The #1 strategic goal that RPIA will focus on in 2012 is the increase in neighborhood crime and taking actions to reduce it. There are several recommended crime prevention measures that any neighborhood and homeowner can implement to be proactive against crime:
- Keep areas around your house, garage, and alley well lit.
- Eliminate hiding areas by maintaining overgrown, dense shrubbery, and debris/stored items surrounding your house and in alleys.
A well-maintained area sends the message that people notice and care about what happens in an area. A poorly maintained building demonstrates that its owner is no longer able or willing to control his property; it becomes an invitation to any criminal who wants to seize control. A well-maintained property demonstrates vigilance, watchfulness and involvement.
Make a home, vehicle, garage, or shed more difficult to forcibly enter with locks and make sure they are locked.
The Fort Worth Police Department provides several crime prevention programs.
Neighborhood Watch programs have proven to be one of the most effective ways to reduce crime. A neighborhood crime watch group typically covers one block, both sides of the street. Each group has a block captain and an alternate. Members meet periodically and work with police to reduce crime by: watching each other’s homes learning ways to increase personal safety and security of property by reporting suspicious persons and activities to police.
- Residential Security Surveys
No home is burglar proof, but most burglars are opportunists looking for an easy target. The more "secure" a home is, the less attractive it is to a burglar. A police representative will come to your home and make recommendations on how to make your home more secure.
A RAPIDS label is a bar coded label that is registered with the homeowner’s driver’s license number and applied to personal property such electronics, bikes, vehicles, etc. The labels aid police officers to return recovered stolen property to the owner. Residents are encouraged to download the RAPIDS label request form and give it to Officer Stary during the monthly RPIA Board of Directors meetings held the third Monday of each month except July and December.
RPIA Crime Prevention Committee
For criminals to notice that neighborhood residents are taking control and making their homes and neighborhood more secure there must be visual crime prevention improvements and Ryan Place residents have many opportunities to physically show our determination to reduce crime.
A Crime Prevention Meeting was held in January and was attended by nearly 100 residents, 46 residents had been a victim of crime, the remaining 52 attended because they wanted to learn how to prevent being a victim of crime.
The next step is developing a Crime Prevention Committee that will organize several neighborhood crime prevention activities. The committee will be chaired by Laura Crews, College Avenue Street Director. Under the Crime Prevention Committee will be:
Laura Crews has an interest in Code Blue and concerned about the increased neighborhood crime and has agreed to chair this committee. Twenty-one residents expressed an interest in participating in Code Blue at the January 9th Crime Prevention meeting.
Several Ryan Place residents have registered for Code Blue training, but more volunteers are needed for this to be an effective project. Recruiting senior citizens and residents that work at home will be a high priority so that we can have monitoring during the day.
- Alley Committee
The Alley committee is chaired by Rick Tucker, Ryan Avenue Street Director. Rick inspected all of the alleys and the condition of existing alley gates in 2011. Alley Committee activities will include:
Officer Stary has listed alley maintenance as the top priority to deter criminals from using alleys as access to residential properties. Alleys that have overgrown vegetation provide a criminal areas to hide from police and watchful residents.
Some Ryan Place alleys are still included in the City's Alley Maintenance program that contracts the alleys to be mowed three times a year. The first maintenance is scheduled during March. An alley marked in blue on this map indicates inclusion in the City's alley maintenance program. Residents are responsible for having their alleys clean of debris prior to the contractor maintaining and during the months in between the three times the contractor mows the alleys.
Block Captains will assist to organize residents in their efforts to maintain their alleys, but will not do the work for the homeowners. If your block does not have a Block Captain, and you would like to volunteer please contact Olivia Flynn.
Lighting the alleys is second on Officer Stary's list of important crime prevention strategies. The cost of lights and installation will be researched and presented to residents that would share the expense among property owners on their alley.
Forty-six homeowners expressed an interest in their alleys to be gated on the sign-in sheet at the January 9th Crime Prevention meeting. The Alley Committee will obtain bids for gates, locks, and signage to provide property owners on what their shared cost will be to close their alley.
This will not be a short term project due to the requirement of 100% property owner’s in approval and the City requires surveys, maps, and application fees. All utility companies will need to be contacted and agree to honor our locks.
