Ventana Lakes Block Watch News

Your Ventana Lakes Block Watch Captains At The November 20, 2010, Block Watch Meeting

How To Be A Good Witness

 December 1, 2011

Crime is staying low in Ventana Lakes, so now is a good time to talk about a related subject.  We are always telling you to immediately call the police if you see or hear anything suspicious, so what do you tell the police when you call them.  Something we all need to think about from time-to-time is “How To Be A Good Witness.”

Many of us don’t think about this much until something happens.  So what is the situation?  What am I seeing? - A burglary, theft, injury, vandalism, or suspicious activity.  How do I describe to the Police where and what is taking place?  What if I don’t know the address of my location?  Why does the Police dispatcher ask me certain questions?  In a high stress incident, how can I calm myself to make the 911 call?  These are all issues we should take some time to think about.

How do you describe a subject? Generally it is best to describe a person from top-to-bottom.  Hair color, hair length, and absence or presence of facial hair.  Approximate age, height, and weight.  Distinguishing characteristics, such as a visible scars, tattoos, piercings, or deformities.  Clothing, including pants/shorts/skirt/dress, shirt sleeve length, presence of a coat/jacket, wearing/not wearing a hat or glasses, color of all articles of clothing, and shoes.

How do you describe a suspicious vehicle?  If you can get the license plate number and state do it.  Vehicle make and model if possible, and approximate year of the vehicle (new or old).  Vehicle color, and number of doors.  Any visible bumper stickers or window stickers, including their size, color, placement, and content.  And any visible damage to the vehicle, such as paint damage, body damage, broken/missing glass, damaged or non-working head or tail lights.

In today’s world with potential Terrorism, how do you describe suspicious activity?  Is a suspicious vehicle occupied, moving slowly down the street, sitting idling, or parked?  How many individuals are there?  What direction is a vehicle heading?  Men and/or women? Are individuals standing around outside a vehicle, or are they trying to hide so they are not seen.  Are individuals taking photos of a potential target?  Are the individuals on private or public property?

As you can see there is a lot of information that you might give the Police Dispatcher when you call.  And as we said previously, the Police Dispatcher will ask you questions.  Do not call Block Watch if you see suspicious activity – you must call the Police yourself.  Why?  Because when the Police Dispatcher starts to ask you questions only you can answer the questions because only you saw or heard the situation.  Yes we want you to call Block Watch, but only after you have called the Police and the situation is resolved.

So when should you call the police.  If you see any suspicious activity occurring dial 9-1-1 immediately and provide as much information as you can, and answer the Police Dispatcher’s questions.  Do not wait to call because in cases of suspicious activity a few minutes can make a big difference in resolving a crime if a crime is taking place.  If a situation has passed, and an immediate response is not required by the Police call the non-emergency phone number 623-773-8311.  To stay informed about crime in our community visit the Ventana Lakes Block Watch website by going to VLPOA.org and clicking on the Block Watch link in the Menu Column.

And during this Holiday Season your Ventana Lakes Block Watch Captains wish you a very happy, and safe holiday.

Seize The Moment

November 1, 2011

Our crime rate continues to stay low in Ventana Lakes but we have had a situation that points to an issue we seem to repeatedly encounter, and it reminds us that we need do a better job of calling the police immediately when we see or hear something suspicious.

First - We had vandalism in the Shores.  This occurred Overnight on October 7^th at the homes of several residents where items in front yards were smashed with some items thrown into the street.  The vandalism was discovered the next morning by residents in the 10500 block of W Runion Drive.  This was reported to the police and a police report was filed.  We suspect that this was done by kids walking or driving through the Shores late at night.

In potentially a related situation two days later a resident in the Shores came out to get into their vehicle to run an errand. When they got to their car they spotted three young kids suspiciously sitting in a car a few doors down on the street seemingly looking at one of the homes.  The resident knew that these teenagers did not belong in the area and it was suspicious that the kids were there, and for what reason.  The resident suspected that the kids were casing a home to possibly break into later that night.  The resident was so concerned by seeing these kids parked there that they went back into their home, but then decided to come back out and leave as they were going to do.

When the resident came back out to leave they noticed the kids were leaving, and the resident thought that the kids were leaving because the kids realized they had been spotted by this resident.  As it turned out, about a block away the resident pulled up behind the kids at a stop sign, so the resident wrote down the tag number on the car.  Later that afternoon the resident called Peoria PD at the non-emergency number to report the incident and the tag number of the car.

So what might be changed with how this situation played out?

The resident comes out of their home to get into their car and they spot teenagers parked a few doors down on the street and immediately the resident becomes concerned and suspicious.  The resident was so concerned and suspicious that they turned around and went back into their home, but then decided to come back out and leave as they were planning to do.  What should have happened when the resident went back into their home?  They should have dialed 9-1-1 and immediately report this suspicious vehicle and kids to the police.  They should have called 9-1-1 at that moment, while the kids were still in Ventana Lakes.  The resident should not have waited.

Maybe these kids were doing nothing wrong, and it is certainly legal to park on a street.  Or maybe the kids were smoking pot or shooting drugs, or they were casing a home as the resident suspected.  But it would have been much more effective and decisive if the Peoria Police pulled up behind these kids to find out what they were doing, or stop them as they were leaving the community.  At the minimum, it would have let these kids know that we will call the police if we see anything suspicious.  And the word does get around at the high schools.  That’s possibly why the kids pulled into Ventana Lakes to park and do what they were doing, because the kids knew that this is a retirement community where it is quiet and they believed they could get away with what they were up to.

Yes it was a good thing that the resident got the tag number, and called Peoria PD later that afternoon to report the incident and provide the tag number to the police.  But, the police just cannot stop a vehicle even when they have a tag number the next day after the suspicious incident has passed, particularly when no apparent crime had been committed.  But they sure could have stopped the vehicle at the time of the incident because at that time there was a suspicious situation occurring.

The point in all this is that we must seize the moment.  Dial 9-1-1 when you see something that is suspicious to you – do not hesitate for any reason.  We as residents know what is normal on our streets, and as in this case, the resident knew that this was not a normal situation and became suspicious and concerned.   If you have to leave for an appointment then leave but call the police first to report the situation and tell the dispatcher you are leaving but are concerned and request that the situation be checked out.  It only takes a few seconds.  Tell the dispatcher that you want “No Contact” and the police will not contact you as the caller.  The police will not come to your home if you do not want them to.  By calling the police immediately you’ve done all you can do.

Seize the moment!  At the moment when you see something suspicious you should dial 9-1-1.  Do not wait!  You have an opportunity at that moment to possibly prevent a crime so do not let the opportunity slip by you.  Peoria PD has told us over and over again to call 9-1-1 immediately if we see or hear anything suspicious and not to wait.  And as Peoria Police Officer Foote has told us - “If You Don’t Call It Never Happened.”

Back To Our
Low Crime Rate

October 1, 2011

A significant crime spree hit Ventana Lakes in late June, and with Peoria PD catching the burglar around July 3^rd, Ventana Lakes has returned to its low crime rate.  As of the date I am writing this article, September 8^th, we have not had one crime reported in Ventana Lakes since August 1^st. 

Block Watch monitors the website www.crimemapping.com, and now a second website www.crimereports.com, virtually every day to stay abreast of crimes that occur in our community.  I do my best to write about them in this monthly Block Watch column, so that you are made aware of what is happening in Ventana Lakes.  The idea behind this is that if you know what crime has occurred at another resident’s home, you can take steps to stop the same type of crime from occurring at your home.  The end result is less crime in Ventana Lakes.

For example, in late June one resident’s air conditioner failed, so they chose to keep their back sliding glass door open overnight to help cool the house when they went to bed.  When they woke the next morning they found their screen cut and several valuables stolen.  The lesson we all should learn from this is that no matter what the reason, we close and lock all our doors overnight, and of course when no one is at home.

Another example also in late June, we experienced several vehicles parked outside broken into overnight.  The lesson here is that we should park our vehicles in our closed and locked garages overnight.  If for some reason you cannot park in your garage, always remove all valuables from your vehicle, and close and lock the vehicle.  This includes removing the garage door opener.

And in yet another example, we have in the past had thefts from open garages during the day.  So here again the lesson is to keep our garage doors closed when not in your garage.

