It’s America’s 18^th annual "Night out Against Crime." It’s a national happening. All over the United States, concerned citizens are gathering to organize their neighborhoods to combat crime. So, what’s happening in Rancho Bernardo? A lot.

Neighbors are getting together on Tuesday, August 7 in many different ways. Dessert and coffee, ice cream socials, BBQs, potluck suppers, even progressive parties from one house to another. Your Block Captain will be there to talk about the latest information from the Police Storefront, the crime stats from the Neighborhood Watch staff, passing out new InfoSheets to make sure they are up to date. In times of emergency, it is a good thing for neighbors to know about the needs of others, particularly the elderly and disabled who need supplies and medicines. Also, your Block Captain wants to make sure everyone knows how important it is that you report any suspicious activity in your neighborhood.

What makes this "lights on" night, this symbol, so special is that we know lighting helps to deter crime. And no one can refuse to spend the extra pennies to protect himself and his home. The police have proof that this is one of the biggest deterrents against robbery. Criminals don’t like to visit neighborhoods that have lights on. They want dark areas; remember they carry flashlights. A thoughtful reader of the eNEWSLETTER wrote that he thought that the motion detector lights would be a good idea in order to save electricity. But he warned that they should be set as to not interfere with traffic in the street. Thanks for the advice. Officer Paul Lennon agrees.

Also, check out the street lighting in your area; don’t forget to report all street lights that need new bulbs or are hidden by tree limbs. Call the Storefront and ask that a Deficiency Report be sent to the City.

Neighborhood Watch involves neighbors getting to know each other, sharing important safety information and resources, and learning to recognize suspicious persons and activities to report to the police.

Citizen involvement is essential to combat crime; there can’t be a law enforcement officer on every corner. Neighbors want to learn crime prevention strategies such as home security, personal safety, and operation identification: learn the many community, city, and state resources available to them.

There are Neighborhood Watch Academies open to all residents with excellent speakers; professionals speaking on safety, awareness, scams and frauds, crisis intervention, problem solving, and the many services the police and other agencies offer us as citizens. Neighborhood Watch in Rancho Bernardo is funded entirely by donations from the community through the San Diego Foundation.