The Pemberton Journal
The Pemberton Journal O fficial Publication
of
Pemberton Heights Neighborhood Association
F ebruary 2015, Vol VI, Issue II
A Safe Neighborhood: the Securest Way to Go For the past few years, homeowners' contributions to a special security fund have paid for nightly patrols by Sentry, a private security company. 1. $25/hour for approx. 20 hours/week = $2,000/mo or $24,000. 2. Patrols only at night. 3. If suspicious activity is observed, drivers will call the police. They do not exit the truck, follow the suspected thief, or notify the homeowner. 4. Offers (limited) Away-from-Home support. Drivers cannot exit truck to check around house for signs of disturbance, or contact homeowner directly with any concerns. 5. About 7%-10% of the households in Pemb.Heights contribute to it. Have there in fact been fewer crimes due to this surveillance? That is difficult to assess. Some residents point out that there is no evidence to indicate that crimes have actually declined since the patrols went into effect. Lack of data from before the patrols were initiated prevents us from being able to determine the cost/benefit ratio of the money spent on them. What's more, they say, the security company itself reports that “there have been no incidents of significance for many months.� As a company representative observed, "the typical incident involves a car parked by the side of the road with a drunken individual asleep inside." On the other hand, Pemberton Heights has not been entirely free from car break-ins, bicycle thefts,
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thefts of seasonal decorations and packages, and home invasion (though the last is infrequent). There are those who believe that it is the presence of the security patrols that has kept property crime at a minimum. They point out that their value lies not so much in what they detect, but in their visible presence. A patroler's job is not only--not even primarily-to see what is going on, but to be seen and function as a deterrent. In a neighborhood where some individuals walk at night and where many cars must be left in driveways or on the street, a regular patrol can discourage troublemakers. Security experts and police officers remind us that there are many common sense actions we as individuals can do to protect ourselves from property crime. For that reason, they strongly promote neighborhood watch programs, which serve as an educational resource as well as providing patrols during the most "criminally active" time: from 8:30am to 3:30pm, when homeowners are at work. Their strength lies in the very fact that patrolers are residents and are familiar with what is normal, so are therefore more likely to detect when unfamiliar vehicles cars are parked near a neighbor's home, or when a normally-secured gate is open, or packages left unattended. Ideally, both paid security patrols as well as educated, alert residents support each other in making Pemberton Heights a secure neighborhood.
The Pemberton Journal - February 2015
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