If we keep abreast of crime in our community, and we take the steps at our home to never allow such a crime to happen to us, crime in Ventana Lakes could be cut by two-thirds.  Most crimes are crimes of opportunity, where we as a resident provide the opportunity to a thief to steal our stuff, so working together as a community we can reduce crime.  To keep up to date about crime in Ventana Lakes go to the Ventana Lakes website www.vlpoa.org.  Click on the Block Watch link in the left menu column, and then click on the “Crime Incident Reports” button.

The other things we can do as a community to help reduce crime is to call the police if we see or hear anything suspicious.  Dial 9-1-1 if there is an emergency or you see something that is really causing you concern, or dial the non-emergency number 623-773-8311 if the situation does not require an immediate response by the police.  You never know what crime you may prevent by having the police check-out a strange slow moving vehicle driving down your street, or someone around the lake who does not appear to be a Ventana Lakes resident, or the breaking of glass at a home nearby.

The Peoria Police Department has asked us to get the word out that they need volunteers to work with officers in various areas.  If you would like to volunteer for the Peoria PD you can call Lt. Dick Yost at 623-773-5009 or Commander Scott Lekan at 623-773-7084.

October 15^th is the Annual Public Safety Night.  G.A.I.N. night as it is being called.  G.A.I.N. stands for Getting Arizona Involved in Neighborhoods.  It will be at the Peoria Rio Vista Park, 8866 W Thunderbird from 5:30pm to 8:30pm.  There will be fun and games for the entire family, and safety displays of all types. 

Another important event coming up in November is the S.A.L.T. program being presented by the City of Peoria.  S.A.L.T. stands for Seniors And Law Enforcement Working Together.  This is a four hour program that will cover topics like “How to be a good witness,” “Traffic Enforcement,”  “Adult Abuse,”  “Senior Fraud,” and “Getting Involved in Block Watch and with the Peoria PD.”  The date for this program is Monday, November 14^th.  It will be held in the Yacht Club but the time has not been set yet so watch the Ventana Views and your Ventana Lakes Distribution Email.

If you would like to become a Ventana Lakes Block Watch Captain, or have a question about Block Watch or what a Block Watch Captain does, call Chuck at 825-4517 or Nancy at 933-5632.

Peoria PD Catches Burglar
In Ventana Lakes

 September 1, 2011

A significant crime spree hits Ventana Lakes.  Over 10 days in late June we experienced 11 significant crimes in the south-west section of our community.  If we learn anything from this, it is that crime never sleeps and can happen at any time to any one of us, and we all need to ban together, communicate, and work closely with Peoria PD.  We need the process, the contacts, and the residents working together in an organized way so that if something like this repeats itself we can immediately address the situation and work to resolve it.  Yes – that is what Block Watch in Ventana Lakes is all about.

It all started overnight on June 21^st when a home was burglarized in the 10900 block of W Cimarron Drive.  The residents were home and asleep in their bedroom.  Their central air conditioner had broken, so the resident put a portable air conditioning unit in their bedroom, and left their sliding door open overnight to hopefully cool the house a little.  They closed and latched the screen door, and left their bedroom door open about six inches so their cat could come and go as it wanted.  The small portable air conditioner was noisy, so the resident could not hear anything outside their bedroom.  The resident got up the next morning and found their screen had been cut, and several valuable items were stolen.  Peoria PD was immediately called.

Over the next 10 days there was a crime spree with automobiles being broken into, thefts out of back yards, and another case where it is believe someone got into the house through a doggie-door.  This occurred in the 10800 block of W Chisholm Drive.  Between the hours of 11:30pm and 5:30am someone got into the home and stole an IPOD, a full set of house and car keys, and a purse with credit cards.  Again the resident was asleep in their bedroom, and there was no sign of a break-in so that is why it is thought the burglar got in through the doggie-door.

Block Watch was already involved, and the Peoria PD was already working to catch whoever was doing this.  A couple of our residents who went out for an early morning walk and bike ride around 4:00am saw a young man wearing black with a backpack in the Cimarron Drive area.  Later that day they informed Peoria PD that the person was seen going into the trailer park just south of Ventana Lakes.  It was believed that the man was sliding under the wall located on Cimarron Drive where the trailer park flood spillway connects into the water retention area in Ventana Lakes.

Several calls were made by residents and emails were sent by Block Watch to Peoria PD, and Peoria PD took this situation very seriously.  One resident decided to do a little patrolling at night and counted 9 Peoria Police Cars in Ventana Lakes at about 11:00pm on July 1^st.  On July 2^nd we received word that Peoria PD had caught a suspicious person in Ventana Lakes, and on July 5^th we received the following from Peoria PD.

“On July 2^nd around 12:30am, while Peoria Police were conducting surveillance of the Ventana Lakes area in an unmarked vehicle, an Officer observed a suspicious individual.  While attempting to make contact, the suspect fled the area on a bicycle.  A perimeter was quickly created to make contact with the suspect, and upon doing so, Police discovered the suspect’s bicycle abandoned near 109^th Avenue and Cimarron.  After involving the K-9 Unit, Peoria Police were able to locate the suspect hiding in a back yard.  The suspect was arrested for trespassing and Police have determined that the individual matches the description of a potential suspect for the recent burglaries in the area.”

We thank Peoria PD for their quick response and apprehension of the suspect burglar, but we must not forget that we as residents have to take the first steps by contacting the police if we see anything suspicious.  As Officer Foote has told us in Block Watch several Times, “If you don’t call the police it never happened.”

So don’t forget that residents are the start of the process in solving and preventing crime in Ventana Lakes by working together, supporting Block Watch, and calling the police.  If you see anything that just doesn’t sit right with you or makes you feel uneasy or fearful, call the police and tell them what you saw or heard.  It may be nothing, or it may be a piece to a puzzle that helps reduce crime in our community.  You never know, but you may be the key to catching a thief before they have a chance of burglarizing another resident’s home.

Dial 9-1-1 if there is an emergency or you see something that is really causing you concern, or dial the non-emergency number 623-773-8311 if the situation does not require an immediate response by the police.

No Block Watch Article This Month

August 1, 2011

There was no Ventana Views issued for August 1 so we did not write a Block Watch News article for August.  See you next month with a September 1 Block Watch News article.

We’re Now Using
CrimeMapping.Com

July 1, 2011

Starting in May we are now using the website crimemapping.com to keep abreast of crime in Ventana Lakes.  This is in addition to any crime we hear about via the Office, from our Block Watch Captains, or directly from a resident.  As you might guess, we are learning about more crime that we previously knew about, and so we want to keep you informed about everything we know of.  

In the Month of May we have learned about 8 crimes in Ventana Lakes.  In most cases these crimes were reported by crimemapping.com and we have nothing else but a brief description of the crime.  Crimemapping.com is a website that is fed directly by the Peoria Police Department.  As we understand it, when an officer files a report, the computer systems automatically send the information to crimemapping.com for residents to view. The following is a brief rundown of each crime reported for May in Ventana Lakes. 

May 30 – Vandalism reported by crimemapping.com, in the 10600 block of W Ross Avenue.

May 23 – Fraud reported by crimemapping.com, in the 20700 block of N 106^th Lane.

May 20 – Vehicle Theft reported by crimemapping.com, in the 20400 block of N 109^th Drive.

 May 17 – Resident reported a pile of animal waste at front door in the 11000 block of W Utopia

May 11 – Burglary reported by crimemapping.com in the 20400 block of N 110^th Avenue

May 6 - VLPOA Landscapers reported graffiti on the wall in the 11000 block of W Cimarron Drive

 May 4 – Vandalism – Graffiti reported by crimemapping.com in the 10800 block of W Beardsley Road

May 2 – Theft from VLPOA Storage Yard located at the Yacht Club

 With these 8 crimes in May our crime rate for the year has risen to 2.2 crimes per month (11 crimes / 5 months) which is worse than last year.  But we are now in a situation where we are comparing apples to oranges since last year we did not have the website crimemapping.com to use as a tool to keep us informed about crimes in our community.

So far in June, as of June 19, there have been no additional crimes reported to Block Watch or on crimemapping.com.

