JMT Sunday, January 7, 2007






"Neighborhoods and Crime."

Hey folks,

Well, it’s that time of year again, all of my neighbors are back. Just came from a big get together last night. This got me thinking, what is it about the area I live that is so different than right down the street. Why do we have virtually no crime at all.

You see folks, I’ve lived all over the place over the years. I once, very short period, lived in an area that it was not only possible, but likely to hear gun shots at one in the morning. I’ve lived in and was born in small town America. I’ve lived in developments, condos, apartments, and now own my house here in sunny Florida.

The whole time I have noticed a difference in each area I lived. Some great, others? Not so much. What is the difference? True neighborhoods verse a group of houses. Here is what I’m talking about.

I’ve told this story before. The town I grew up in was the epitome of small town America. Until I was about 11 years old, I thought my Grandmother was a witch. Me and my old time best friend Billy, would do something on the other side of town, and by the time we got home, my Grandmother knew what we were up to. My Grandmother always told us, "A little birdie told me." I remember one day, my friend said, "We HAVE GOT to find that bird."

It was the type of town that everyone knew everyone. If you drove up to the local "store" {Deli, mini mart thing, before the term min-mart existed. A Country Store} most left their cars running. I do not even know if my Grandmother HAD locks on the doors of our house. We never used them. Me and Billy would go out and play all hours of day and night. We would be out at sunrise, in after dark, with NO fear of anything bad happening to us.

As I grew, I started noticing people "shutting themselves in" more and more. Instead of saying "Hey neighbor, how’s it going today?" I noticed more and more people moving in and keeping to themselves. Then when I moved, I saw people not only turning their cars off at the places they were going, but LOCKED them as well. I noticed that people were more and more getting into the mind set that if you did not lock your house, you were a fool. Then came alarm systems and surveillance cameras.

So what happened? Like I said, I’ve lived all over the place. So what makes the difference? The answer is simple. Like here now, it’s all about the NEIGHBORS, being neighbors.

If something was to happen down and around the corner, I will know about it by days end. If someone in our neighborhood has a problem, they will have a street full of people walking down to help them. When all my neighbors are down from various locations from around the country, it is great. I look forward to it. Myself and my one neighbor Chuck, {Who is VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE, He’s from Colorado} will sit outside on my porch or his, and solve the world problems. Me and Bob will discuss politics. The women, shop and talk about this and that. They will go out together leaving us men to do the "Honey do’s lists" {Smile}

When all are in town, like last night, we all get together for dinners and just fun. I can truly say I love my neighbors. But a few streets down? There I have noticed noone talks to each other. I remember talking to an acquaintance over there who said he doesn’t even know his neighbors name. They have a "strange guy" who peeks at people walking down the street through his blinds. They have what I call "Muts" kids that think they are in a gang, or just basically punks that have idiots for parents.

Yes, there they have break ins, people getting hurt, even had someone die in their home. They found the body about two weeks later. Image that? If I didn’t see one of my neighbors, when they are here, for more than a day, I would check on them.

I read all the time about these billion dollar neighborhoods going up. One even has the logo "Your kind of town." they talk about how you can live as days gone by, {If you can afford it} where your kids can play safe, and there is no crime. I read about and see all the time how this or that local government wants more money to hire more Police. I hear and see where some neighborhoods are putting up cameras on street corners to try to curb crime.

The answer is simple, and better yet, the answer is free. You want to live in a crime free environment? Get to know your neighbors. Turn that group of homes into a TRUE neighborhood. This will cut down, if not eliminate crime in your area all together. And it IS, just that simple.
Peter