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Reporting Crime Doing Your Part Staying Active Getting Organized The Basics Neighborhood Watch Important Phone Numbers Keep these phone numbers near the phone. Better yet, program them into your cell phone. 911 City 267-5100 Code 267-5234 Graffiti 94-PRIDE Crime 267-5170 Palmdale Sheriff’s Station (non-emergency)........ 272-2400 Parking 267-5436 Streetlight Doing Your Part Report these types of incidents to the Sheriff’s Department and talk about the problems with your neighbors: • Someone screaming or shouting for help • Someone looking into parked cars and windows • Unusual noises • Property being taken out of closed businesses or houses when no one is at home • Cars, vans or trucks moving slowly with no apparent destination, or without lights • Anyone being forced into a vehicle • A stranger sitting in a car or stopping to talk to a child • Abandoned cars 38250 Sierra Highway, 2nd Floor Palmdale, CA 93550 661/267-5170 [EMAIL REDACTED] www.cityofpalmdale.org NEIGHBORHOOD SERVICES Reporting Crime • Call the appropriate number, either 9-1-1 for emergencies, or 272-2400 for non-emergencies • Briefly describe the event — what happened, when, where and who was involved • Describe the suspect’s sex and race, age, height, weight, hair color, clothing and distinctive characteristics such as a beard, mustache, scars or accent • Describe the vehicle if one was involved; color, make, model, year, license place and special features such as stickers, decals or dents. Good neighbors make safer communities ---PAGE BREAK--- The Basics of Neighborhood Watch • Any community resident can join — young or old, single or married, renter or homeowner. • Any resident or community organization can spearhead the effort to organize a Neighborhood Watch. • Participants learn how to make their homes more secure, watch out for each other and the neighborhood, and report activities that raise their suspicions to the Sheriff’s Department. • You can form a Neighborhood Watch group around any geographical unit: a block, apartment complex or business area. • Watch groups are not vigilantes. They are extra eyes and ears for reporting crime and helping neighbors. Neighborhood Watch helps build pride and serves as a springboard for efforts that address community concerns such as beautification and disaster preparedness. Join a Neighborhood Watch Neighborhood Watch is one of the most effective and least costly ways to prevent crime and reduce fear. Neighborhood Watch fights the isolation that crime both creates and feeds upon. It forges bonds among area residents, helps reduce burglaries and robberies, and improves relations between law enforcement and the community they serve. Staying Active It’s an unfortunate fact that when a neighborhood crime crisis goes away, so does enthusiasm for Neighborhood Watch. The key to keeping a Neighborhood Watch group active is maintaining people’s interest over time. • Organize regular meetings that focus on other issues such as recreational activities for children and emergency preparedness. • Consider a neighborhood beautification project or participate in the Adopt-A-Wall graffiti removal program. • Do not forget social events that give neighbors a chance to know each other — host a block party, picnic or softball game. Getting Organized To form a Neighborhood Watch group, contact the Crime Prevention office at 267-5170. A Crime Prevention Specialist will provide you with a Neighborhood Watch guide that explains how to get your group started, including: • Selection of a Block Captain and Co-Captain • Establishing a method for effective neighborhood communication • Recruiting members and making special effort to include the elderly, working parents and young people • Identifying areas of concern that are specific to your neighborhood WARNING WE IMMEDIATELY REPORT ALL SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITIES TO THE SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH PROGRAM IN FORCE