SAFE GUARD. Creating Safer Communities.
Information Pack
Boroondara Neighbourhood Watch
Contents
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What is SafeGuard?
How providing the necessary skills and knowledge will make the community feel safer.
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Map
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Events
What events are available for the City of Boroondara residents.
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Motor Vehicle Theft
Context about the Boroondara Neighborhood watch and the area they cover.
Learn how to protect your cars from potential thieves.
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SAFEPL8
SafeGuard Alert
Learn how to secure your car plates from theft.
How does the SafeGuard Alert work?
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Safety Tips
Safety tips to educate you on how to prevent crime.
Checklist
Two checklist that can be torn out to check how secure your car and home are.
What is SafeGuard? Safe Guard aims to educate the residents of the City of Boroondara on minimising their chances of being targeted by crime. By providing access to the necessary information and skills that are already available but not currently used through programs and recourses such as:
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Interactive programs within the community Mobile phone app A Website Demonstrations Connecting with others in the community
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To create a program that provides people access to the skills and knowledge to protect themselves and reduce crime in the area of Boroondara.
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How does SafeGuard Work?
SafeGuard works by giving the people living within the City of Boroondara access to existing information on how to better protect themselves from crime. This will be done through a combination of events, print and digital media such as:
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Awareness Classes Workshops Self Defense Classes Sticker Workshops Lunch Events A new website Interactive App
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Context Safe Guard would service the City of Boroondara, with support from the Boroondara Neighbourhood Watch. Neighbourhood Watch in Victoria was started when it was realised that the Police alone could not control the rising crime rate, in particular burglary and related thefts. The support of the public was sought to help reduce crimes such as burglary and theft which resulted in a pilot area opened in 1983 in Kananook, a suburb of Frankston. Between 2014 to 2015 there were 182 drug offences in Boroondara, 2888 crimes against property and 249 violent offences. With such a large number of crimes against property, SafeGuard was made to help the people of Boroondara better educate themselves on how to access recourses to reduce their risk of crime.
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Prevention of motor vehicle theft Car thieves may be either opportunistic or professional. In either case stolen vehicles may be used to commit further offenses and be damaged, destroyed or never recovered. Most car thefts occur in or around private residences, so it is important to take steps to protect your car even when it is parked in a garage, driveway or on a residential street. There are two types of car thieves: the opportunist and the professional. What they have in common though is that they can steal a car in less than a minute.
Lock Up • Lock your car - always physically check it is locked, even when parking at home or just leaving your car for a moment • Close all windows - including sunroof • Keep your car locked while driving Key Security • In many cases of car theft, keys have been left in the ignition. • Never leave your keys in your car • Do not put your name and address on any keys - use a mobile phone number • Keep spare car keys in a secure place at home or at work. Find out more at: http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content. asp?document_id=9562
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SAFEPL8: Don’t give crime a free ride SAFEPL8 involves everybody in the community. Victoria Police will target and detect offenders, but it is up to you to make your number plates harder to steal. What You Can Do Help prevent serious offenses and avoid the inconvenience and cost of replacing your number plates. •
Secure your number plates with one-way, anti-theft screws. They cost only a few dollars and can be fitted with a standard flat bladed screw driver.
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Park your car in a secure place. Park off the street in a garage or carport where possible.
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The more motorists who secure their plates, the harder it will be for thieves to find a free ride. Step up to the plate, spread the word and tighten the screws on crime. Screws are available from: • Most major hardware stores • Participating automotive outlets, who may fit them free of charge when cars are serviced or repaired. • Participating Burson Auto Parts stores • Participating petrol stations
Find out more at: http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content. asp?Document_ID=40061
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SafeGuard Alert
How does it work?
1. A guardian is someone the user appoints/assigns as their ‘protector’ in case things go wrong. The user can set a schedule up of when they are expected to be out and when roughly they will be back, the app can also send the user’s location to the guardian at an interval time period and when the guardian requests. The guardian has power to send these details to the local police at an appropriate time when they have not heard back from the user.
3. The alert button is acts as an emergency protocol button when pressed emits a loud car alarm sound level noise to hopefully help deter anyone from harassing the user. Button needs to be held for 2 seconds to activate it. To deactivate the sound, the user must enter an assigned pin number, if it is not deactivated by pin, it will send an alert to the appointed guardian.
2. This area allows you to track your steps so in case the user gets lost, they can trace their steps back if needed or allow them to find their way back to safety.
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Safety Tips Don’t be a stranger Make an effort to introduce yourself to neighbours and do what you can to maintain a friendly relationship. Don’t give out personal details Try not to give people on the phone or at the door your personal details, like marital status, working hours, employment and the number of people living at the house. Don’t open the door to people you don’t know Before opening the door, ask who’s there. If it’s a stranger, continue the conversation through a locked screen door.
Don’t put your valuables on show If possible, try to keep anything of value hidden from view while you’re in public. Don’t leave home without your mobile phone Whatever the reason for stepping out, always carry your mobile. If out of range, the emergency number from mobile phones is 112. Keep one ear free at all times When listening to music, only put the headphones in one ear. Keeping one ear free will ensure you can hear anyone coming up behind you.
Find out more at: http://www.police.vic.gov.au/content. asp?Document_ID=38489
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Checklist
Secure your house
Most burglaries are opportunistic and occur during the day when residents are not at home. The most commonly stolen items include jewellery, cash, computers and other electrical equipment, however burglars will steal anything they find valuable. Use these tips to help protect your home and your personal belongings:
Lock all windows and doors, even when you’re at home. Install deadlocks on all external doors and windows Install a security screen door Lock your mailbox to prevent the theft of mail and personal documents Lock all windows and doors, even when you’re at home. Join your local Neighbourhood Watch and be an active part of crime prevention in your community
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Checklist
Secure your car
Thefts from cars are often due to valuables being left in plain sight or doors and windows being left unlocked. Thefts can occur at any time, so it is important not to present an easy opportunity to thieves. In order to steal, thieves will smash a car window or break locks, and the cost of repairs may exceed the value of the stolen items. Follow these simple steps to help reduce the risk of thefts.
Do not leave any valuables in your vehicles. Take them with you if possible Remove GPS units and wipe the suction mark off the window Do not leave house keys or garage door openers in your car Lock your car – always physically check it is locked Close all windows – including sunroof
Park in a well-lit area – thieves do not want to be caught breaking into cars
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In Partnership with
SAFE GUARD. Creating Safer Communities.
Neighbourhood Watch