How to start a Neighborhood Crime Watch

Many of you have mentioned incidents in your neighborhood that could have been prevented if you had a Crime Watch group. Here is a simple step by step process on how to establish a Crime Watch Group in your neighborhood.

1. When a resident calls the Citizens Crime Watch office at 305-470-1670, a request for service is created listing to all their information and concerns so that it can be forwarded to the appropriate law enforcement department.
2. An initial meeting, which last about an hour, is scheduled for a weeknight at 7 p.m. — a good time for people to be home from work.
3. The meeting preferably is held in the neighborhood at someone's home. This way people can just walk to the meeting. This has been found across the country to be much more effective since the objective is to meet and get to know your neighbors. In some areas, this part may not be possible due to crime issues, so we try to find a safe location nearby for the meeting — a church, a clubhouse or in some cases, in the middle of the street. For those who live in apartment buildings, we have held meetings in parking lots too.
4. Once a meeting date has been established with the police officer and the host, a flier and brochure are provided to be distributed to all neighbors. English, Spanish and Haitian Creole versions are available. This is to inform everyone of the meeting; the brochure speaks to the implementation of a Neighborhood Crime Watch.
5. The night of the meeting, the police officer and someone from the Citizens Crime Watch office will attend. The officer provides information regarding crime trends, crime statistics, the police departments role in the community and what their department is doing to assist the community.
6. The officer also discusses alarm issues as well as how and when to call the police. The officer teaches residents what information is needed when calling police about a suspicious person or vehicle. The officer also answers questions.
7. The Citizens Crime Watch coordinator explains how to set up a phone chain — a collection of phone numbers, addresses and special needs or information pertinent to each home in the neighborhood. When the phone chain is completed, it is shared with all neighbors participating in the crime watch. 

Creating a phone chain is the most crucial part of Neighborhood Watch because it's how everyone stays in touch, as you witnessed from last week's article. Once the above is completed and the Neighborhood Watch is organized, the Citizens Crime Watch and Police Department then provide Crime Watch signs, house stickers and T-shirts. All of this is paid for with your tax dollars.

Implementing a Neighborhood Watch is not easy. It takes dedication and "sweat equity", but as the thousands already involved will say, it's the best thing that can happen to a neighborhood.

The above steps may differ for some municipalities that implement their own programs. If they don't have a Neighborhood Watch program, contact the Citizens Crime Watch office and they will be happy to supply you with some crime prevention materials.

Credit to Carmen Caldwell, executive director of Citizens’ Crime Watch of Miami-Dade for article content. She may be contacted at 305-470-1670 or carmen@citizenscrimewatch.org.

The Handy Pantry - 5 Items You Should Always Keep on Hand

So with this post I decided to stay away from the usual Condo and HOA Management talk and focus more on something "off-topic". Believe it or not, we're already planning for Hurricane Season, and I thought this fit right in. This post will focus on 5 simple, but very important things every family should always have in stock at home. 

It's been a long day at work, and you arrive home tired and hungry. After rummaging through the kitchen, you discover that your fridge is pretty much empty and your cupboards are bare. It's been such a long day that you just can't bring yourself to go to the market. So, what do you do? Chances are, you pick up the phone and call a local restaurant or pizza chain that delivers. Has this happened to you? It feels as though it happens to me at least once per week...

Ordering in can be a nice solution once in a while, but over time the costs can add up. Not only are you paying more for your food, you're also probably eating meals that aren't very healthy. Although it may seem difficult, this can be easily avoided by keeping a few very specific products in your pantry. With these items in hand you'll be able put together a quick and nutritious meal in no time.

The first step is to stock quality items that are flexible enough to work with the ingredients you may have on hand in your fridge. Here are five great products to get you started:

1. Canned Tuna (packed in olive oil) - Tuna has a myriad of uses. For starters, it's the key ingredient of a killer Salad Nicoise. Anyone who has a George Foreman Grill, panini press, or a grill pan can also use this tuna for an authentic Italian tuna panini. Canned tuna can even be used in making a great sauce for pasta. Simply drain the tuna and toss it into warm pasta, along with capers, cherry tomatoes, parsley, and olive oil.
   
   
2. Dried Penne Pasta - Everyone knows about the many different uses of dried pasta, but dried penne offers even greater flexibility. It is a fantastic replacement for elbow macaroni in mac and cheese. It can also serve as a terrific starch component in any casserole. Another nice feature of penne is its ability to be served at room temperature. If you've got cooked penne in the fridge, you can add it to leftover veggies, toss the mixture with a little Italian dressing, and serve it as an entrée pasta salad.
   
   
3. Canned Beans - Beans are great for chili, stews, and soups. They also make a nice addition to any salad. But maybe the best reason for keeping canned beans on hand is their use as a quick appetizer for guests who drop by without warning. A can of cannellini beans (drained) mixed with olive oil, garlic, chopped tomato, and any fresh or dried herbs you have on hand makes a great topping for grilled bread.
   
   
4. Canned Chicken Stock - This product has improved a great deal and is a far cry from the salty version you may remember from the past. Now, you can actually purchase organic and free-range chicken stock. Having stock on hand allows you to whip up a quick gravy or sauce for any meat dish. It's also a great base for many soups. Simply simmer one pound of vegetables, like carrots or cauliflower, in 4 to 6 cups of stock for 10 minutes. Process or blend until smooth, season with salt and pepper, and finish with a touch of cream.
   
   
5. Canned "San Marzano" Tomatoes (chopped and whole) - Imported from San Marzano, Italy, these are the best canned products on the market. Unless you have tomatoes growing in your back yard, you can't do much better, especially when it comes to making a great marinara sauce. They also make a fantastic tomato soup.

By keeping your pantry stocked with these flexible ingredients, you'll be able to prepare tasty meals in no time while also eating healthy and saving those pennies!