October 2021 is the 37th Crime Prevention Month since beginning back in 1984. This month focuses on building better relationships between communities and law enforcement, providing everyone with tips and resources on crime prevention and safety and encouraging communities to do their part in stopping crime.
As many police departments throughout the country experience reduced funding, Crime Prevention Month is becoming even more relevant to ensure that you have the right information to do your part. Experiencing violent crime often always leads to personal injury, so doing your part for Crime Prevention Month could pay off in the future.
Crime prevention, in its simplest form, means being mindful of your safety and lowering your chances of being a victim of criminal activity. Get in the habit of locking the doors and windows to your home at night, keep track of your keys so that someone isn’t given free entry to your home, change the passwords to your online accounts and electronic devices regularly and don’t leave valuables in a visible place in your home or car.
Below are some of the key ways that you can take part this month:
Finding local non-profit crime prevention groups in your area and learning about what they do is a great way to start off Crime Prevention Month. Once you find some non-profits whose work you agree with, consider donating to their cause, signing up as a volunteer, taking part in their safety programs or spreading the word about them.
Check with your local police department about any neighborhood watch groups and see how you can contribute. If there aren’t any, you can build a relationship with your police department, learn what you need to do to start a neighborhood watch, network with your neighbors and get out there to keep the community safe and prevent personal injury to people in your area.
Organizing regular clean-up drives in your neighborhood can help to prevent crime. A clean neighborhood tells people that you are observant, and trimmed trees and hedges improve visibility for seeing any unwanted visitors. This also provides a great opportunity for neighbors to get to know each other, network and build trust so you can have each other’s back.
October was designated as National Crime Prevention Month in 1984 through a presidential proclamation. In October, the National Crime Prevention Council (NCPC) works to strengthen relations between communities and law enforcement, spread awareness about crime prevention techniques and non-profit crime prevention organizations and encourage community involvement in order to reduce crime rates and improve safety.
According to the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer, violent crime was at its highest in 2002 with a rate of 579.7 violent crime offenses per 100,000 people in Texas. These are just the crimes that lead to personal injury or death. By 2011, the rate fell down to its lowest score since 1985, with 408.6 violent crimes per 100,000. However, 2018 and 2019 show that those figures are back on the rise, indicating that taking part in National Crime Prevention Month is still a great idea.
The good news is that burglary rates in Texas are still dropping and have been decreasing since 2010. The most common form of burglary is at residential addresses during the day, so remember to lock up and take the right security precautions before leaving for work.
Week 1, starting September 27: Crime Prevention Month Kick-Off
Week 2, starting October 3: Home Safety Week
Week 3, starting October 10: Anti-Counterfeiting Week
Week 4, starting October 18: Public Health and Safety Week
Week 5, starting October 25: Community and Law Enforcement Relations Week
There are two key things to remember for crime prevention. The first is that “opportunity makes the thief,” and the second is that offenders make rational choices to find the best opportunity.
Using burglary as an example, a thief is less likely to break in if it will involve lots of work due to additional security measures like modern locks, security doors, alarms and so on. We can increase their risk by using security cameras and by having relationships with our neighbors and the wider community, and we can reduce their expected rewards and avoid provocations by keeping valuables hidden from sight.
Clothing, footwear, jewelry, electronics, and more can be counterfeited so look for the following clues if you suspect anything:
National Crime Prevention Month is about more than crime prevention and safety. It is also an opportunity to connect with your wider community and law enforcement to build a trusting environment where everyone looks out for one another.
As a devoted personal injury attorney, Andrew represents his clients in commercial/18-wheeler crashes, wrongful death and catastrophic injury, traumatic brain damage, motor vehicle crashes, and workplace injuries.
Andrew graduated law school magna cum laude from SMU Deadman School of Law in Dallas in 2020. While in law school, he served as a Senior Articles Editor for the SMU Science & Technology Law Review. During his first summer, Andrew interned with the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office and attended Oxford University as part of SMU Law’s study abroad program. Andrew began working at Bennett Injury Law during his second-year summer as a law clerk.
Born and raised in the DFW-metroplex, Andrew is proud of his Dallas and Texas roots. In 2017, Andrew graduated from Texas A&M University with a bachelor’s degree in Genetics. While at Texas A&M, he was a member of the Corps of Cadets. Andrew had the honor of serving as Squadron 20’s First Sergeant his junior year and leading more than 50 cadets as Squadron 20’s Commanding Officer his senior year.