors,” “signs,” or tattoos). The primary tool of the civil gang injunction is its ability to stop gang members from associating in a defined geographical area. For example, if a gang hangs out on the corner and a homeowner can’t sit on his or her nearby porch without being disturbed or intimidated, relief may come in the form of a civil injunction. Such civil injunctions are not aimed at recovering monies or compensation for lost enjoyment or happiness, but are aimed at disrupting the daily criminal activities of the gang and removing the gang’s ability to derive its strength from associating with other members. Additional civil injunction restrictions could result in curfews and prohibitions against weapons, drugs, alcohol, graffiti (or graffiti tools), forcible recruiting, or against efforts by gang leaders to keep members from leaving the gang.

It was noted during the discussion that in order to be targeted, the gang must be creating a public nuisance and be responsible for activities that are continuous and ongoing. Additionally, it is necessary to demonstrate a defined geographic area that is impacted by the gang and the selected gang must have identifiable members. When filing suit, notice of the suit must be provided to individual gang members. Attempts must be made to serve all members of the gang with the injunction; the injunction can only be enforced on members who have been served. To protect residents from retaliation by the gang, law enforcement agencies should request the injunction.

Using these tools, police and communities are reclaiming neighborhoods, reducing crime, and restoring peace. Here’s a resource to help from the NDAA website.  Mr. Wilkinson has additional information and technical assistance to help your community pursue civil injunctions against gangs. He can be reached at John.Wilkinson@ndaa.org.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

“It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood, a neighborly day for a neighbor. Would you be mine? Could you be mine?”  Ok, so I never really watched Mr. Rogers as a child, but it never stopped me from learning the song. I was always particularly interested in the question, “would you be mine?” (a neighbor that is) because really, how would someone know that they even wanted to be my neighbor? Perhaps they’re unsure of what it takes to be a neighborly neighbor? Is it as simple as lending me sugar or collecting my newspaper when I’m away, or might I ask them to perform simple tasks in a more complicated context, such as making a phone call when they suspect child abuse or hear gunshots on their front lawn?

On February 3, 2009, neighbors in Temple Hills, MD, heard approximately 8 gunshots around 8:00 p.m.  No one looked outside and no one called the police. What no one knew is that a 16-year-old boy lay shot in one of his neighbor’s yards. In fact, no one found this out until the police received its first phone call at 7:00 a.m. and arrived to turn over his lifeless body.

In this case, it may be easy to try and place blame on individuals in the neighborhood. But the truth is how often have we heard the sounds of violence next door and thought to “mind our own business”? How many neighborhoods have become deaf to the sound of gunshots because they hear them so often? Nowadays we can’t just live in our neighborhoods, we must actively serve them. Consider starting a Neighborhood Watch program or even a simple neighborhood phone tree that allows each of your families to be accounted for in the event you become aware of violence or an emergency.  It doesn’t take a lot to be a good neighbor – you only need to care and want to be one.

Stand Up and Be Counted

I recently read an article about Chicago's community policing program, the Chicago Alternative Policing Strategy. As I had previously lived in Chicago, the article caught my interest. The article in the Sun Times suggested that funding cuts by Mayor Daley would end the 15-year-old program. What struck me most were not the words in the article, but the words in a blog I came across. The blogger suggested that it was time to let the police do their jobs, save the tax payers' money, and get back to the basics.

The words "get back to the basics" have since stuck in my mind. What are the basics of crime prevention? Is it getting involved in keeping our communities, families, and children safe? Is it making sure that all citizens—senior citizens and youth included—play a role in crime prevention? Is it asking our political representatives for more money for more police to patrol our streets? What if we choose not to get involved in keeping our neighborhoods safe and, as the blogger suggested, just "let the police do their jobs"?

As we count down the days to November 4, this reminder about getting back to the basics seems especially significant. According to the National Student/Parent Mock Election website, America has the lowest rate of voter participation of any of the world's democracies. What are the basics of democracy? We all know well the words of the Preamble to the Constitution often quoted by Abraham Lincoln—government of the people, by the people, for the people. It is sometimes hard to believe the old adage that every vote counts. Just as it is much easier to leave the responsibility for the future of our country in the hands of others, some prefer to leave the safety of their community in the hands of the police. It is certainly easier.

But the key to democracy, like crime prevention, is participation. Throughout history, changes have been made because of those who organized, and joined hands and voices, to fight injustice, to create freedom. Many have died to give us this right, this freedom that we take for granted. While we have this right, our freedom requires that we make a choice—to participate or leave the decision in the hands of someone else.

