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Crime & Safety

Help Versus Fear: Who is My Neighbor?

SafetySmart Lilburn gives advice on being a better - but informed - neighbor.

In recent conversations with people, I have heard a recurring theme: it seems that people have become so concerned with protecting themselves that many are losing their ability to help others.  

  • A driver broke down in a neighborhood and approached a house to ask for help.  The person in the house called the police because a stranger was in the yard.
  • A woman was robbed of her credit cards, money and identification.  She and her children were at an amusement park more than 50 miles from home.  When she got in the car after such a traumatic event, she realized she was also low on gas.  She had her children in the car at the gas station, but no one would help her buy gas to get home.
  • In New York, a man was stabbed and asked for help of passers-by.  He died on the sidewalk and people walked around him for more than 12 hours before authorities were notified.

SafetySmart Lilburn tells newly-forming neighborhood watches to alert police when suspicious activity is seen in the neighborhood, but we also encourage people to get to know their neighbors—that means finding out what a person’s situation is before jumping to the conclusion that everyone is dangerous.
The fine line between being cautious and being humane is sometimes difficult to discern. . . . Particularly when there are scams which  get people to open the door to strangers with bad intentions.

In most cases, when people knock on the door, the best policy is to speak through the door or from an upstairs window to find out what they need. We need to work against the isolation that comes from using computers and electronic devices to communicate. Being afraid of everyone who has not been formally introduced leads to  isolation.  

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Many situations can be defused simply by being friendly and showing interest in the other person.  

This seems counter-intuitive in today’s society, but it certainly makes for a better community.

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