Residents given advice at town hall

Second event of week draws more than 100

There was another big turnout Thursday night for Del Norte’s second “Crime Prevention Town Hall” of the week.

More than 100 people packed into a standing-room-only venue at the Lake Earl Grange in Fort Dick to hear how they could safeguard their residences against burglars and form Neighborhood Watch groups.

The county Sheriff’s Office has reported a recent increase in residential burglaries.

To open the meeting, representatives of an insurance company and home security companies spoke to attendees about  property crime prevention measures.

Insurance agent Mary Dorman said people should be aware of the details of their homeowner or rental insurance coverage and emphasized cataloging all valuables for claims.

Right now, some people may not know how many valuables they have in their homes, she said.

“How many pair of earrings do you have, ladies?” asked Dorman.

She also advised people to jot down the serial numbers of theft-prone property.

After cataloging, whether through photographing or writing down serial numbers, be sure to store the information in a secure place, such as a personal safe, Dorman said.

“There are so many different things when you have to think about securing your homes,” said Dan Toews, a security consultant for Advanced Security Systems.

Residents should keep doors and windows in mind when securing their homes, and they should also consider interior motion and window sensors, Toews said.

Burglars target doors in a majority of break-ins, so having a solid wood door rather than a hollow one is important, said Alan Pinger, owner of Hi-Tech Security.

Having solid locks and installing additional double-lock deadbolts, as well as reinforcing door frames, are good measures to take, Pinger said.

Keeping bushes low to provide visibility into yards and better range for motion lights is also important for exterior security, he said.

Crescent City Police Chief Doug Plack and sheriff’s Commander Tim Athey addressed the crowd in tandem to speak about the importance of  Neighborhood Watch groups and how to form them.

Neighbors concerned about their communities can have varying levels of participation in monitoring their neighborhood, ranging from simply looking out for each other to meeting frequently to discuss problems in the area, they said.

The watch group doesn’t necessarily need to be large, they said.

“I’ve gone and talked to one person and I’ve gone and talked to 145,” said Athey.

Talking to neighbors and paying more attention to the happenings in neighborhoods will make it easier to notice something that is awry, they said.

“The point is you know who belongs there,” said Plack. “They shouldn’t be scared of us, they should be scared of you.”

They suggest getting a couple  people together to begin a watch group, then branching out.

County residents can call Athey at 464-4191 ext. 229 and city residents can call Plack at 464-2133 if they want more information or would like to have one of them come out to speak about forming a watch group.