Summer Safety Tips

Summer should be about fun and the sun. Unfortunately, summer can also mean an increase in crime. Below are a few steps you can take to help prevent burglaries and keep your neighborhood safe:

• Close and lock all first floor windows before you leave your home and/or go to bed. (Close ALL windows before you leave.)
• Don’t leave your housekeys under the doormat, in an unlocked garage, etc. Doing so can invite unwanted guests.
• Don’t leave garbage cans and ladders under windows (this helps burglars climb into windows!) Also, always store your ladder/s in a secured location such as a locked garage.
• If you purchase a big ticket item like a big screen TV or computer, tear the box into pieces and put it in a garbage bag for garbage day. Putting an intact box on your tree lawn can let ne’er-do-wells know you have something worth stealing…
• Don’t put that new big screen TV right in front of your picture window (or put up curtains). Again, you don’t want to advertise that you have nice things that a crook might want!
• Turn on exterior lights at night. Lighting can deter burglars.
• Look out for your neighbors. If you see something that does not “look or feel right”, call the Police at 216-621-1234. 

For information on joining or creating a blockwatch or to schedule a free home safety audit, call Greg Pollard at 216-383-9772 or e-mail him at gp@cnvdc.org. Greg is the Safety Coordinator for Ward 11.

Jayme Lucas is the Development Manager at Collinwood & Nottingham Villages Development Corporation.