Anyone can view the information about crime in the community by going to crimemapping.com, but you must change the reporting dates since only the last 7 days are reported by default.  Or you can go to the VLPOA Website at vlpoa.org, and click on the Block Watch link in the Menu Bar.  This will take you to the Ventana Lakes Block Watch website.  Scroll down the page to “Crime Mapping” and click on the CrimeMapping.com link.  Or go to the Block Watch website and click on the “Crime Incident Reports” button and you will see more information on all the crimes we know about.

As always, let’s learn from these reports.  Do not make it easy for someone to seal your stuff.  Do not send money or give your social security number to anyone who calls you or email you and ask for it.  And, never forget, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably isn’t.

Crime Rate Rises

June 1, 2011

We were doing pretty well with crime in Ventana Lakes, but in late April and early May we have had a few incidents we want you to know about.

On April 26^th we had a resident in the 20300 block of N 106^th Drive in the Shores report that someone has rang their doorbell late at night, between 2am-4am.  When the resident would get to the door no one was there.  The police were called a police report has been filed.  The police were specifically asked to watch this area late at night so hopefully they can catch who is doing this.

On May 2^nd the VLPOA reported that someone had cut through the lock on the gate to the VLPOA Storage Yard located behind the Yacht Club.  The lock to a shed inside the Storage Yard was also cut, and three power washers were stolen.  A police report was filed.  Due to the deductible on the VLPOA insurance policy, the costs to replace these power washers will most likely not be covered by insurance.  It is important that we as residents look-out for each other as we have said many times, but we also need to watch-over VLPOA property and immediately report any suspicious activity on VLPOA property to the police.

On May 6^th the VLPOA office received a report of graffiti on the VLPOA wall in the 11000 Block of W Cimarron Drive.  The graffiti was on the dark brown wall that was set-off Cimarron by about 80 yards which made the graffiti hard to see from Cimarron.  The graffiti was found when we walked along the wall.  The graffiti was immediately painted out, and photos were taken and sent to Peoria PD.  The graffiti may have been on this wall for months, and was found by our landscaping company when they were trimming shrubs in the area.

Our 2011 Crime Rate is now at 1.0 (5 crimes in 5 months) as of the writing of this article on May 12, but the month is not over yet.  This is now the 2^nd lowest year for crime with 2010 being the lowest at 0.75.  We still have 7 months left in 2011 so working together and watching over each other, we can still make 2011 the lowest year for crime so far in Ventana Lakes.

If you want to stay up-to-date on crimes that have occurred in Ventana Lakes go to the Ventana Lakes website at www.vlpoa.org.  Then click on the Block Watch link from the menu column on the left side of the webpage.  This will take you to the Ventana lakes Block Watch website, and then you click on Crime Incident Reports in the links column.  There are many other informative links on the Block Watch website so we encourage you to visit the Ventana Lakes website and Block Watch website often.

You can also go to www.crimemapping.com and type in your address, and crimes that have occurred in the past seven days within a one mile radius will be shown.  You can change the date range and setup the website to email you with a notice if a crime occurs in our neighborhood.

As always, don’t make it easy for someone to steal your stuff.  Keep garage doors closed, doors and windows locked.  Lock the gate to your backyard, and we suggest putting a lock on your electrical breaker panel.  Don’t place items that are valuable to you in your front yards.  If you see anything suspicious please report it to Peoria PD immediately by dialing 9-1-1, and stay on the phone with the dispatcher because they most likely will ask you questions regarding what you have observed and if anything is changing.  The police do not have to come to your home.

Good News But Let’s Not Get Complacent

May 1, 2011

So far in April we have not heard of a crime in Ventana Lakes.  Our low crime streak continues, which is a very good thing.  But as we enjoy a low crime rate it is easy to get complacent and let our guard down.  So now is a good time to give you some tips and tricks on how to protect yourself and your property.

First Sergeant Meck of the Peoria Police Department provided us with a good talk on how “Not To Be A Victim” at our Town Hall Meeting on April 5^th.  He emphasized how we should listen to that inner voice talking to us when we feel uneasy, unsafe, or maybe even fearful of a potential situation.  He said “Don’t ignore the feeling” and that we should act on it.

As an example he used a situation where someone may be walking out of a department store with packages in hand to their car in the parking lot.  You get the feeling someone is watching you and/or following you, and possibly even get a little fearful.  He emphasized not to ignore the feeling because in many cases it is justified.  In this situation he said that you should turn around and look the person directly in the eyes, and say something like “May I help you?”.  It’s a fact that in almost all cases a thief does not want to be identified so they will simply walk away.  By looking directly at them you can now identify them, so in most cases a thief does not want to be identified and will move on because you now know what they look like.

Also, if you see anything unusual that just doesn’t feel right around your home, don’t ignore the feeling and always call the police.  If you get that feeling that something isn’t right it may not be, so call the police and they will investigate.  Sergeant Meck told residents that the police would much rather be called before a situation gets out of hand, instead of after a home gets broken into, or worse after someone gets hurt.

But we can also do things to help keep us and our property safer.  Following are several tips and tricks.

Tip - Always close and lock your garage doors.  If you open the garage door for ventilation, open it no more than 3 inches so that someone cannot slip under the door.

Tip - Keep the door between the garage and house locked.  Keep all outside doors locked, and lock your gate.

Tip – When parking outside keep vehicles locked with windows rolled up.  Do not leave valuables in vehicles.

Tip - Do not place expensive items in front yards.

Tip - Do not place a house key under a flower pot or door mat.  Leave a spare key with a trusted neighbor, friend, or relative.

Trick - If you have sliding windows/doors, cut a piece of PVC tubing and place it in the slide track so that it only opens 3 inches.

Trick - Keep the key fob for your vehicle next to your bed at night.  Press the panic button to sound your vehicle’s horn if you believe someone may be trying to get into your home.  Call 911 immediately.

Tip - Remember that if you don’t lock it, you just might lose it.

There are many more crime prevention tips on the Ventana Lakes Block Watch website.  Go to vlpoa.org and click on the Block Watch link, then click on the Tips To Reduce Crime button.  And as always, call the police if you see or hear anything suspicious.

Town Hall Meeting With Peoria Police And Fire

April 1, 2011

All Ventana Lakes residents are invited to attend a Town Hall Meeting with the Peoria Police and Fire Departments.  This meeting will be held on Tuesday evening, April 5^th, at 6:30pm in the Yacht Club, so mark your calendar now.

Sergeant Jon Meck of our Police Department will be providing a video presentation on “How Not To Be A Victim.”  This presentation will provide you tips on how not to become a victim both at home and when away from home.  We will also have question and answer time where you can ask questions of your Police Department, and hear about crimes in and around our community.  So come and meet your Police Officers, and lets thank them for the great job they are doing.  Crime is now at an all-time low in Ventana Lakes.

Tim Eiden from the Fire Department will be presenting an introduction to a free class that will be taught to Ventana Lakes residents called the CERT Program.  CERT stands for Community Emergency Response Team.  This program teaches residents of a community what to do in cases of natural disasters, terrorism, crime, public health issues, and other medical emergencies.  In some situations it is possible that the Police and Fire Departments may not be able to respond in a timely manner because of an overload of calls, and it is the residents in a community who are the first responders.  That is what this program is all about, it teaches residents how to become the first responders in such emergency situations.

The CERT classes will start on Tuesday April 26^th at 6:00pm, in the Yacht Club.  The scope of this class includes Fire Safety, Disaster Medical Operations, Light Search And Rescue, Emergency Response Organization, and Disaster Psychology.  The class will be three hours long and will be taught every Tuesday evening at 6:00pm for six weeks.  Do you want to become part of our Community Emergency Response Team?  If yes sign-up for this class at the Management Office now.  You can also walk-in.  The class is free. 

Also at the April 5^th meeting our Fire Department will be announcing the start of the “Lock Box” program in the City of Peoria, and residents of Ventana Lakes are being given the first opportunity to participate.  A Lock Box is a heavy construction metal box that is mounted outside your front door to which the Fire and Police Departments have a key.  No one else has the key to the Lock Box and you place your front door key inside the box.  If there should be an emergency at your home, and you are not home or cannot answer the door because you are incapacitated, the Fire or Police Department will open the box and use your house key so they don’t have to breakdown your door to gain entry.  It is recommended that Seniors, especially those living alone, highly consider getting a Lock Box installed.

