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Keeping the Community Safe

Keeping the Community Safe

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It takes a great deal of effort and intentionality to keep a community safe. Half the battle is knowing a community intimately. Only when a municipality is intimately acquainted with its community will it be able to make an organized effort to address the key issues plaguing the community. Taking action without knowledge is utter folly, a waste of energy and resources. Without being in tune with the needs of the community, all the efforts of the governing municipality to keep the community safe are likened to the futile efforts of a blindfolded goalie trying to guard his goal. Thankfully, the police department of Mount Rainier, MD has realized the need to be well acquainted with the community.

The Mount Rainier police department is constantly engaging their community through special events and neighborhood walkthroughs. Patrol officers are required to walk around the neighborhoods for at least one hour outside of their vehicles so that they can meet the citizens under their protection. Police officers also visit nursing homes, schools, and local organizations to foster a warm and intentional presence in the community. It is because of these practices that the Mount Rainier police department is effectively protecting its community. If the police were not immersed in the community, they would not know what crimes were happening, nor how to stop them.

Visibility is key to keeping a community safe. Municipalities can maximize their presence in the community by imitating the engagement policies of the Mount Rainier Police Department as well as utilizing the correct tools to stop and deter crime. Crime deterrent cameras provide the extra edge needed to complete any community’s security efforts.

 

Vandalism Hurts Communities

Vandalism Hurts Communities

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A study has been done which demonstrates that where crime rates go up, property prices go down. When property prices go down, the economic livelihood of a community suffers. All kinds of crime contribute to this housing value avalanche, even crimes which at first glance may seem harmless, such as vandalism.

However, vandalism is actually the crime which most negatively affects the economic values of homes in an area. The reason behind this reality is that crimes do not occur in a vacuum, isolated from each other. The repeated occurrences of crime in one area foster an atmosphere of lawlessness which emboldens would-be criminals to actualize their illegal intentions. After a certain number of crimes occur in a single area, the atmosphere gives birth to a crime hot spot.

Unfortunately, crime hot spots cause a significant decrease in housing prices in the immediate area, even more so than the average crime rate of the whole town. And the worst kind of hot spot is a vandalism hot spot. The logic is such: vandalism affects the appearance of an area long term, allowing everyone to witness the continual aftermath of a crime.

House buyers read the anarchy and vulgarities of vandalism as a sign that no authority is in control of the area, that the neighborhood is in decline, and so they avoid these areas if they can.

Research suggests that physically observable crimes more effectively induce fear in the community than non-observable crimes. Thus, the strongest correlation between levels of different kinds of crime that can be found is between presence of vandalism hot spots in a community and violence, car theft, and house burglary.

The best way to combat vandalism and defend the economic livelihood of a community is to utilize crime deterrent cameras. Most vandalism is extremely expensive to erase and repair and occurs at times when there is little chance of the perps being caught in the act. Therefore, by strategically placing crime deterrent cameras, would-be vandals will be halted before they have a chance to commit the rapid, yet costly crime.

Preventing vandalism will benefit communities immensely!

#FightVandalism #ProtectOurCities #NoGraffiti

Protect Parks from Vandalism

Protect Parks from Vandalism

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Protect parks from vandalism because obesity is one of the major leading causes of death in the U.S. And even if it doesn’t lead directly to death, being overweight has multiple and very serious long-term consequences, among them are: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes and more. Genetics plays a role in obesity, but lifestyle is usually the more contributing factor.

Did you know that children in Massachusetts have gained an average of 10lbs since the coronavirus outbreak? Schools, sports, park activities and other group physical activities have been canceled since March, and the United States is paying the toll. Children of the East Coast alone have gained an average of 7lbs. Instead of playing outside, children have fallen back on technology for entertainment. This goes to show us how important parks are.

Parks are essential for the health of children. Where adults rely on a scheduled exercise regimen for fitness, children simply rely on having fun. Children likely burn more calories playing hide-and-seek at a playground after school than adults do in a workout class. Unfortunately, graffiti and vandalism have increased at the parks during Covid.  That means, when Covid no longer prevents playing at the parks, the graffiti and vandalism will keep the parks off limits.

When playgrounds are destroyed by vandalism, they become unusable to children and they are at a higher risk of obesity. Cities must protect their parks from vandalism so that children can remain safe and healthy. Cities can stop vandalism before it happens by investing in cameras that deter crime from occurring. When the crime is prevented, parks can be preserved, and children can enjoy playing at the park and maintaining their physical health.

Protect your parks from vandalism.

#stopvandalism #novandalism #protectparks

Parks are Essential- Take Care of Them

Parks are Essential- Take Care of Them

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During this pandemic, five out of six adults acknowledge local parks, trails and open spaces are an important aspect to maintaining their mental and physical health.  This information can only lead us to the conclusion that parks in our communities are essential.  Sometimes a greater appreciation grows when something is taken away.  Losing our parks and trails for a time has been an eye opener to how valuable they are in our lives and our communities.  One would think this would lead the community to take good care of this valuable asset, but unfortunately news has come forward that show there are some people who are leave behind trash and biohazards. 

Park care givers work hard to maintain the parks and open spaces for the enjoyment of the community and this insult is beyond comprehension.  This is a tough task to manage the semi-open parks where bathrooms are still off limits.  But if people want to walk on trails and use the parks for outdoor activities, they need to be aware that the park bathrooms and other facilities are closed. 

Parks are Essential and Park Care Givers are essential!