Communities invited to try program

     By Sonya Padgett
     View staff writer
      After a series of recent crimes in a gated northern Las Vegas community, including one where a thief stole several datebooks from cars and used the information to burglarize homes on the street, Ron Bilodeau and his neighbors knew they had to do something.
      "We're the leaders (of the neighborhood) trying to keep everybody safe," said Bilodeau's neighbor, Larry Biggers. Bilodeau and Biggers, board members of their homeowners association, want to keep the name of their community near Decatur Boulevard and Ann Road private, as they fear their street could be targeted by criminals.
      On Jan. 12, the two attended a seminar at Whitney Library on how to maximize neighborhood safety. The seminar was presented by Stephanie Cannito, director of the Metropolitan Police Department's Neighborhood Watch program.
      Cannito said since crime can only occur when three elements are present -- ability, desire and opportunity -- the best way for homeowners to keep their community safe is to limit a criminal's opportunity to commit a crime.
      "How much opportunity do you think we lend to criminals? Quite a bit," Cannito said. "We can decrease opportunity through awareness."
      One way to do that is by starting a Neighborhood Watch program, she added.
      Neighborhood Watch is a crime prevention program where citizens band together and work with local law enforcement to combat crime. However, it's not meant to serve as a vigilante force.
      "Unfortunately, we've had problems with that issue," Cannito said. "We just want you to be the eyes and ears for the (police) department."
      The program can be effective in preventing crimes ranging from burglary to vandalism and to keeping a neighborhood from becoming cluttered with junk.
      "We try to look at it not only as a crime issue but as a quality-of-life issue," Cannito said.
      Probably the most important part of the program is that it allows people the chance to get to know their neighbors. Many valley residents live in the same area for years and never get to know who lives next door.
      "Count three houses down," Cannito said. "Do you know that person? What if a moving van drove up? You'd say, `Oh the neighbor's moving.' " But if the house instead was being burglarized, she said, a crime was unknowingly witnessed. That's one reason why it's so important for people to know their neighbors.
      "If you see something suspicious happen, get on the phone and call the police," Cannito said. "If you see something that doesn't look right, it probably isn't."
      To decrease the likelihood of being victimized, Cannito suggested people check the security of their homes by ensuring lights work and that doors and window locks are secure. Also, those living in a gated community should make sure the police department has the gate code on file in case the police have to get into the neighborhood. However, Cannito warned gated communities aren't immune to crime.
      "We live in a nice, secure gated community -- or so we thought," Bilodeau said.
      The objectives of Neighborhood Watch are to keep an eye on property and report suspicious activity, Cannito said.
      There are more than 1,200 Neighborhood Watch groups active in Las Vegas. Cannito said a program consists of 10 to 30 homes on average, depending on the layout of the homes and the proximity of neighbors. Condominiums and apartments are a bit different, but a program can help deter crime there, too.
      If only two or three neighbors are interested in a Neighborhood Watch, it's probably a good idea to try other deterrents, Cannito said.
      "It's not effective if you can't watch on a daily basis," she said.
      One deterrent Cannito suggested is for people to turn on their porch light at sundown and turn it off when the sun rises.
      "When do we usually turn it on? When we're going out. What have we just told a criminal? That we're not home," Cannito said. "You can tell a lot about someone's life by looking at the porch light. (Turning it on) is going to be a deterrent."
      Marking property with an engraving gun is also important. In the event something is stolen and subsequently found, it can then be returned to the property owner.
      Still, Cannito said drumming up support for a Neighborhood Watch program is a wise move because it's proven to be effective in reducing crime.
      "It's a deterrent and you'll see a big reduction in any chances of being victimized," Cannito said. "But it's not 100 percent effective."
      Those interested in starting a Neighborhood Watch program can contact Cannito at 229-3507.