We have been told of a very informative website by one of our Block Watch Captains that you may also want to visit from time-to-time.  It is www.crimemapping.com.  The Peoria Police Department enters every incident they respond to into crimemapping.com.  You can go to this website and see every crime that has occurred near your home.   After you open the website you type-in your street address with your zip code, and every crime within a one mile radius of your home over the last seven days will be shown.  You can make several changes to the view such as start and end dates, radius of view, and types of crimes to display.  This is an excellent way for residents to be informed about crimes in the area.

We are again enjoying a crime free period in February, and so far in March (as of 3/15).  When we write these articles they must be submitted by the 15^th of each month to be placed in the Ventana Views newsletter.  This is to allow time for editing and publishing of the newsletter so it can be distributed to residents on the 1^st of each month.  But so far we are crime free in Ventana Lakes for February and March, and we experienced one crime on January 10^th at 4:00pm where an air compressor was stolen out of an open garage door in the Shores.  Remember to always keep your garage doors closed.

The Town Hall Meeting will run for about two hours.  The meeting will be educational, informative, and of interest to every Ventana Lakes resident.  We will be serving refreshments and look forward to seeing you there.  We do not have many opportunities like this for residents to meet their Policemen and Firemen, so again, mark your calendars now for April 5^th, at 6:30pm, in the Yacht Club.  This meeting is hosted by the Ventana Lakes Community, and Ventana Lakes Block Watch.

What Is A “Crime Of Opportunity”?

March 1, 2011

Each of us may have heard this phrase from time-to-time.  “A Crime of Opportunity”.  So what does this mean?

It is a known fact within the Peoria Police Department that most criminals look for opportunities to steal something they want or something to sell for money, and that these criminals do not want to have to work hard to get it.  Criminals are basically, well, lazy.  It might be a vehicle parked at curbside late at night with the windows rolled down that presents an opportunity to steal a cell phone off the center council.  Or a garage door is left open during the day and golf clubs can be easily seen from a passing car.  Or it could be one of our residents who is leaving the local grocery store and while placing their groceries in the car they leave their purse sitting in the cart’s child’s seat.  “Crimes of Opportunity” are created when we as individuals make it easy for a criminal to steal our stuff.

In Ventana Lakes during 2010 crime was at an all-time low, but “Crimes Of Opportunity” were 77% of the crimes that occurred in our community.  Out of nine crimes reported to Block Watch in 2010, five were crimes where something was stolen out of a resident’s front yard.  Something of value was placed in a front yard making it easy to take.  One was where a resident left their front door key under a flower pot, and while out of town someone unlocked their front door and took what they wanted.  And one was a situation where an intruder got into a resident’s home because the front door was left unlocked during the day while the resident was gone.  In 2011 so far we have had one crime that was an air compressor stolen out of an open garage door during the day.  These crimes most likely would never have occurred if the resident had not presented the opportunity for someone to commit a crime. 

But from time to time we hear a resident say “But it never happens on my street”.  And in most cases it hasn’t – just not yet!  So just because it hasn’t happened on our street doesn’t mean we should be convinced it couldn’t.  We never want to become complacent, and become over-trusting and creating an opportunity for crime.  Almost all crimes in Ventana Lakes have occurred on a street where there has never been a crime before.

So let’s work together to MAKE IT TUFF TO STEAL OUR STUFF.  Let’s work together as a community, as neighbors caring about neighbors, and watching over each other to reduce “Crimes Of Opportunity” within Ventana Lakes.  We need your help, the help of each resident in our community.

On April 5^th Ventana Lakes will be hosting a Town Hall Meeting with the Peoria Police and Fire Departments.  Sergeant Jon Meck from our Police Department will be talking to us about “How Not To Be A Victim”.  This will be an informative presentation about crime in and around Ventana Lakes, and the steps that each of us can take to reduce the chance that we may become a victim of crime.

Tim Eiden from our Fire Department will be presenting the CERT Program.  The CERT Program is about how we as bystanders, or victims, can provide assistance in cases of Crime, Natural Disasters, and Terrorism.  It is a program where everyone can do something to be safer from the dangers we all face.  We will present more about these presentations in the April 1 issue of the Ventana Views.

In the meantime please mark your calendars now and plan to attend this community Town Hall Meeting with the Peoria Police and Fire Departments.  The meeting will be on Tuesday evening, April 5^th, at 6:30pm in the Yacht Club.  This will be an informative meeting for all of us, and we encourage all residents to attend.  We look forward to seeing you there.

Let’s Not Give It Away!

February 1, 2011

 On January 10th at around 4:00pm there was a theft from an open garage in the 10500 block of W Runion (In the Shores) during broad daylight.  A resident (not at the address of the theft) witnessed the event and almost got a license plate number, but the thieves were fast and the resident couldn't get the number.  However the police were called and a police report was made. The vehicle is a small white pick-up truck, with a very loud muffler, and a faded license plate.  It appears that this truck made a couple of "passes" around the Shores prior to picking a target.  Please keep your eyes open for this vehicle and report it to the Peoria police as quickly as possible as a suspicious vehicle.  The non-emergency number for the police is 623-773-8311, and if you see any crime in progress always call 9-1-1 immediately.

 Our crime rate was way down in 2010 but this theft in January is a reminder that it can still happen to anyone of us, at any time.  Each of us must protect our property, and it is imperative that we keep our garage doors closed.  Please, let's not give our property away to thieves.

 As we enter 2011 it will be a challenge to reduce our crime rate below that of 2010, which was 0.75 crimes per month.  That is less than one crime per month which is great, and in December of 2010 we did not have any crime reported to Block Watch.  But to reduce our crime rate below that of 2010 we must all work together as a community to make sure that we do not provide opportunities for crime.  Crimes of opportunity were 7 of the 9 crimes reported in 2010 which is 77% of our crimes.  Think how low our crime rate could be if we didn’t make it easy for thieves to steal our stuff.

 Opportunities are created when you leave your garage door open and you’re not in the garage, or you park your vehicle outside and either a window is down or the vehicle is unlocked, or you place an ornamental item in your front yard which can be easily taken, or you leave your house unlocked and dark when away. Last year’s crimes were as follows:

 5 – Ornamental item(s) stolen from front yard
1 – House robbed – Front door key left under flower pot
1 – Someone in house – Front door left unlocked
1 – Break-in through window and robbery
1 – Irrigation timer stolen from VLPOA property

 We all must work together.  Neighbors working together, and calling the police if you see or hear anything suspicious is how we will reduce the crime rate even further in 2011.  Please do it!

It Works

January 1, 2011

Back on November 30^th a resident in the 11000 block of W Cimarron Drive was up at 4:00am and saw a vehicle parked across the street in front of their home with a man sitting inside.  The vehicle evidently drove past the home a couple of times because the resident had noticed that their motion detecting security light had gone on and off a few times.  The resident felt that this was suspicious and immediately dialed 911.  The police were there within 5 minutes and the man was last seen being placed in the back of the patrol car.  We were told that the man was arrested, and his vehicle was towed.  We don’t know why the man was arrested, but this resident could well have prevented a burglary, or even worse, someone’s home from being invaded and a resident getting hurt.

This resident did everything correctly.  This made us in Block Watch feel good that a resident called the police because they saw something suspicious.  And yes this was a very suspicious situation.

We had another incident in early December where a resident observed a truck sitting in front of an empty home that was for sale.  They thought this was suspicious and called the police, and within 3-5 minutes three police cars were there.  The men were questioned, and as it turned out the owner had hired a landscaper to work on the yard, so all was OK and the police left.  But before the police left an officer walked up to the resident who identified themselves as the caller, he thanked them for calling, and told the resident that by calling the police they make the job of being a police officer easier.  They want to catch burglars in the act.

So we thank those residents because they called the police when they saw or heard anything suspicious.  The police do not have to make contact with you if you don’t want them to; just tell the police dispatcher when you call that you prefer “no contact”.

