Deputy Chief Andrew Acord. Photo by Danny Fulgencio

Deputy Chief Andrew Acord. Photo by Danny Fulgencio

The good turnout at the Lake Highlands safety meeting Thursday evidenced the neighborhood’s dedication to crime prevention, Northeast commander Andrew Acord says.

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“We like catching the bad guys. It is more fun,” Acord says, “but we prefer to prevent crime in from happening in the first place.”

Here are some of the ways the police as well as neighborhood residents are lowering the area’s crime rates:

VIP groups, especially in the summer

Acord and the other Northeast division officers stressed the value of volunteer in patrol groups. “The bad guys are going to go where it is easy. If they know you are paying attention, they will move on.”

Police warn that crime rises as temperatures rise, so summertime participation is even more essential.

So, if you live in a neighborhood that already has a volunteer in patrol group, contact your neighborhood association to get involved. If your neighborhood needs to start a group, call 214.671.3015 for more information.

Secure your property

Also in the spirit of prevention, the Dallas Police Department offers a booklet on home security, which can be downloaded here, and even free inspections. To schedule a security inspection, contact Mitchell Gaston 214.671.0160.

Video surveillance

Several neighborhoods are exploring and updating video security systems.

Trevor Roe, the Lake Highlands Area Improvement Association Crime Watch chairman showcased his findings after researching effective ways to create a neighborhood surveillance system for his own Woodbridge neighborhood. He says he believes the most efficient monitoring is possible when individual homeowners install systems. With 1-2 homes per street operating video cameras, the Woodbridge neighborhood has eyes on most of the alleys and streets as well as the perimeters of the properties to which they are attached, he says. He is willing to share his research and advise, he notes, or to speak at homeowners association meetings. He is available at trevorroe@ymail.com.

Code enforcement

Rundown neighborhoods and apartment communities tend to be nexuses of crime, says community prosecutor Patrick Sanders. By cleaning up properties, responding to violations that pose safety and welfare hazards and working closely with police intelligence to target crime hotspots, code enforcers and community prosecutors together visit at-risk properties every day. He too says citizen involvement is essential.

“Where you should call 911 for any suspicious activity, you should call 311 when you see or smell something that is not right at a property.” (He went on to explain that one of his colleagues today discovered a dead body after investigating reports of a strange smell emanating from a home.)

Sanders notes that millions of dollars recently have been invested in some of Lake Highlands’ more troubled, crime and violation-ridden apartment communities. “That is a very good thing … these deep pocket investors are coming in and we are starting to see that improvement. Now, they are not going to become Uptown, but they are getting a lot cleaner and a lot safer,” he says of Whitehurst and Forest Audelia properties that have been areas of concern in the recent past. “The condominiums in the Northeast are the real challenge,” he adds, “but we are working on that.”

He also noted that the city of Dallas and police last week cleaned up an area under a Forest Lane bridge that was replete with trash and homeless dwellers.

Keep an eye out for upcoming stories about those apartment improvements/investments, as well as the Lake Highlands Public Improvement District.