Seasonal Safety Tips From The 70th Precinct
With the arrival of summer and changes in subway service that will result in lots more walking at all different hours, there are a few safety considerations to make around Ditmas Park in the coming months. Pool safety is crucial, more people will be out and about, and, as you may know, heat has been shown to increase violent crime in the past–so here are some pointers from the 70th Precinct on how to keep yourself safe.
Preventing home break-ins and theft:
- Make sure to screw air conditioners into the window frame (and secure in other ways, if possible) to prevent them from being pulled out or pushed in by burglars. Keep windows closed and locked, especially when going out.
- Shrubbery should be trimmed so as not to obscure windows. This will help you see what is going on outside, and increase the chance of a neighbor noticing illegal activity around your home.
- No matter how long the walk to a functional subway station, keep your phone and other electronics out of sight. Also, use pass codes, locator apps like Find My iPhone, and other apps like Lookout Mobile Security to make your phone more secure and easy to track down should something happen. Although apps don’t guarantee your phone will be returned, there’s no reason not to install them.
- Detective Martin Brown of Police Commissioner Kelly’s Community Liaison Unit also kindly provided a perp description sheet, so that if you witness a crime, you can focus on what information is most helpful to the police.
Pool safety:
- Teach your children to swim, tread water, float and get out of the pool. For those who are not strong swimmers, use Coast Guard-approved flotation devices.
- Never dive in to water less than nine feet deep. Teach children to do the same.
- If you find a drain cover is loose, broken or missing, notify the owner or operator and do not enter the pool or hot tub. Teach children to stay away from pool and hot tub drains and drain covers, too, and tie up long hair securely to protect from drain entanglement.
- If you’re in a group, appoint a designated “water watcher.”
- While supervising, never take your eyes off of children in the pool. Explain to children that they should never be in or near the water without eye-to-eye contact from adults.
- Create a water safety plan as a family, similar to your family’s fire emergency plan.
- Take a class in First Aid and CPR (for infants, children, and adults).
You can reach the 70th Precinct (154 Lawrence Ave. between Ocean Parkway and Seton Pl.) by calling 718-851-5511. Sign up for their regular safety tips newsletter by emailing 70PCTCommunityAffairs@nypd.org.