2010 was the lowest year for crime we have experienced since we have been keeping records, since 2005.  We experienced 9 crimes in the past 12 months, for a crime rate of 0.75 crimes per month.  It was 2.3 crimes per month in 2009, 2.7 in 2008, 1.4 in 2007, and 3.0 in 2006.  Let’s keep the trend going and work together as a community to lower crime even further.  Unfortunately, crime does happen in Ventana Lakes, but if we all work together, neighbors watching over neighbors, we send a strong message that we do not tolerate crime in our neighborhood, and that will call the police.

We also sincerely thank the Peoria Police Department for all they do to help protect our community, and for working so close with us in our Block Watch Program.  We also still need Block Watch Captains.  If you would like to volunteer as a Block Watch Captain, please call Chuck Schumm or Nancy Kimberlin.  And we wish you the very best in the New Year.

- - - - - - - - - -

We’ll say it again… Call The Police!

December 1, 2010

Christmas is almost here, and many of us decorate our front yards for the Christmas season.  Every year we get a few reports about a resident having Christmas decorations stolen out of their front yard.  And yes it could happen to you.  We suggest that you do not put “special” or expensive decorations in your front yard because they could come up stolen.  Crime is down in Ventana Lakes, but we should never throw caution to the wind.

In the past month we have had a couple of incidents to pass along to you.

A resident in the 10600 block of W. Mohawk Lane reported that they had a vase stolen out of their front yard.  They believe it happened overnight on November 7th.  The resident reported the stolen base to the office and the office informed the resident to call the Peoria Police.  It is not known if a police report was ever filed.  Never leave any property in your front yard that you do not want to see stolen.  If you don't lock it you just might lose it.  Always call the Peoria Police at the non-emergency number (773-8311) to report any stolen property and always file a police report.

In early November a resident reported that there were people in one of our swimming pools who appeared to be from outside the community.  This was after dark and the resident thought that they jumped the fence.  The resident did the right thing and called the police to report the situation.  The police did come and the people were told to leave the property, which they did.  If you observe anyone on Ventana Lakes property always call the police and report that people are trespassing on our private property.  The police will investigate and if the people are not from Ventana Lakes they will be told to leave.

We had one other situation where a resident heard someone walking on the rock in his backyard and something hit his aluminum patio enclosure.  The resident reported the situation to his Block Watch Captain but never called the police.  In the words of Officer Foote, “If you don’t call it never happened.”  Why this resident did not immediately dial 9-1-1 we don’t know, but don’t you fail to call the police if you think someone may be on your property.

So far 2010 is turning out to be the lowest year for crime in Ventana Lakes that we have experienced since 2005, when we started keeping our crime statistics.  But crime does occur and it can happen to you at any time.  Always always call the police immediately if you observe or hear anything suspicious.  Do not wait.  You do not have to have the police office make contact with you even when it is you who calls the police.  Just tell the dispatcher you do not want the Officer to make contact.  The police want to help us, but if you don’t make that call “it never happened.”

We wish you a Merry Christmas from all your Ventana Lakes Block Watch Captains.

Here’s My Key - Take What You Want

November 1, 2010

It appeared that we were going to get through September without a single crime reported to Block Watch but that didn’t happen.  Here is one we can all learn from.

A resident in the 20600 block of 103rd Drive had their home burglarized.  A large sum of money was stolen, someone went through the jewelry box, and the home was rummaged through.  It is not known what else may have been taken.  The resident was out of town and the daughter came to the house.  The resident normally left a key to the house under a flower pot but when the daughter looked for the key she found the key missing.  Then she discovered that the door to the house was open.  Upon investigation the house was burglarized, and someone may actually have been staying in the house for a few days.  The police were called and a police report was filed.

When the daughter found the door to the house open she immediately called the street’s Block Watch Captain who told her not to go into the house and to call 9-1-1, which she did.  If you ever come home and you find a door open or a window broken to your home never go inside the house.  Leave the property and go to a neighbor’s home and dial 9-1-1 immediately.  You never know if someone is in the house and you could get hurt or even killed if you walk in and startle whoever could be inside.  Call the police and let them go through the house to make sure it is safe for you to go in.

So what is the big lesson we can learn from this?  It is to never leave a key to your home under a flower pot or anywhere else outside your home where someone might find it.  If you want a spare key available always give it to a trusted neighbor, friend, or family member.

Here are a few other tips that may help prevent your home from being burglarized while you are away:

- Turn a radio or TV on with the volume turned-up when you are gone, even if you’re out on the town for an evening, so that it sounds like someone is in the house.

- Turn outside lights on, and put inside lights on a timer so they come on at night.  Use several timers in different rooms set for different times, so it looks like normal activity inside the home.

- Inform your neighbors when you will be gone and ask them to please keep an eye on your home while you are away.

- Stop all newspapers and your mail.  And ask a neighbor to pick-up anything thrown on your driveway or hung on your front door.

- Make sure all your doors and windows are closed and locked.  Lock the door between your house and garage.  And put a padlock on your backyard gate.

- Sign up for “Vacation Watch” if on vacation (Sorry - does not apply to winter only residents) by calling the Peoria Police Department at (623) 773-7099.

Our crime rate in Ventana Lakes is still the lowest we have experienced in years, but this incident reminds us that we are not crime free, and that we should always keep our guard up.  Crime can happen to anyone of us at any time, so don’t think it can’t happen to you or a neighbor on your street.  Let’s help each other out by working together and watching each other’s home.  Block Watch is all about neighbors watching over each other, and being the eyes and ears of the police by calling the police if you see or hear anything suspicious.

If you don’t have Block Watch on your street you can volunteer to be the Block Watch Captain.  But at the very least, always stay aware that crime never sleeps, and by pulling together as neighbors watching out for each other we take a big step in helping to prevent and reduce crime in our community.

49 Block Watch Captains And Counting…

October 1, 2010

The number of Block Watch Captains in Ventana Lakes is growing.  Two more residents volunteered to be a Block Watch Captain for their street last month bringing the number of Block Watch Captains to 49.  We can’t praise our Block Watch Captains enough, and we thank each one of our Captains for their contribution to helping keep crime low in Ventana Lakes.

Being a Block Watch Captain isn’t a hard job.  You visit each house on your street and get the name and phone number of the residents, let them know you are their Block Watch Captain, and tell them about Block Watch.  You also encourage every resident to call the police if they see or hear anything suspicious.  Once you get the information for each house we create a “Know Your Neighbors Block Watch Street Map” that the Captain then passes out to the houses on the street.  Using the Block Watch Street Map residents get to know the names (and phone number) of neighbors who live around them, and this helps the residents to know who their neighbors are.  And as we have said many times before, Block Watch is all about neighbors watching out for each other and becoming the eyes and ears for the Police.

Even with 49 Block Watch Captains in Ventana Lakes we could use more.  Every street should have a Block Watch Captain and there are many streets that do not.  If you do not know who your Block Watch Captain is on your street, you most likely don’t have one.  To volunteer as a Block Watch Captain, or to get more information about what a Captain does, please call Chuck Schumm or Nancy Kimberlin.

To help deter crime the Peoria Police have setup a telephone “TIP” Line.  The phone number of the Peoria Policing Program North Tip Line is (623) 773-5077.  They also have an email address at peoriapolicenorthtipline@peoriaaz.gov (No spaces).  Call or email to report any of the following; 1) Abandoned or unsecured houses, 2) Graffiti, 3) Drug dealers, 4) Drop or gang houses, 5) Wanted subjects, 6) Abandoned vehicles, and 7) Serious traffic violators.

We have had no crime reported to Block Watch in September, but we have had a couple of cases of graffiti which our Ventana Lakes Graffiti Busters promptly painted out.  One was located on the back wall along 111^th Ave where two white circles were painted with a dot in the center looking like two Bullseyes.  This was on the wall about five houses North on Oraiba Drive.  The other was on two light posts along 107^th Ave North of Burnett where some initials and something we cannot interpret were marked on the poles using a black marker.  Photos were taken of this graffiti and sent to the Peoria Police.  If you spot graffiti please call the office.

So with our crime rate staying low what should we do?  It’s simple - We should not let our guard down and we should  watch out for each other.  If you see anything that is suspicious please dial 9-1-1 immediately and let the Peoria Police check it out.  Yes – You do dial 9-1-1 if you see anything suspicious.  The police department are our friends and they want to work with us to keep crime low in Ventana Lakes.  But, it all starts with that initial phone call you make because you are the eyes and ears for the Peoria Police.

