KHG recently convened an Ad Hoc Safety and Security Committee (SASC) led by Kentwood resident Dennis Wolfe. The goals of this committee are to help reduce crime and increase safety in the neighborhood by engaging in the following activities:
• Interfacing with our Senior Lead Officers from LAPD to both gather and disseminate information about crime and/or suspicious activity.
• Working with other neighborhood organizations (Neighborhood Watch, Westchester-Playa Del Rey Moms, Neighborhood Council, Next Door, etc.) to ensure a coordinated front of crime awareness.
• Promoting crime-deterrent behaviors of our residents.
• Providing information on third-party security services that residents may choose to engage for additional protection.
• Aggregating all of this information in one central location on the newly-revised KHG website, coming soon.
As many of you know, property crime is on the rise in our area, as well as many other neighborhoods across west Los Angeles. The first line of defense comes from residents themselves. You may be wondering – what can I do about it? Isn’t that the police department’s job? The answer is simply: there’s a LOT you can do, and the police are not driving up and down your street 24/7. They need our help.
KHG’s February newsletter contained many helpful tips on what you can do, plus contact numbers and web links. These tips appear on the KHG website in the Safety and Security section. The most important tips are summarized here again for your convenience:
• Form a Neighborhood Watch group on your block. It’s really not that hard and the benefits are enormous. Contact Cyndi Hench for more info at wpdrnw@aol.com.
• Report ALL suspicious activity to the police at 877-ASK-LAPD. If something looks suspicious, it probably is. Don’t be afraid to call it in and request an “informational broadcast” so that all officers in the area will be made aware.
• NEVER leave your house – or your car – without locking all the doors and windows and setting your alarm. An alarm does you no good if it’s unarmed.
• Invest in home security measures: alarm systems, cameras, locking gates and security doors will all make your home safer and deter would-be burglars.
Safety and security require everyone’s participation. If we all do our part, Kentwood will remain the tranquil, safe and serene community we’ve all invested in – a place for our children to play and for families to feel secure, both inside and outside of their homes.
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