It’s not just for airports—being diligent in your neighborhood and speaking up when you see something out of place helps everyone on the block. Criminal justice expert and SafeWise advisor Dr. Ben Stickle says neighbors working together can make a big difference, especially with crimes like package theft. He also recommends filing a police report, even though odds of recovering goods swiped off the porch are low.

“If you report it, and three of your neighbors do (out of 25 victims, for example), and they catch the person . . . they can then charge the person with three crimes instead of one. There are advantages to doing that instead of making the police go look for victims.”

—Dr. Ben Stickle, criminal justice and theft expert
If package theft is a concern in your neck of the woods, work with neighbors to keep an eye out for deliveries and suspicious snoopers or cars. If one neighbor is home most days, see if they’re willing to collect packages that would be left unattended on other porches for hours.

And if you catch a package thief on your video doorbell, share the footage with neighbors—yours may not be the only home targeted.

Improving neighborhood safety is a team effort, but it needs to start with someone. As you get to know your neighbors, discuss your concerns, and apply some of the ideas above, you’ll find that your neighborhood becomes not only a safer place to be but a more enjoyable one.