If It’s Suspicious
Yes - You Do Dial 9-1-1

September 1, 2010

We are happy to report that crime remains low here in Ventana Lakes.  It continues to be at the lowest level we have experienced since we have been keeping records in Block Watch, since 2006.  And, the Peoria Police just announced that crime is also down 6.2% in the City.  We have had a few incidents, however, that we want to pass along.

In early July we were told about two homes and one vehicle that were egged.  We suspect there may have been more we were not told about.  This was blamed on kids riding through the neighborhood.   No damage was done but the owners had to clean-up the mess.  Ironic as it may sound, the Peoria Police have told us that there is no crime unless there is damage to property.  Evidently, having to clean-up the mess doesn’t qualify as damage.  But as always, call the police if something like this should happen to you.

Around the end of July we were told about a home in the 10300 block of Ross that may have been broken into.  The home is vacant and up for sale.  A back window may have been broken but information is very sketchy.  A neighbor called the real estate agent and we do not know if the police were called or not.  If you see anything that makes you think a home has been broken into please call the police so they can investigate.

In mid-August we had a homeowner call the Peoria Police to report two young men fishing in the lake behind his home, and he did not think they were residents.  The police dispatcher told the homeowner that only an Association Officer could call.  The homeowner called Block Watch who then called the police.  A car was dispatched and the men were ran off, but the dispatcher told Block Watch to check with the Association President.  Block Watch did.  And both the Community Manager and Association President had not heard of any such requirement.  The dispatcher was evidently incorrect.  But, if you live on a lake and you observe anyone that you do not think belongs here do call the police and report that possible trespassers are on Association property.  If they are trespassing they are breaking the law because it is posted “No Trespassing” around our lakes.  If you report them as fishing they evidently are not breaking the law in the eyes of the police dispatchers.

Also in mid-August a resident in the 10900 block of W Mohawk came home from a trip, and was unpacking her vehicle in her driveway when a strange car pulled up and parked at curbside in front of a nearby grassy area.  Two men got out of the car, they were described as 25-35 years old, and they obviously were not residents.  The two men just stood near their car and smoked a cigarette.  The resident became concerned and went inside her home.  The resident then came back out a few minutes later and the men were still there, and then the two men walked into the grassy area and into the shadows where the resident could no longer see the men.  She did get their license plate number.  The resident finished her unpacking but felt very uneasy about the whole situation.  The next day she called the office who referred her to Block Watch. 

In this situation the resident should have locked her vehicle, went inside locking her doors, and called 9-1-1 to report suspicious activity.  This was a suspicious situation, the resident felt uneasy and concerned, and who knows what could potentially have happened.  Yes – you do call 9-1-1 to report any suspicious activity.  And you get out of potential harm’s way by going inside and locking your doors.  The police do not have to make contact with you, but in this case they should have been called to investigate what the two men were doing.  Always call 9-1-1 immediately if you observe anything suspicious.

If You Don't Call It Never Happened

June 1 - July 1 - August 1, 2010

Those were the words of Officer Aaron Foote at our last Ventana Lakes Block Watch meeting on April 24th.  "If you don't call - it never happened."  So far crime remains low here in Ventana Lakes, lower than in the past 4-5 years, but we cannot let our guard down.  It seems that when thing are quiet some residents become complacent.  We can't and shouldn't make it easy for crooks in Ventana Lakes.  And as we have said before, police patrols in Ventana Lakes are in part based on the crime statistics for Ventana Lakes.  And, if you don't call it never happened.  So always call the police if you experience any crime at your home.  Likewise we in  Block Watch would like to know of all crimes in Ventana Lakes so we can include them in our own Crime Statistics, and we will report them to you in this column.  So please always report all crime to the Management Office, but only after you have called the police first.

So here is something everyone of us can use.  It is training in the new "Hands-Only" CPR Technique.  We will be presenting a short course on this new technique, and how to use the new defibrillators on Monday, June 7, at 9:00am, in the Yacht Club.  It's free.

The class will cover Continuous Chest Compression CPR which is a new technique that is easier to learn, perform, and remember.  It involves no mouth breathing and can be more effective.  This is a non certification class that will last about 1 hour.  We will also learn how to use an Automatic External  Defibrillator (AED).  The class will include hands-on practice with CPR dummies and the AED.  The class will be taught by Tim Eiden of the Peoria Fire Department.

And here are a few things that crooks don't want you to know...

1. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on your driveway.  And I might leave a satellite TV flyer on your door to see how long it takes you to remove it.

2. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system.  I'll think someone is home.

3. I hate nosy neighbors.

4. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise.  If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again.  If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing.

5. If you don't answer when I knock I try the door.  Occasionally I hit the jackpot and walk right in.

We are looking for some Block Watch Captains in the areas North of Beardsley.  It doesn't take a lot of work to be a Block Watch Captain and we would love to have you.  To volunteer call the VLPOA Management Office, Chuck Schumm, or Nancy Kimberlin.  We will make arrangements to meet with you and tell you what a Block Watch Captain does.  So call us - we can use your help.

Telephone And
Door-To-Door Scams

November 1, 2009

We have had a couple of situations this last month that reminds us to be aware of scams.  No matter how convincing someone may sound, always always exercise caution and never give or send money to anyone you do not trust.

On October 2^nd a Ventana Lakes Grandmother got a phone call from a young girl claiming to be her granddaughter.  The grandmother said the granddaughter's name at the start of the call, so the caller immediately got the name right!  Her voice didn't match, but sounded distressed and the caller said she had a cold, so the Grandmother listened.  The caller called this resident "grandmother" several times, and asked her to please not say anything to anyone.  She was in Canada and needed money ASAP to get out of a jam and wanted the grandmother to send it to her.  After the conversation went on a little further the grandmother realized this wasn’t her granddaughter and hung-up.  This resident did the right thing.  No matter how distressing a phone call may seem, always check the situation out before sending any money to anyone.  Never send money to anyone for any reason unless you know for sure they are who they say they are, and the situation is in fact the case.  If a situation sounds fishy it most likely is.  Beware of all phone calls asking for money, or for any personal information.  Ask some personal questions of the caller that only the person the caller says they are will know.  And get a call back phone number, hang up, and call the person they say they are using the phone numbers you have for family members.

On Saturday, October 10th, a resident reported that a man came to their door and claimed to be a water quality tester and asked to come into the resident’s home.  The resident refused and the man left.  The resident then observed the man going to a neighbor's home.  The resident did not call the police.  Anyone going door to door selling or hawking anything, including services, is required by City Ordnance to have a Peoria Solicitors License and present it when asked.  Most likely this may have been a water softener salesman but he did miss-represent himself as a water quality tester.  Never let anyone into your home.  If a solicitor does not have a Peoria Solicitors License and/or you are suspicious of any person always call the police.

We are hosting a Community Crime Prevention and Reporting Meeting with the City of Peoria Police Department on Thursday November 12^th for all residents of Ventana Lakes.  The meeting is in the Yacht Club, and will be from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.  Light refreshments will be served.

The City of Peoria Police Department is meeting with us to talk about Crime Prevention, and equally important, about Crime Reporting.  Crime statistics for Ventana Lakes will be presented.

Several members of the Peoria Police Department will be talking about crime in Ventana Lakes.  About reporting crime to the police department, and when residents should call the police.  It is so very important that we call the Peoria Police for all crime experienced in our community, regardless of how small a crime may seem.  A police officer does not have to come to your home; they will mail you a Police Report Form which you fill-out and mail back.  Police patrols in our community are based in part on the calls our residents make to the Police.

For emergencies, or crimes in progress always dial 9-1-1 immediately.  For suspicious activity you should also dial 9-1-1 and report as much detail as you can.  For the reporting of a crime that has already occurred, like home vandalism or theft, call the non-emergency number which is (623) 773-8311.

In addition, part of our meeting will be about Crime Prevention.  Information on how you can help prevent crime and ID theft will be discussed.  There will also be a question and answer session with the Peoria Police Department.  We hope to see everyone there at our November 12^th Crime Prevention and Reporting meeting.

