Help Keep Your Community
Crime Free – Join
Neighborhood Watch
Neighborhood Watch, Crime Watch – whatever
the name, it’s one of the most effective and least
costly ways to prevent crime and increase community
awareness. Neighborhood Watch fights the isolation that
crime both creates and feeds upon. It forges bonds among area
residents, helps reduce burglaries and robberies, and improve
relations between police and the community they serve.
Why Neighborhood Watch?
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It works! Throughout the country, dramatic decreases in
burglary and related offenses are reported in communities
with active programs.
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Many families have two working parents
and children involved in activities that keep
them away from home. An empty house in a
neighborhood where none of the neighbors
know the owner is a prime target for burglary.
How Does a Neighborhood Watch Start?
A motivated individual, or a few concerned
residents, can spearhead the efforts to establish
a Watch. As part of the program, a Crime
Prevention Specialist will come to your Neighborhood
Watch meetings and share valuable information about home,
vacation, and vehicle security tips. In addition, you’ll learn how
to identify suspicious activity, how to provide suspect information
when calling the Sheriff’s Department and much more!
Be involved, call today! To start or to reactivate a Neighborhood
Watch program, call Crime Prevention Specialist Kimberly
Sawyer at 949-362-4305 or email at [email protected]
Traffic Safety
is Everyone’s Responsibility
Winter in California can vary from sunshine to rain, wind and snow. From the
wintery deserts to high Sierra to the packed freeways of Southern California
winter brings its own special road safety and travel preparation lists.
Safety First and Always n
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Up. Every Trip. Every Time.
Always plan ahead, use a designated sober driver.
Don’t text or talk on your cell phone while driving – even hands-
free. If you need to make a call, check road or weather conditions or
respond to a text, wait until you stop in a safe place, such as a rest
stop or parking lot.
Carry an emergency kit.
Share the driving with other passengers to avoid fatigue.
Schedule trips to allow for frequent breaks. Take time to pull over
at rest stops to stretch your legs and focus your head.
Don’t fall into the trap of driving while angry – aggressive driving
kills.
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Driving in Rain
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it starts to rain, replace old or brittle wiper blades.
Stay toward the middle lanes – water tends to pool in outside lanes.
Maintain proper following distance (3 second rule). This needs to
be increased in wet weather.
Be more alert watching for brake lights in front of you. Avoid
using your brakes; if possible, take your foot off the accelerator
to slow down.
Turn your headlights on in a light rain and in gloomy, foggy, or
overcast conditions to help you see the road and help other drivers
see you.
Never drive beyond the limits of visibility. The glare of oncoming
lights, amplified by the rain on the windshield, can cause temporary
loss of visibility while substantially increasing driver fatigue.
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Never drive through moving water if you can’t see the
ground through it; your vehicle could be swept off the road.
Avoid driving through deep water, because it can cause
serious damage to a modern vehicle’s electrical system.
When you need to stop or slow, do not brake hard or lock
the wheels and risk a skid. Maintain mild pressure on the
brake pedal.
Watch out for places where floodwater collects, particularly
low-lying roads adjacent to streams, and dips under rail or
highway bridges.
Never use cruise control on wet roads or icy road
conditions. Cruise control can cause skidding and loss of
tire traction on wet or icy roads.
Don’t drive with your windows frosted or fogged up. Wait
until they clear before leaving home. A quick way to de-fog
your windows is to open a window to let cool air in.
“Hydroplaning” happens when heavy rain and fast speeds
lead to your vehicle riding on top of a thin layer of water, a
dangerous situation that can lead to uncontrolled skidding
or drifting out of the lane. If you find yourself hydroplaning
or skidding:
• Do not brake or turn suddenly. Ease your foot off the
gas until the vehicle slows and you can feel traction on
the road again. As you recover control, gently straighten
the wheels.
• If you need to brake, do it gently with light pumping
action. Your vehicle has anti-lock brakes, then
brake normally. The vehicle’s computer will mimic
a pumping action.