Neighborhood Watch: Why Nearby Crime Needn’t Take Control Out Of Your Hands
We all deserve to feel safe and secure at home. Our houses are our sanctuaries, after all, which is why it can be so devastating when crime casts its ugly shadow across our neighborhoods.
No matter how near or far, crimes in the vicinity can shatter any feeling of safety you might once have felt. Irrelevant of their severity, you may start experiencing difficulty sleeping or anxiety when you leave your house empty during the day.
This is no way to live, and it could soon see you losing control of the calming space that you’ve created. You may even consider selling up as a result! Yet, given how extreme a lifestyle change moving can be, it isn’t practical or even affordable for many.
Does that mean you’re doomed to checking your locks twenty times before you go out? Not at all. It merely means you might want to consider taking back control of your home safety in the following ways.
# 1 – See this as a warning
Nearby crime is never pleasant, but it can also act as a cold and hard warning to make home safety a priority. This should be the case whether recent crimes are on your mind or not, of course, but it’s surprising how many of us neglect all but the most basic safety precautions unless we’re moving into an area we already know is dodgy. Instead of stressing out after crime, then, focus on the fact that this gives you an incentive to install alarm systems and CCTV for returned control as you see fit.
# 2 – Know your escape route
If the crime in question involved home intrusion, it’s also worth reclaiming control by planning an escape route should the same happen to you. Knowing, for instance, how quickly you can get to your back door could provide some peace of mind. You could also take the time to find the best bug out bag for storing near that exit point to guarantee survival as you wait for help to arrive. These steps may seem extreme from the outset, but you’d be amazed how much better you’ll sleep just knowing this option is there.
# 3 – Focus on community
Many of us don’t even know our neighbors to say hello to these days, let alone look out for. Yet, focusing on community in the aftermath of crime can help everyone feel safer again. After all, you won’t feel half as alone in coping if you know your neighbors are keeping an eye out and vice versa. Even better, achieving this benefit is as easy as joining local community groups to express your worries, or setting up one of your own to address the crime in question and any fears it’s caused among residents.
Some sense of lost control is inevitable when criminals make their mark on your community, but there’s no reason to let this issue spiral. Instead, put these pointers in place and take control of your home safety once again.
Tia, and TipsfromTia.com is trying to keep you looking good and
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