Crime prevention and personal safety tips to help keep you and your community safe from crime

Many people are concerned about the threat of rising crime in their communities. Fortunately, there are ways to help protect your home and your neighborhood from crime.

Work with your neighbors to keep your neighborhood clean and orderly. Keep spare keys with a trusted neighbor or nearby shopkeeper, not under a doormat or planter, on a ledge, or in the mailbox. Set timers on lights when you’re away from home or your business is closed, so they appear to be occupied. Illuminate or eliminate places an intruder might hide: the spaces between trees or shrubs, stairwells, alleys, hallways, and entry ways.

Information About Home and Neighborhood Safety

Neighborhood Safety Tips For Parents
Advice for parents on keeping your kids safe in your neighborhood.

Neighborhood Watch
Tips and information on starting and running a Neighborhood Watch.

Gas Station Theft Prevention
Tips and posters for preventing crime at gas stations.

Training on Home and Neighborhood Safety

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Training Program
Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) theories contend that law enforcement officers, architects, city planners, landscape and interior designers, and resident volunteers can create a climate of safety in a community right from the start.

Publications and Products on Home and Neighborhood Safety

Locking Your Home
Information about how times have changed, locks have changed, and burglars still look for homes that are easy targets.

Neighborhood Watch Needs You
Discusses reasons to get involved, the kinds of activities Watch groups engage in, and how Watch groups can help a neighborhood strengthen hometown and homeland security activities.

Downloadable Resources on Home and Neighborhood Safety

Working Safely At Home
Informative brochure on working safely from home.

Travel Safety Tips Flier
Travel Safety Tips flier from National Crime Prevention Council and McGruff The Crime Dog.

Law Enforcement Needs Your Help
Informative brochure on how to help law enforcement reduce crime.

Home Security Checklist
A checklist for evaluating home safety and security.

Don’t Make it Easy for a Thief to Steal Your Wheels
Informative brochure on securing your car from auto theft.

Checklist for Starting a Neighborhood Watch
A free, helpful resource on starting a Neighborhood Watch program.

A Safety Checklist for Apartments – 148.9 kB
A checklist for evaluating apartment safety and security.