Inform the neighborhood: Safety is essential to our well-being.
In fact, it’s one of the most essential human needs.
Without feeling safe, it can feel nearly impossible to pursue purpose and happiness.
It’s the reason that people make sacrifices to find safer jobs, get their kids into safer schools, and move into safer neighborhoods.
While some communities are safer than others, residents can band together to create a better neighborhood.
Research shows that small changes can reduce crime, create a better sense of community, and increase overall safety.
What can you do to make your neighborhood a safer place?
Read on to learn more!
10 Ways to Make Your Neighborhood Safer
These are ten (10) easy ways to help promote a safer neighborhood for you and your fellow community member:
1. Get to Know Your Neighbors
Knowing your neighbors makes your neighborhood safer.
If it sounds simple, it’s because it is.
Researchers and criminologists at the University of Michigan School of Public Health found that streets where neighbors got to know each other saw increased rates of community engagement and decreased rates of crime.
The safety benefits of getting to know your neighbors include:
Looking out for each other’s properties and belongings.
Knowing who is and is not home.
Having more eyes on the street.
Being notified if someone sees something dangerous happening to your home or yard.
Having a place to go in an emergency.
When people know their neighbors, they look out for each other and monitor the activity on their streets.
As a bonus, familiarity between neighbors has been shown to boost feelings of happiness, belonging, and altruism.
Take the time to get to know your neighbors and consider creating a local network to share resources and information.
2. Get to Know Your Community
Community prevents crime.
Beyond just knowing your neighbors, it’s important to develop a good understanding of your community’s culture, values, and physical layout.
Community-based safety emphasizes engaging with your surroundings and understanding the fabric of your neighborhood.
This means taking the time to have a better understanding of what’s happening, who’s around, and how you can expect people to act.
This will give you a better idea of potentially suspicious activity while also helping you feel a greater connection to your community.
3. Host Community Gatherings
Good things happen when neighbors get together.
Whether it’s a planned, formal event or just a spur-of-the-moment hangout, community gatherings are one of the most effective tools in creating a safer neighborhood.
Gatherings get more people in the street – or sidewalks, yards, or buildings – creating greater familiarity between neighbors and with the community which, as mentioned earlier, are keys to making a neighborhood safer.
There are plenty of options for hosting community gatherings in your neighborhood.
Maybe it’s a park cleanup event.
Or a barbecue.
A neighborhood-wide bike ride.
A holiday festival.
Even a celebration for local business.
Whatever they may be, neighborhood events are great for safety, and they provide opportunities for networking and community projects.
See if your neighborhood has some sort of event-planning committee.
If not, look into starting one.
4. Start Regular Meetings
Consider organizing regular community or neighborhood meetings.
These provide a platform for people in your neighborhood to voice concerns and organize local safety efforts.
Here they can share ideas, brainstorm and implement solutions, solve disputes, and even prevent potential serious litigations.
Meetings are also a great way for neighbors to become more familiar with local issues and laws.
The ideal frequency of these meetings depends on the size and needs of your community.
Regardless of how often you meet, it’s best that meetings are held at consistent times and intervals.
One a month is a good starting point, but some communities can benefit from more frequent meetings while others do fine with bi-monthly
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