One of the critical issues on the minds of HOA leaders and residents alike is crime. We all hear about the incidents of carjacking, home break-ins, and myriad infractions that make all of us nervous. We all want our HOA properties to be a safe place to live, and there are precautions we can all take to help keep crime at bay.

Here are a few recommendations that we can all remind our residents to follow to help our communities remain safe:

  • Encourage residents to park cars in garages whenever possible.
  • Remove valuables from vehicles and keep doors locked.
  • Be aware of surroundings when getting into and out of vehicles.
  • Residents should keep entry doors and windows locked, even when home.
  • Don’t allow delivered packages to remain on porches or in visible areas for long periods.
  • Encourage residents to get their mail frequently (or put mail on vacation mode when gone for long periods) to keep mailboxes empty and reduce mail theft issues.
  • Ask residents to refrain from allowing newspapers from piling up while they’re gone, which is a signal to thieves of an empty home.
  • Should residents see anything suspicious, encourage them to call 911.