Spring 2018

ASSOCIATION & COMMUNITY NEWS
Crime
in Plain Sight
Steve Burns
Community
Awareness
Committee
Chairman
For a community of its size,
Desert Ridge has a relatively
low residential crime rate.
By adding City of Phoenix
off-duty police patrols, Urban
Tactical Services patrols, and
increased neighborhood block
watch participation, we have
been able to greatly reduce
multiple categories of crime
in Desert Ridge.
And while we do enjoy an
overall reduction in crime,
burglaries is the one category
that we can improve with just
a little bit of effort from each
of us. Burglaries actually make
up the majority of crime in
Desert Ridge. According to the
Phoenix police department, the
majority of reported incidents
were preventable simply by
someone locking their car doors,
or even closing a garage. People
leaving valuables in plain sight
are the biggest targets.
It’s a surprising fact that Police
departments across the country
have stated people will often
leave “high score” items such
as purses, wallets and laptops
resting on a console or seat.
Former car thieves/burglars
have stated that it’s not only
purses, wallets and laptops that
they look for, but tools, cell
phones, and radar detectors are
also targets. Even the smallest
of things, like visible change
in a cup holder or door handle,
can make you a target. One
former thief stated “When we
saw some loose change, we just
had to have it. We would smash
the window, grab the $0.85 and
anything else loose. And now
you’ve got a broken window
and insurance to deal with, all
because someone like me saw
some loose change.”
Now that we are into spring,
we have a tendency to leave
the car windows down as
well. Make sure that if you do
crack your window that it’s
closed enough that someone
can’t reach in and unlock
the door. Spring is also the
time when people are most
likely to leave their home
windows open. When you
leave the house, even if it’s
to run a “quick” errand, make
sure that you close all of your
windows. For those who have
screened security doors, make
sure that the security door is
locked when you have the
front door open.
Also, don’t leave bicycles, yard
tools and other personal property
lying around.
We have fantastic anti-crime
programs in Desert Ridge with
our off-duty City of Phoenix
off-duty police patrols, our
Urban Tactical security patrols,
Neighborhood Block Watch
program and even our Silent
Witness matching grant
program. But these programs
and patrols simply can’t cover
everywhere in the community at
once. As residents, we need to do
our part to reduce crime in our
community. It is also important
to know and communicate with
your neighbors and to keep
looking for things that are out
of place in your neighborhood.
You can help make Desert Ridge
a safer and better place to live
by starting or participating in
a neighborhood block watch
program.
If you’re interested in learning
how to start a neighborhood
block watch program, please
contact the Desert Ridge
Community Association office
at 480–551–4553.
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| Desert Ridge Lifestyles | Spring 2018
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