I live in a gated community in Dallas, Texas, and I have to admit, I don’t really know my neighbors. There’s Dixie and what’s-his-name who live next door, Mark something down the street, and those two women with the SUVs at the end of the street. It’s a little sad.
Experts tell us that while a monitored security system a front-line defense against crimes like burglary and home invasion, we should never underestimate the value of getting to know our neighbors.
First, there’s the familiarity factor. If everyone in the neighborhood knows who their neighbors are, they’re more likely to know who doesn’t belong, what looks fishy, and who to contact when there’s something suspicious. A moving truck in the McGregors’ driveway could mean a job transfer to another city, or a robbery in progress. An informed neighbor would know.
Second, there’s a sense of accountability that comes from knowing who lives nearby. You start to care because there’s a name with a face. Sometimes, we get so isolated in our houses that flames would have to be shooting out of a neighbor’s windows before we might think of calling the fire department. But if you know Bob and Janet live there, you’re likely to make that call much earlier.
Third, good neighbors help each other out. Going on a weekend trip? Ask them to watch the house and pick up the newspaper. You can do the same for them in the future.
Almost all of us have a list of excuses for not knowing our neighbors: we’re busy, they work different hours, their teenage son looks weird…None of them are very good. It only takes a few minutes to introduce yourself and say hello from time to time. The security payoff could be big and it’s just a nice thing to do.
