KW: Safe neighborhood, how safe is my neighborhood, who are my neighbors, who lives on my street, who lives on my street public records, find out who lives on your street
Living in a safe neighborhood is something most of us value highly for the peace of mind and personal security, as well as for the added quality of life it brings. While there are steps you can personally take to make your neighborhood safer, what really makes a difference is transforming your neighborhood into a community. Cooperation and community with your neighbors is one of the biggest determining factors in answering the question “just how safe is my neighborhood?”
Therefore, our best piece of advice for maintaining a safe neighborhood? Know who your neighbors are. Find out who lives on your street with Nuwber. Beyond waving hello, make an effort to truly get to know them – what they do for a living, if they have children, and the like. Not only are your neighbors potential friends, but they also happen to be the first line of defense when something goes awry in the neighborhood, whether that’s a crime, storm, or some other emergency.
Good neighbors look out for one another. Knowing the folks that live around you can alert you to when something suspicious is afoot. If you generally know your neighbor’s day-to-day routine, noticing something strange like their mail piling up or their car missing from the driveway could signal something is wrong. Likewise, a good neighbor will do the same for you, keeping an eye out for you and your family.
Interacting with a neighbor, new or old, seems like it should be an easy task, but there are occasions when dropping by a neighbor’s may not be the best idea. The safety of you and your family is paramount, so if you find yourself suspicious or concerned about a potentially dangerous or violent situation involving your neighbors, it may behoove you to do a bit of background research.
Using a people search website like Nuwber, you can find out information about your neighbors, including public and police records, simply by searching their name or address. You can also use this service to find out background information about new neighbors who are just moving into the neighborhood. From a safety perspective, this is useful information, as it keeps you better informed about who is joining your community. This type of search can alert you to any individuals you may need to be aware of, or if a situation warrants it, inform your decision to bring in the authorities if you believe yourself or another neighbor may be in a potentially dangerous situation.
While a tight-knit community is vital to neighborhood safety, don’t stop there. Whether you are just moving into a new neighborhood or you’ve been there for years, here are some easy ways you can make your neighborhood a safer and ultimately better place to live.
1 – Take measures to secure your home, which protects your family’s safety and informs the safety of the neighborhood by extension. Keep your home well-lit by installing motion-sensing lights and using timers to turn on indoor lights, particularly if you regularly work late or when going out of town. Close your windows and blinds at night – there’s no need to give someone an unsolicited look at what’s inside your house. Consider investing in a home security system as an additional layer of safety.
2 – Keep your home and yard maintained, and ask your neighbors to do the same. Simply maintaining the upkeep of your neighborhood makes it safer, as this acts as a deterrent to potential criminals. This is especially true for neighborhoods with vacant lots or uninhabited houses – if you find that your city is not maintaining these properties, organize with your neighbors to keep the lawns and shrubbery groomed. In fact, research from the University of Michigan concluded that, especially for neighborhoods struggling with crime and general decline, the simple act of working together to spruce things up leads to a safer neighborhood.
3 – Go for walks around your neighborhood. If you read the advice above and you’re thinking to yourself, “now wait a minute…who are my neighbors?” this is a great place to start. Taking a walk around the block with your spouse, children, or pet is a great way to meet your neighbors and become more familiar with your neighborhood. You may even find a potential babysitter or dog walker. This also allows you to notice important details – maybe a streetlight is out or there’s an abandoned home on your street. And as we mentioned, maintaining your neighborhood is a good way to deter crime, so take note and report it to the appropriate authorities or grab a few neighbors to take care of it yourselves.
4 – Establish a rapport with local police and other officials. Participate in community meetings, volunteer if you have the time, and emphasize to law enforcement that a safe neighborhood is vitally important to you and your community. In demonstrating that you care about the broader city or suburb where you live, you’ll help make your community safer and happier.
5 – Take an active role in your neighborhood – be the neighbor you want to have. If having a more cohesive, safe neighborhood is important to you, take the initiative to organize community events, like planting a neighborhood garden or organizing a barbecue. Go the extra mile to check in on neighbors, especially the elderly or those with small children. You’ll get out of your community what you put into it, so plant the seeds of friendship, trust, and belonging, and watch them grow.
You may be thinking, “but I don’t know who lives on my street” – well, start there. A safe neighborhood starts with the community of people who live there. Making the effort to acquaint yourself with the people who live around you improves the safety of the neighborhood and simply makes life easier. Proactively protect your home and neighborhood with simple maintenance and by keeping it well-lit. Channel your inner Mister Rogers and extend a friendly hand to your neighbors – you’ll be happy you did. So, “won’t you be my neighbor?”
