National Night Out Should be Just the Start of a Neighborhood’s Safety Focus

In 1984 a group related to town watches went a step further and organized “America's Night Out Against Crime” for the First Tuesday in August. With school starting around the corner but warm weather still allowing for block parties, it was deemed the best chance for neighborhoods to get together and organize neighborhood watches. Modern houses put more focus on a two door garage door than on the front porch. Air conditioning and central heating as made observing folks coming and going something that is done inside and not reported. Getting neighbors out of doors and chatting with the focus on safety is key to crime prevention. Many people may be living near to utility workers who can get a broken light fixed quickly, or a police officer who can advise on the best person to call for something not quite an emergency but still a matter of safety.

People drive into and out of their garage doors and rarely take the time to step beyond their mailbox to introduce themselves to their neighbor. If they don't know their neighbor will they think to ask if the person coming by after they left for work was a friend or burglar? Gossip chains that used to know every child on the block and who to call about questionable behavior are move likely to be gossiping over the latest Bachelorette episode and parents of youths who have started knocking over trash cans don't get a call and so they can't be chastised. Those youth may find a different hobby or they may move up to mailboxes.

Getting a safer garage door opener can keep one car safe, meeting the neighbors and finding out which parents are working two or three jobs and leaving young adults to wander unchecked can help make the entire neighborhood safer. Simply finding local babysitters will keep a few more young folks off the street and with money in someone's pocket they can rent a movie and order pizza keeping them off the streets.   

Neighborhoods have not be torn down with a garage door, but safer streets will improve every house value much faster than a new garage door and that is money to be taken to the bank.

If a neighborhood missed the National date on that 1st Tuesday in August, chat with a few neighbors about the 1st Tuesday in September or plan an event around the Texas date in October. Call the police station and see if they can send someone around to talk safety. It is never too late to make a positive change in a neighborhood.