In 1992, as a component of the City Code Blue Program, 19 Ryan Place alleys were approved by the City to be closed. The residents on those alleys agreed to the closure and shared the cost of installing gates and locks. This map shows the alleys that were closed.
A presentation was given by Bill Vaughn, College Avenue Alternate Street Director, during the November 2011 meeting on the possibility of RPIA purchasing Neighborhood Crime Watch signs to be installed at each alley entrance. The cost is $8/each with a minimum order of 100. If this is approved by the RPIA Board 200 signs will be ordered and residents may purchase signs to place in their yards, yard stakes are included with the sign.
- Private Security Patrol Service
Residents have expressed an interest in hiring a security company to patrol their property. A minimum of 150 residents will need to subscribe to the patrol service and agree to "opt-in" for one year before a company will be hired. The approximate cost will be $30 to $36 monthly. Depending on which company is hired, it will either be billed once a month or quarterly. Details will be completed by February 28, 2012. If you are interested in participating please email Eric Livesay.
- Ryan Place Vehicle Stickers
Residents have expressed an interest in Ryan Place vehicle identification stickers to help identify cars that belong – or do not belong – in the neighborhood.
This will be presented to the RPIA Board of Directors to be funded by RPIA.
While curb numbers are not necessarily a “crime prevention” measure, it makes properties easier to identify for police and fire departments to respond and for residents to report a crime location.
A Ryan Place custom curb number is recommended if this is approved by the RPIA Board of Directors. Volunteers will be recruited to help with painting curb numbers at every property in the neighborhood. Residents that already have a custom curb number will have the opportunity to keep it or have it replaced with the custom Ryan Place curb number.
For projects such as the vehicle identification stickers and curb numbers to accomplish their purpose, all neighbors must participate. We will propose that RPIA pay for the stickers and supplies for painting the curb identification numbers from Sustaining Membership contribution funds, if they are available.
Will you help reduce crime in 2012?
Do you want to reduce your chances of being a crime victim? RPIA and Officer Stary will help educate residents to reduce crimes, but residents must be proactive in preventing crimes. If one residential property is vulnerable to crime, five surrounding properties are vulnerable. Here are some simple, and inexpensive, steps that will protect your home and family:
- Inspect the quality of locks on exterior doors and windows. Make a habit to lock doors and windows when you close them;
- Lock vehicle doors that are parked outside at night and in the garage. Do not leave valuables inside the vehicle, place them in the trunk.
- Replace burned out light bulbs in exterior lights. Leave front and back yard lights on all night.
- Maintain grass and shrubs, doors and windows should be visible from the street. Statistics prove that crime is deterred by how well a property is maintained.
- Knowing your neighbors will make your home more secure.
- Learn your neighbor’s schedules. This is not being “nosy,” it is being aware of your surroundings.
- Exchange phone numbers: home, work, and mobile.
- Pick up mail, flyers on doors, and newspapers during vacations.
- Help your neighbor if they are not able to do small repairs and landscape maintenance.
Each month, during the RPIA meetings Officer Stary is present to give updates on crimes, advice, and answer questions.
Neighborhood Police Officer Joel Stary
817.944.1316 Cell
817.392.3610 Office
Email
Reminders from Officer Joel Stary
- If you see someone suspicious in the neighborhood, call 911. This gives a responding police officer the right to stop the person and question them;
- Keep home, garage, and shed doors and windows locked
- Keep vehicles locked and valuables out of sight; and
- Keep exterior home lights on all night.
Online Crime Reporting
You may use the Fort Worth Police Department's Online Citizen Police Report System to submit a report immediately and print a copy of the police report for free. The types of crimes that may be reported online are:
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Fort Worth Police Department - Non-emergency - 817-335-4222
Most Wanted
Have you seen one of the Most Wanted criminals in Fort Worth?
Do you know information about Gangs?
Or could you help solve a crime?
Be a Crime Stopper!
Information about the Fort Worth Police Citizens on Patrol Program.
If anyone is interested please contact
Laura Crews.
RAPIDS
RAPIDS allows you to label your belongings and the City of Fort Worth will have a copy of the matching number. If your belongings every gets stolen or lost it makes it easier for police to track them.
