Many of you might have heard about this latest national effort to reduce the number of burglaries and larcenies in communities. This program was started by the Pasco County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office in August 2017. The goal was to use social media to remind people to create a routine at the end of each day to secure their property. Almost instantly, it has become a national effort by law enforcement departments. And communities have found success in reducing crime in their neighborhoods by implementing this program.  

The routine recommended is at 9 p.m. each day (or pick a time at the end of your day that works best for you – after putting kids to bed, before heading upstairs to bed, etc.) and allows you make sure you have secured your home and vehicle(s):

1. Is the garage door closed?
2. Are all car windows up?
3. Are the car doors locked?
4. If you have a garage remote in your car, remove it.
5. Are all items in your car removed? Remember, it might be only an empty store bag, but the thief sees a bag that “might” contain something valuable. Those cheap sunglasses looked expensive in the dark through the car window.
6. Is the door between your house and garage locked?
7. Are all home windows closed and locked?
8. Are all doors locked?  

While this will NOT guarantee that a thief/burglar will not steal your property, it will deter them. Many petty criminals look for easy crimes of opportunity. They will run up to vehicles/homes and check the doors/windows looking for one that is unlocked/open. If they find the vehicle/home secure, they move on. Many law enforcement agencies have reported 30-40 percent reduction in vehicle theft and home burglaries after starting the 9 p.m. routine program in their communities.  

Create a routine that you and your family follow at the end of each and every day to confirm your home and vehicles are secure to the best of your ability. Hopefully, if everyone does this, the bad guys will find it is not worth their time to come to your neighborhood.  

Stay safe, be alert and call 911 if you see suspicious activity or person(s).  

Laureate Park Neighborhood Watch Area Coordinators

Larry Albert

Mary Fenton-Lee

Gene Thatcher

Linda Thierry