What is Neighborhood Watch?
Neighborhood Watch was designed as a way to fight crime by preventing it before it occurs. The main concept of the program is for neighbors to stay alert to unusual activity and contact the authorities. It helps eliminate the criminal's two greatest tools: public apathy and easy opportunity.
When should I call the Sheriff's Office?
The general rule of thumb is: If the situation looks suspicious then it is suspicious. Trust your judgment and call the Sheriff’s Office. Nobody knows your neighborhood better than you do. You know the people, cars and activities that are normal in your neighborhood. YOU ARE THE EXPERT!
What should I report to the Sheriff’s Office?
Suspicious cars, sound of breaking glass, suspicious persons, unoccupied vehicles with the motor running, parked cars in secluded areas (occupied or unoccupied), found property, gunshots or loud firecrackers, screams, hang-up or suspicious phone calls and similar incidents.
How do I report suspicious activity?
Keep the phone numbers of the Sheriff’s Office by the telephone. Let the dispatcher know immediately the nature of the call. Don't hang up until you are told to. Don't go out to investigate on your own.
Time of the day
The majority of home burglaries occurr during the day when people are at work or school. The intruders know that most people are out of their homes during this time. Most non-residential burglaries occur during the night since this is when most businesses are closed.
Most popular items
The most popular items taken are jewelry, watches, guns, laptop computers, DVD players, and other small appliances.
Who commits most burglaries?
Most are young males that are looking for small expensive items that are easily concealed and can be converted to cash easily. Burglaries increase in the summer months. This can be attributed to kids being out of school and therefore have more opportunity, and in many cases, little supervision.
Prevention tips
- Make your home look occupied all the time.
- Use automatic timers on lights when away from home.
- Place radios and TVs on automatic timers and raise the volume so they can be heard outside.
- Lower the sound of your telephone ringer and answering machine so that they can't be heard outside.
- Never leave notes on your door that can tip off burglars. Ask someone to pick up accumulated mail and newspapers.
- Watch for patterns. A burglar may notice that a closed garage door or no cars in the driveway means no one is home.
- Eliminate hiding places around the house
- Trim shrubbery below window level and clear of entrances.
- Consider motion detector lights for large yards or areas
- Watch who's watching you.
- Know who is coming into your home. Control the access by persons not well known to you.
- Discuss home security with your children.
- Do not tell strangers about your home, your schedule, your vacation plans or about valuables in your home.
- Display alarm window stickers; have security cameras on sight.
- Deny them easy access to your house.
- Install an alarm system with motion detector sensors, and use it.
- Secure and reinforce your doors and windows.
- Keep your garage door closed.
- Do not leave your garage opener and car registration inside your vehicle
General information
A legitimate salesperson or contractor will give you the time to make the best decision.
A legitimate charity collector will gladly provide their organization's information (phone, website, etc) in case you want to contribute to their cause after due research.
Utility companies do not send workers out unless they are called. Actual uniforms, hard hats, orange vests, etc. are easily obtained by criminals.
Never pay in cash, and never in advance. Always insist on seeing some form of official identification, such as a sales permit or occupational license, if approached by anyone.
Always answer your door, even if from the inside. Burglars are known to knock on doors searching for empty homes.
Laws regulating door-to-door solicitation
Orange County Government no longer has a door-to-door solicitation ordinance.
Door-to-door solicitation, commercial or non-commercial, is a legal activity. Even if you have a "No Solicitation" sign, they can still be allowed. The owners of the property can tell the solicitors that they are not interested, if that's the case.
Florida Statutes 501.021 to 501.055 (www.flsenate.gov) regulate home solicitation sales, and are designed to protect the public against solicitors with criminal intent.
If you suspect criminal intent in the way your visitors act or react, call the Sheriff's Office immediately and send us a report.
The Magazine Sale Scam
This occurs when someone who claims to work for a magazine company promises a consumer a new magazine subscription, or the renewal of a subscription at a very low price. Often the price is misrepresented or the magazine is never delivered. A victim who supplies credit card or bank account numbers could also become a victim of identity theft later.
The Home Repair Scam
Especially during winter, be on the lookout for vans and trucks bearing out-of-state plates. They are "Gypsie" contractors from up North who come to Florida offering work in their field, which is normally done during warm weather: landscaping, painting, asphalt maintenance and paving, construction work, etc.
They offer to do very inexpensive home repair work that would otherwise be expensive. The con-artist may use poor materials and untrained workers, leave the job unfinished, or simply take your initial deposit and never return.
Criminal "Gypsie" groups
They travel throughout the U.S. and stop at random, dropping off even their children to solicit on foot while they case the neighborhood.
Usually two persons will visit: one will distract you while the other one steals your valuables. The visiting criminal may give you a phone number to call for verification. Beware: the person on the other side is an accomplice.
Car burglary / theft
- Lock your car doors
- Do not leave items of value in unattended vehicles.
- Vehicles are safest stored in a garage. If that isn't possible, park in a well-lighted area and use an alarm.
Bicycle theft
The thieves are mostly kids with nothing to do, no "ethics" and no supervision.They are most likely middle school to young high school kids who either live in Avalon or next door.They do this all day long. Walk to school steal a bike on the way, usually one that is left unattended. Get tired of that one, and then steal another.When found with/on the bike they lie and say they just found it, thus avoiding prosecution.
At this point, the best thing to do with bicycles is: lock them up and do not leave them out.
What should you do about gang graffiti?
(Note: Not all grafitti is gang related.) Gang graffiti can indicate a threat against a rival gang or a specific person. The graffiti must first be read and interpreted for danger signals. It should be well documented and photographed. A police report should be made for tracking purposes. Then it should be quickly removed.
Related links
OCSO - Gang Enforcement Unit
Florida Gang Investigators Association
Gang Resistance Education and Training
