Filed under: General, Home Safety | Tags: Chris Hermanski, Foreclosure Crime, Home Safety, Neighborhood Watch
With the foreclosure rate still high, chances are good that there may be a foreclosed home in your neighborhood. In a society where often we are too busy to know our neighbors, it is important to recognize a foreclosed home in order to protect your home and property.
Keeping an eye on the home is essential to your safety. Make it a point to drive by the home every day and notice if there are any obvious changes such as an open window or blinds. If someone has tried to break in, it may be obvious just by taking a quick look.
Even though you have always considered your neighborhood to be safe, having a foreclosed home on your street can be a magnet for vandalism or even a temptation for someone to break in. If someone decides to scope out a foreclosed home in order to see what may be left inside, they also might check out your home to see what they can easily steal from you. Bicycles that are left in your backyard are a temptation and an easysteal for someone who is scoping out a foreclosed home.
If you talk to your neighbors, keep tabs on the goings-on in your neighborhood by recognizing strange cars or people whom you have never seen before. It is important to keep an eye on who visits your neighbors and what cars might be parked on your street. If you see someone who appears to be suspicious, write down the license plate number and description of the vehicle and call the non-emergency number.
Pay attention to strange cars driving by slowly and pedestrians who look like they do not belong in your neighborhood. Sometimes there is no sign out front advertising that the home is going through foreclosure but it is obvious that there is no longer anyone living in the home.
Take the time to cut the grass until the bank sends out someone to do the landscaping. If the home looks maintained it can keep criminals from trying to break in. Being aware of what goes on in your neighborhood can help you to protect your family and your property against becoming a victim. Taking the time to pay attention to what goes on in your neighborhood will ultimately keep you and your family safer.
Neighborhood Watch News Volume 25 Issue 2-February, 2011