Organized neighbors make safe neighborhoods and organized participation rights wrongs and transforms injustice into freedom for us all. As we near the end of Crime Prevention Month and quickly approach election day, remember that your participation does make a difference. It is a responsibility that many have fought for, died for, and still do not have. Whatever your party affiliation, participate in our organized freedom. Let your voice be heard. Vote on November 4th.

For more information and to register to vote in the National Student/Parent Mock Election, go to nationalmockelection.org. For more information about crime prevention and how you can get involved, visit www.ncpc.org. To read the article on Chicago's community policing strategy, see the Sun Times article.

When Crime Prevention Needs To Begin at Home

My friend Laura told me a horrible story the other day. Her 33-year-old colleague Viviana Tellez-Giron was killed by her husband in a murder-suicide on October 4, during the first week of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The tragic irony of the situation is that Viviana worked as a volunteer for UNIDOS Against Domestic Violence, a not-for-profit organization in Madison, WI, that works to end domestic violence among Hispanic Americans.

"Viviana's death was so hard for us," Julie Anderson, UNIDOS' interim executive director, told The Capital Times. Such tragedies bring a flash of attention to the issue of domestic violence, she said, but UNIDOS is going to work to keep attention to the issue keen. "We want to create a community response. Domestic violence is a community problem, it needs a community response."

One in three American women will be domestically abused in her lifetime. But many of you are already familiar with this statistic. And many of you are already working to prevent domestic violence and other types of crime, as are we at NCPC. What struck me though about Viviana's death was that the tragedy occurred to one of our own. Viviana knew this statistic better than most victims of domestic violence and had been trained on how to prevent it. And yet, it wasn't enough to prevent her own death.

It made me realize that even those of us who work to fight and prevent crime every day are not immune to it. It reminded me that sometimes the most important training presentation we can make is the one we give at home. Who are the people in our own lives who might need to make changes in their lives to prevent becoming a victim? Have you taught the kids in your own house how to protect themselves from cyberbullies? Do your own parents know how to avoid becoming victims of telemarketing fraud? Can the homes and businesses in your own neighborhood benefit from the principles of CPTED?

That's what Viviana's death has taught me: that despite all the important work we do with strangers, crime prevention needs to begin in our own homes, families, and communities. How have you implemented crime prevention techniques and training in your home or community?

Some NCPC resources on preventing domestic violence:

• The Hidden Crime: Domestic Violence (reproducible brochure)
• Teens, Crime, and the Community: Session 14-"Dating Violence: Recognize and Prevent"
• Strategy: Providing Domestic Violence Services to Refugee Communities

Going Green Can Be Dangerous in DC

The movement to "go green" is being thwarted by crime in one part of Washington, DC.

In this case, going green means using public transportation, specifically the city's extensive Metro subway system, instead of private vehicles, to get to work or shopping and recreational venues. But people who live near the subway are being terrorized by a bunch of hoodlums who are attacking passengers at subway stops in some parts of the city—in this case, the Potomac Avenue Metro Station.

According to the Fox5 TV website, two men recently suffered severe head wounds in an attack. In May, a similar rash of attacks left would-be passengers frightened. People who live near the station are also unsettled as crime begins to sift through their once-quiet neighborhood.

Fox5 quoted one civic official, an advisory neighborhood commissioner, as saying "[Crime] has picked up. We have a bunch of juveniles hanging around." Another neighborhood commissioner was cited by Fox5 as saying that juveniles had been seen "throwing rocks and bottles and hitting people on bikes or as they walk down the street." Residents of the area have been debating how to address the problem and are looking to their elected officials and law enforcement for guidance on how to make their neighborhood safe again.

The Washington, DC, Metropolitan Police have stepped up mobile and foot patrols, and are partnering with the Metro Police, as the juveniles are believed to arrive and escape by Metro.

How effective will all this be? The partnerships between the different police forces get an "A." The foot patrols should be especially useful in reassuring residents of the neighborhood near the Potomac Avenue Metro Station. In addition, as they get to know the neighborhood and its residents, they'll soon be able to recognize quickly when anything is amiss.

Likewise, the involvement of citizens and their neighborhood commissioners in the effort to reduce crime also rates an "A."

The overall effort to make Metro safe gets an "A-plus." In Washington, DC, bus routes channel commuters to Metro Stations. If a route or station is perceived to be unsafe, people will get frightened and eventually avoid it. Some will no doubt resort to using their cars. How can we preach the economics and environmental benefits of using public transit when we can't provide safe access to transportation?

What's happening in your town or city? Is your public transportation safe? What are you doing to improve it? Please write back with your comments.