Community Awareness = Safety for You and Your Neighbors

Community Awareness Can Mean Safety for You and Your Neighbors!

None of us wants to be perceived as a “nosey neighbor.” But, do you know the daily habits of others in your HOA? How much would you notice if people in your Arizona neighborhood weren’t following their normal routines? 

The fact is, there is a difference between a nosey busybody and a conscientious neighbor! Being aware of the routines that your neighbors regularly follow, means that you can readily notice when something isn’t right. Such awareness can be essential to keeping everyone in your homeowners association safe.

Awareness Can Save a Life

If a member of your HOA goes out to get her paper every morning and you suddenly notice an accumulation of newspapers on her driveway, it could just be that she’s away for a few days, but it could also indicate that something is awry. For residents who live alone, having someone check on them when things don’t seem quite right can literally make a life-saving difference.

Be on the Lookout

If you’re friends with neighbors in your association, it’s likely that you’ll share with each other when you’ll be out of town or if there will be a major change in your normal routine. However, even if you and your neighbors aren’t close friends, it’s easy to watch for signs that something isn’t as it should be:

• Accumulated newspapers
• Mail that is overflowing out of the box
• Nobody leaving or entering the house for days at a time
• People not walking the dog or taking their normal daily walk.

If you notice any of these tell-tale signs, check on your neighbor. Or, if you don’t feel comfortable doing so, notify your HOA manager that there could be a problem.

Neighbors Watching Out for Neighbors

In addition to helping to keep individual members of your HOA safe, community awareness is also helpful in deterring vandalism and other crimes. Many communities form Neighborhood Watch programs in an effort to work together to keep an eye on the neighborhood and to let authorities know of any irregular or suspicious activities. Neighborhood Watch is recognized nationally for helping communities come together to help combat crime and to be better neighbors to one another. When a community is united in its vigilance against crime, neighbors can help to take away the easy opportunities that many criminals are looking for. If your neighborhood doesn’t already have a Watch in place, your local police department can help you to get one started.

More Than an Association

By virtue of owning a home in an HOA, you’re automatically a member of the association. But, being a good neighbor in a thriving community means more than just being a part of the homeowners association, it means that you and your neighbors care about each other, about the community, and the safety of everyone who calls it home.