Thursday, December 24, 2009

Grinch Alert!

What a wonderful time of year.....

The houses are all trimmed ... outside and in
The presents are teeming ... that Santa brought in
The burglars are greedy ... and don't really care
Into your house ... they surely will dare

In through the garage ... or window ajar
Searchin for treasure ... to getaway in a car
Peeping high and low ... while you're in the yard
Old Rover is nappin' ... not much of a guard

They found the Ipod ... the Iphone and cash
Out thru the door ... in a great big ol' dash
Your neighbor was watching ... and wrote down with great care
Their car type, their description ... and the color of their hair

On to the phone .. calling La Quinta's finest
"911" answered the operator ... her voice was the kindest
"They stole Christmas, They're getting away" ... you did utter
"They jumped in a car" ... your heart all aflutter

"It was new and blue ... and the door had a dent"
"They got the neighbors cash ... and presents they'd been sent"
"We're on our way, don't worry ... please stay on the line"
The officers were dispatched ... and wasted no time

They caught the burglars ... returning the presents and cash
We rejoiced and regaled ... we threw quite a bash
Neighborhood Watch had won ... and proved hands down
By Gosh and By Golly ... "There's a new Santa in town"

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Seasons Greetings!



Just a short note to extend all the best of the holiday season to you and your family. We have so much to be thankful for in this day and age ... and state of the economy. We all have our lists and when you check yours, please add our brave young men and women overseas and our veterans that preceded them.

Security Tips #continued

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Minimize your likelihood of being targeted. There is no single answer to being safe - just suggestions. The best tool is your ingenuity. Be thoughtful and be creative - stay ahead of the 'Dark Side".

Keep an open view of your property. Mature trees should be trimmed about 6 feet from the ground. Keep shrubs/bushes cut low and trees trimmed, to avoid hiding places. Remember earlier tips, motion-sensored lighting is a fantastic deterrent. Burglars would have to freeze for long durations in order to try and fool the sensor - by then, you and your neighbors should have figured out something is going on....and certainly the neighbor's dog(s) will provide an assist.

Be involved in your neighborhood so you know what is happening in your neighborhood. Programs such as Neighborhood Watch and Disaster/Emergency Preparedness can save your life and property. Get on the neighborhood email list.

Know your neighbors and have them keep a watch on your property as you keep a watch on theirs.

Friday, December 18, 2009

Safety and Security - Tip #6, 7 and 8

Regarding window security, if the PVC pipe isn't desirable for you or doesn't work on your window(s), consider thumb screw channel locks on all your windows, horizontal and vertical alike. Once in position, remove locks and drill a 1/8 inch hole, just a little, at the mark the thumb screw made, thus allowing the thumb screw to slightly enter the frame work. Install a two-thumb screw lock in for your sliding doors.

Exterior Lighting-Some people want to light up the whole exterior of their house as this gives them a sense that they can see everything or that maybe burglars would feel apprehensive about breaking in, Well.... daylight doesn't prevent them from their nefarious activities, why should a light? Law enforcement officers advise that Motion Sensored lighting is best as if the light is on - someone or something made that happen - if the light is off - someone is frozen like a statue or no one is there. Constant lighting doesn't give you this so consider changing your exterior lighting.

Interior Lighting - Sam's club carries a 3 pack of plug-in night light/flash light combinations for under $6.00 plus tax. The are L.E.D. lights and take hardly any electricity at all. Imagine what you'd be willing to pay if you needed a light and didn't have it. You can navigate throughout the house with the nightlight feature; however, if the power goes out or a circuit break occurs, these little dynamos are charged sufficiently to guide you through the darkness of night, inside or out, safely.

Keep the faith!

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Safety and Security - Tip #5

Having lived at your home for some time, you may have already identified a means of adding security to your sliding windows and doors; however, consider the following:

Put heavy duty PVC pipe dowels in all your sliding windows and doors. PVC pipe is low cost, white - to match your windows and sliding doors, easy to cut and you can easily just sand the markings off unless you just turn the markings to the bottom.