Community Crime Prevention
And Reporting Meeting
On November 12^th

 October 1, 2009

Attention all Ventana Lakes residents.  We are hosting a Community Crime Prevention and Reporting Meeting with the City of Peoria Police Department on Thursday November 12^th.  The meeting is in the Yacht Club, and will be from 6:30pm to 8:30pm.  Light refreshments will be served.

The City of Peoria Police Department is meeting with us to talk about Crime Prevention, and equally important, about Crime Reporting.

Sergeant Jason Christofferson will be talking about crime in Ventana Lakes.  He has gathered together the crime statistics for our community and will be presenting them to us.  He will also be talking about reporting crime to the police department, and when we should call the police.  We have experienced some incidents where residents call the Office to report a crime, but they do not want to call the police to file a police report.  It is so very important that we call the Peoria Police for all crime experienced in our community, regardless of how small it may seem.  A police officer does not have to come to your home; they will mail you a Police Report Form which you fill-out and mail back.  Police patrols in our community are based in part on the calls our residents make to the Police.

For emergencies, or crimes in progress always dial 9-1-1 immediately.  For suspicious activity you should also dial 9-1-1 and report as much detail as you can.  For the reporting of a crime that has already occurred, like home vandalism or theft, call the non-emergency number which is (623) 773-8311.

Block Watch also monitors crime in Ventana Lakes.  We report every crime we know about on the Ventana Lakes website, so to see up-to-date information about crime in our community go to www.vlpoa.org, click on the “Block Watch” link, and then click on the “Crime Incident Reports” link.  The caveat here is “crime we know about”, and so we rely on you to let us know about any crime you experience.  Please call the Management Office at (623) 566-6001 to report any crimes that have occurred, and the information will be forwarded to Ventana Lakes Block Watch.  Always call the police first, and after the situation is resolved let the office know what happened.

In addition, part of our meeting will be about Crime Prevention.  Ann Bowers, Officer Isabel Wolfe, Officer Tony Wolfe, and Officer Dave Fernandez will be presenting information on how you can help prevent crime.  ID theft will also be discussed with information about how you can help prevent your identity from being stolen.

We host these meetings once per year with the City Of Peoria Police Department, and we look forward to our residents coming to this meeting.  We will also be having a Question and Answer session, so bring any question you have for your police department with you.

We Want You To Call The Police
September 1, 2009

Our Management Office has received an increasing number of calls over the last month or so from residents about crimes at their home, including vandalism and thefts out of front yards.  Vandalism has occurred at our pools where someone has jumped the fence, and some residents have experienced getting their doorbells rang in the very late hours of the night.  In addition, there appears to be an increase in non-residents’ coming into our community and fishing and taking the fish out of our lakes at night.

While at the same time, when we look at our own crime records and the crime records kept by the Peoria Police Department, crime appears to be on a decrease in Ventana Lakes when compared to last year.  This isn’t making sense.  We on one hand sense that crime may be increasing because of increased calls to the Management Office while on the other hand the statistics say crime is down.  What gives?  What is going on?

We think we know the answer.  We know that in some cases where a resident reported a crime to the Management Office the resident did not call the police to file a report.  In another case the resident refused to call the police.  If the police are not called and no report is filed, the statistics kept by the Peoria Police Department present a lower crime rate than what may be actually occurring.  If you are a victim of any crime no matter how small it may be WE WANT YOU TO CALL THE POLICE and file a police report.

If it is a crime in progress or suspicious activity always dial 9-1-1 immediately.  If the crime has already occurred dial the non-emergency phone number for the Peoria Police Department which is 623-773-8311.  A police officer does not have to come to your home but a crime report form will be mailed to you, so please fill it out and mail it back to the police department.  We ask all residents to please file a police report for any and all crimes, no matter how small they may seem to you, because police patrols in our community are in part based on reports and calls to the Peoria Police Department.

In addition to calling the Peoria Police for all crimes, we ask that you also do call the Management Office wherein the reported crime information will be forwarded to Ventana Lakes Block Watch.  We publish all crimes we know about on our Block Watch webpage so go to www.vlpoa.org and click on the Block Watch link.  Then click on the Crime Incident Reports link.

We will be holding a community meeting to discuss crime in Ventana Lakes in October with the Peoria Police Department and Ventana Lakes Block Watch.  We invite all residents to attend.  We will be publishing the date, time, and place as arrangements get finalized.

July, August, 2009
No Block Watch News published because there was no Ventana Views published

How To Prevent Home Burglaries
June 1, 2009

On May 2^nd (Saturday) Block Watch received a call that several boats on two of our lakes were found released from their moorings and floating around the lakes.  An apparent act of vandalism given the number of boats let loose.  The person who called Block Watch did not know who to call since the office was closed, or who the boats owners were.  Block Watch suggest that if you are a boat owner use a chain and padlock to secure your boat to its mooring, and your name should be painted or affixed to the boat.  At the time no police report was filed because no one knew who the boat owners were, and the owners must file the police report.

Crime is low in Ventana Lakes and this is great, however we should not allow ourselves to be lulled into a feeling of false security.  Four of your Block Watch Captains recently attended a Crime Prevention Neighborhood Summit for the West Valley presented by the County Attorney’s Office.  We attended classes on Elder Fraud, ID Theft, and Neighborhood Empowerment.  We will be presenting information we received from this Summit over future Block Articles.  Here is information on “How To Prevent Home Burglaries.”

1 – Fool burglars by making your home look occupied all the time.

2 – Use automatic timers on lights when away from home.

3 – Always park you cars in the garage with the garage door shut.  Closing the garage door and having curtains or blinds on the garage windows also hides some of your belongings.

4 – Place radios on automatic timers and raise the volume so they can be heard outside.

5 – Ask a neighbor to pick-up the mail and newspaper when you are away.

6 – If away for an extended period, have the grass mowed and the yard maintain.

7 – If you are away from home on trash pickup day, ask a neighbor to put your trash container out next to the street and take it back in after the trash is picked-up.

8 – Install motion detector lights so they light all doors and windows.

9 – Remove bushes and shrubs from around the house, especially under windows and next to doors.  Keep your yard free of overgrowth.

10 – If you DO have shrubs and bushes, select ones with thorns to deter potential intruders from hiding in them.

11 – Install a security alarm system with a loud alarm and flashing lights.

12 – Always lock all doors and windows when you leave the house.

13 – Do not hide spare keys outside your home, instead give one to a neighbor.

14 – Do not provide your house keys to service people.

15 – Do not have money or jewelry lying out in view from a window.

16 – Do not tell strangers your daily routine.

17 – If you are at home working outside, leave all other doors that are out of sight locked.

18 – Avoid telling others about the valuables in your home.

Crime Prevention Tips For Seniors
May 1, 2009

Block Watch received one crime incident report in the last 30 days.  A resident in the 10400 block of Tonopah reported that his truck was vandalized overnight while parked in his driveway.  A window was smashed out but nothing was removed from the vehicle.  A police report was filed.  If possible, always park vehicles in your garage.  Following are “Crime Prevention Tips For Seniors” we received at a recent Crime Prevent Summit attended by several of your Block Watch Captains.

Crime prevention is everyone’s responsibility, not just a job for law enforcement. Seniors can learn how to protect themselves from crime by following these simple, common-sense suggestions.  Share these tips with your neighbors and friends, and make it tough for criminals to work in our neighborhood.

At home...
• Always keep your doors and windows locked.  Install dead-bolt locks on all doors.  Keep garage doors closed.
• Keep your home well lit at night, inside and out, and keep your curtains closed at night.
• Install a peephole in your front door so you can see callers without opening the door.
• Ask for proper identification from delivery-men or strangers.  Don’t be afraid of asking if they are legitimate, they won’t mind.
• If a stranger asks to use your telephone, always offer to place the call for him/her yourself.  Never let a stranger into your home.
• Do not leave notes on your door when you are gone, and do not hide your keys under the mat or in other conspicuous places.
• Never give out information over the phone indicating you are alone or that you won’t be home at a certain time.  Don’t leave a message saying “I’m Not Home” on your answering machine.
• When you are gone for more than a day, make sure your home looks and sounds occupied - use automatic timers to turn on lights and a radio or television.
• Keep your mail box empty so a thief cannot steal you mail.

