Neighborhood Watch Crime Notice

I hope you received your Neighborhood Watch Crime Notice in the mail over the weekend.  There is one thing I would like to add. I was talking with my neighbor over the weekend and he informed me that his storage shed was vandalized on Thursday night.  He doesn't have a garage and has a small storage shed that is attached to the back of his house where he keeps his lawn equipment, tools, pressure washer, etc.  His pressure washer was taken as well as some power tools.  Please make sure that if you have a storage shed or a storage area that is attached to the outside of your house that you keep a secure lock on it.  The locks that the builder put on are basic handle locks. I would suggest installing a padlock or a deadbolt to prevent easy break-in's. 

Also, it is very important that you report any theft, break-in's, vandalism, etc. to the Lexington County Sheriff's Office. Deputy Parker told me at the Annual Meeting that a lot of the items are eventually recovered, but if the homeowner doesn't report them stolen, they can't be returned to the rightful owner.

 NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH

CRIME NOTICE

 

        It’s October and as many of you are aware, we have had a string of vehicle break-ins and several home break-ins over the last 6 months.  Monday night we had one of the worst rounds of car break-ins in the history of Lexington Hills.  The thieves targeted vehicles while we were all asleep.  Unfortunately, the bad guys don’t always work at night and vehicles aren’t the target every time.  The purpose of this letter is to remind everyone what the thieves are looking for so you won’t be a victim.

            Thieves look for valuable items that they can sell for quick cash.  For vehicles, items of interest are wallets and purses, electronics (computers, MP3 players, cameras, GPS units, etc), weapons, cash, etc.  We can take this a step further and assume that anything in our garages/outdoor storage areas that can be carried away easily is a target, too.

            So, I have attached a short checklist of things we can all do to prevent being a target and keep our neighborhood safe from crime.

     One more item I’d like to address: safety.  Please respect the posted speed limit on ALL streets.  We have a lot of children who play outside and there are neighbors who routinely walk or run the streets for exercise.  It would be devastating to be responsible for hitting someone while driving your vehicle.  Again, please do not exceed the speed limit.

     We are looking for volunteers to help initiate a Neighborhood Crime Watch through the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and volunteers to be Block Captains.  It would be great to have one Block Captain for a group of no more than 15-18 homes.  If you’re interested in becoming a volunteer and/or a Block Captain, please e-mail Lexington Hills at LexingtonhillsPOA@gmail.com and we’ll pass along more information as it comes.

     The Association has started a blog to keep homeowners updated on current activity/crime in the community as well as other helpful information.  The Blog is located at http://www.LexingtonHillsPOA.blogspot.com.  This flier will be posted on the web site for your convenience.  Please email LexingtonhillsPOA@gmail.com with any blog suggestions!

CRIME PREVENTION

CHECKLIST

1.                 Become familiar with your neighbors and their vehicles.

2.                 Keep as many vehicles parked in your garage as possible. Parking vehicles on the street allows the thieves easy access to your vehicle.

3.                 If you keep a vehicle outside make sure no pilferable items can be seen (hide items under seats, in the glove box, etc.).

4.                 Lock the doors and keep the windows rolled up. 

5.                 Keep garage doors closed as much as practicable day and night.

6.                 Keep an eye out for suspicious vehicles. If you see a “prowling” vehicle in the neighborhood, write down the license plate number, description of vehicle and its occupants.

7.                 Keep an eye out for suspicious people wandering (walking) around the neighborhood, especially those wandering at night. Write down the description of the individual, location he/she was seen and approximate time.

8.                 Keep trusted neighbors aware of any travel plans you may have and make sure they have up-to-date contact information (cell phone number) and a key (in case your home develops a leak, etc. while you’re away).

9.                 Install double cylinder deadbolt locks on all exterior doors and appropriate locks for sliding doors and windows.

10.             Prune shrubbery so it doesn’t block doors and windows and allow thieves to be undetected.

11.             Keep outside lights on at night (flood lights) and install motion detector lights.

Accordingly to Lexington County statistics, trailers and boats are hot ticket items for thieves these days and trailer and boat thefts are on the increase throughout Lexington and the surrounding counties.

Thank you!
Lexington Hills Property Owners Association