PVC pipe (450 psi) is heavy duty, thick and solid. For most windows, a 3/4 inch pipe will do the job. For sliding glass doors, the 1 inch circumference pipe is better. A standard section of PVC pipe measures 10 feet and is available in the plumbing section of your favorite hardware store is generally under $5.00 (You might also find small lengths). Either of the two big name stores locally may cut it for free to allow you to get it into your vehicle or you can bring along a hacksaw and do it yourself. If you do make a cut, have it cut or pay to have several cuts done... be prepared and have the measurements available - 3/4 inch pipe measures 1 inch outside diameter and 1 inch pipe measures 1 1/4 inch outside diameter, which would be the size of wood dowels for the same job. “Measure twice – cut once”. Upon returning home with the pipe and newly acquired sandpaper, you can have this little chore done in no time at all.

Imagine the great night sleep after that or better a more comfortable shopping expedition the next time you go out.

Keep the faith!

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Winter is imminent but it feels like it's here tonight!

Time changes, Weather changes, etc... are always great times to remind ourselves to be prepared for anything. The prudent person is wise to prepare the family and household for anything Mother Nature dishes out. Storms or earthquakes can certainly cause a loss of power but depending on the severity you might consider going to the American Red Cross link below to find a list of pertinent topics. You might consider reading through, printing the criteria and suggestions that are important to you and your family and putting them in your preparedness pack. When something happens, it will be too late to look it up, read it and print it... There really is a lot of good material to review: http://arc-riverside.axxiomportal.com/page.aspx?id=1612

At a minimum you should consider: 1) updating your first aid kit; 2)make sure you have a battery powered radio, flashlights for everyone in the household and an extra one plus plenty of batteries; 3) Food and plenty of water-at least a gallon of water per person per day-how many days (?) we're all guessing on that one. I'd suggest getting plenty and just rotating it so it's always fresh. and keep an eye on the dates on any canned foods (Did you remember a can opener in your pack?); and 4) extra clothes or blankets are a great idea too!

These are just a few thoughts shared to remind you to be prepared. You might consider a family meeting to discuss what else would help you to be prepared.. How about new surge protectors for your household electronic equipment, etc...

Keep the faith!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Textbook Neighborhood Watch Action

Below you will find an article from the La Quinta Sun Police Blotter of 12/3/09. It describes a neighbor who heard his dog barking and as he goes outside, he witnesses people leaving his neighbor's property. He called out to them and they fled in a waiting car. He apparently followed a bit and was able to get a partial license plate to report to the police. Bingo! They were apprehended a short while later. This is outstanding.... Hear or See something, check it out, write it down and call the police. Again, this was not in Desert Pride but I'm sure that many of us wish the neighbor was.... This is not to say you (reading this) wouldn't do the same, merely that this person actually did....just like our neighbor who spotted the individual stealing our Neighborhood Watch signs. This, too, was outstanding! Anyway, here's the story from the paper.......

4 boys detained for burglary of residence
Nov. 26, 10:15 a.m. — Officers responded to an attempted residential burglary occurring at 78-600 Villeta Drive.

The incident was reported by the neighbor who heard his dog barking. Upon exiting his home, he observed two men leaving his neighbor's rear yard. The neighbor called out to the suspects who ran to a waiting black Mercedes Benz and fled the scene.
The neighbor followed the suspects to Fred Waring Drive, where he was able to retrieve a partial license plate number. An officer responding to the area spotted a vehicle matching the description. He stopped the vehicle in the Kohl's parking lot and detained four boys who were subsequently arrested on suspicion of attempted residential burglary.

Keep the faith!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Safety and Security - continued

This current tip might cost a little but what price can you put on a combination of comfort with safety and security?

For any doors to the exterior of your home that have screens or that you are contemplating installing screens doors on... Ensure that the screens have a minimum of a 900 pound test resistance. Such doors are recommended as a safety factor when a stranger comes to your door - you can keep that door closed and locked while talking with them. If not adding security screen doors, have a full security strike plate with 3 inch screws in your door frame for all your door locks. Forced door entry is easy with the original strike plate and short screws, with door frames being broken.

Keep the faith!