While you’re out...
• Carry your purse very close to you.  Don’t dangle it from your arm.  Also never leave your purse in a shopping cart.
• Don’t carry more cash than is necessary.  Many grocery stores now accept checks and automatic teller cards instead of cash.
• Avoid walking alone at night.  Try to have a friend accompany you.
• Do not carry weapons - they may be used against you.
• Have your paychecks or government checks sent directly to your bank account.
• Never withdraw money from your bank accounts for anyone except YOURSELF.  Be wary of con artists and get-rich schemes that are too-good-to-be-true.

In your car...
• Keep your gas tank full and your engine properly maintained to avoid breakdowns.
• Always lock your car doors, even when you’re inside and keep your windows rolled up.
• Lock packages and other valuables in the trunk.  Do not leave them and your purse on the seat or on the floor of the car where potential thieves can see them.
• When you return to your car, always check the front and back seat before you get in.
• Never pick up hitchhikers.
• If your car breaks down, pull over to the right as far as possible, raise the hood, and wait inside the car for help. Do not get out of the car or roll down the window until the police arrive.

If you are a victim at home...

• If you arrive at home and suspect a stranger may be inside, DON’T GO IN.  Leave quietly and call 911 to report the crime.
• If you are attacked on the street, make as much noise as possible by calling for help or blowing a whistle.  Do not pursue your attacker.  Call 911 and report the crime as soon as possible.
• If you have been swindled or conned, report the crime to your local police or District Attorney’s Office.  Con artists count on their victim’s reluctance to admit they’ve been duped, but if you delay, you help them get away.  Remember, if you never report the crime, they are free to cheat and steal from others again and again and you have no chance of ever getting your money back.

“It Never Happens On My Street”
April 1, 2009

I was told a story a few weeks ago about two residents talking about a crime that had occurred here in Ventana Lakes and one resident just didn’t seem interested or concerned because in their words “It Never Happens On My Street.”  Thankfully this is true for many streets in Ventana Lakes, but any one of us can become a victim of crime.  Yes it can happen on your street!  Yes it can happen to you! 

As individuals we must take responsibility ourselves to help reduce crime in our community.  So what can you do?  Here are two recommendations.  1) Don’t make it easy at your home for someone to steal your stuff.  And 2) Watch your neighbors’ homes and your street for anything suspicious, and immediately call the police if something looks suspicious to you. 

OK – I may have oversimplified it a little, so here are some actions we should all take.  Park your vehicles in your garage.  If you must park outside park in your driveway, lock your doors, close your windows, and remove all valuables including your garage door opener from the vehicle.  Keep garage doors closed and locked.  Remove items valuable to you from your front yard.  Play a radio inside your home when you are away during the day.  Turn-on outside lights at night, and turn-on lights inside at night when you are away, even if just out for the evening.  Installing a motion detector or timer to turn-on lights works well.  Keep all doors and windows closed and locked including the door between the garage and your house.  Put a padlock on your gate and on your electrical breaker box.  And, always keep your mailbox empty.

Here in Ventana Lakes we have 43 Block Watch Captains, and these volunteer neighbors do a great job watching their neighborhood, talking to neighbors and friends about Block Watch, and helping to reduce crime.  I really thank each of them because without them there would be no Block Watch.  We do, however, need to grow our Block Watch participation, especially in the North-West area of the community.  We need a Captain on a street to help pull residents together.  It’s not a big job, but without a Block Watch Captain there is no organized approach on your street to help prevent crime.  Remember we need to work together on this as a community.  If you would like to volunteer as a Captain, or would just like to talk about Block Watch to see what a Captain does, call Chuck at 825-4517.  If you don’t know who the Block Watch Captain is on your street chances are you probably don’t have one, so volunteer.  For more information about Ventana Lakes Block Watch go to www.vlpoa.org and click on the Block Watch link.

Working together as a community, with neighbors working together and watching over each other, we can help to keep crime low in Ventana Lakes.  We all need to be securing our property, and calling the police if we suspect anything is wrong.  Also, please let your Block Watch Captain know if you are leaving for the summer or on a trip.  Thank you.

Secure Your Property
March 1, 2009

A picture is worth a thousand words.  The photo above is of a resident’s car in their driveway in the 19900 block of 108^th Lane.  On January 25^th the resident went to bed at 1:00am and everything was OK, and came out the next morning to find their car up on blocks with all four wheels stolen.  Park vehicles in your closed and locked garage.

On January 14th a resident in the 20600 Block of N 103rd Ave found his golf clubs and vacuum cleaner stolen out of his garage.  He discovered the theft when he went to get his clubs.  He had left his garage door open the day before while working in the backyard, and thinks someone came into his garage and grabbed his stuff.  The golf clubs had been his for many years and meant a lot to him.  Remember to keep your garage doors closed.

We also received complaints about people going door-to-door leaving advertisements.  One resident said two men he had seen may have been casing homes.  Block Watch was asked what can be done to stop people from leaving advertising at homes.  The short answer is not much.  In Peoria it is lawful for someone to distribute advertising, but it is unlawful for them to ring your doorbell or knock at your door without a Peoria issued Peddlers Permit.

But as always, if you see any person acting suspicious immediately call 9-1-1 and report them to the police.  Keep an eye on people going door-to-door if you suspect anything, but never ever engage them yourself.  They are not breaking the law by distributing advertising, but anything beyond that may be a good reason to call the police.

On February 4, 2009 two different residents’ reported that their electrical breaker panel was opened and the electricity to their homes was turned off.  No one was seen doing this, but one resident said they thought it was kids.  Put a padlock on your electrical panel door to secure it.

So what can we all do in Ventana Lakes to help prevent crime?  Become part of Block Watch and keep your eye on your neighbor’s homes, and look for anything suspicious while driving through the community.  What better way to deter crime than for 1700 homeowners to be watching, and calling the police if you see anything suspicious.

Keep Emergency Contacts Updated
February 1, 2009

Happy New Year to everyone, and at the start of the New Year we need to remind everyone that you should make sure that your emergency contact information is up to date at the VLPOA Management Office.  This information has been used several times during the past few months, so having this information accurate is important.  And while you are at it, pass your emergency contact information along to your neighbors and to your Block Watch Captain.

Since December 1, 2008 we have had no major crime in Ventana Lakes, but we have had some nuisance type crimes.  The following is a list of the crimes reported to Block Watch as of January 10^th.  Exact addresses are not published.

Jan 3 – Cimarron at 107^th – Graffiti on Block Watch sign, and on electrical box.
Dec 28 – 10900 Block Cimarron – Front yard light kicked over.
Dec 24 – 19800 Block N 108^th Ave – Graffiti painted on a resident’s garage door.
Dec 12 – Rose Garden at 104^th – Graffiti on electrical box.
Dec 9 – 10900 Block Cimarron – ADT Security sign stolen from a front yard.
Dec 5 – Irma Lane at Ventana Drive – 3 men late at night looking into cars parked in driveways.
Dec 4 – 19600 Block N 107^th Dr. - A man exposed himself to a female neighbor.

To all residents who park your vehicles outside, and particularly overnight, please make sure your vehicle is locked, windows are up, and all valuables are taken out of the vehicle.  Do not leave your garage door opener in your vehicle when parked outside, and keep your garage doors close if not in your garage.

We do need Block Watch captains, and we appreciate you volunteering as a captain if you can.  If you do not know who your Block Watch captain is, you probably don’t have one on your street so volunteer.  To volunteer as a captain please call Chuck Schumm or Bob McDonald.

If you want to stay abreast of crimes in Ventana Lakes please visit the Ventana Lakes POA website at www.vlpoa.org and click on the Block Watch link.  Then click on the Crime Incident Reports button.

   Keep Your Vehicles Locked
January 1, 2009

Crime is staying relatively low here in Ventana Lakes, but unfortunately we have still experienced some crime.  The recent crimes appear to be centered around thefts from property sitting out front of our homes.  Most crimes once were out of opened garages, but not lately.  We think more and more people are remembering to keep their garage doors closed, so the crooks are taking the next best thing.

Overnight on October 1st four vehicles were broken into in the area of N 110th Lane and Escuda Drive.  All four vehicles were unlocked and someone just went down the street and opened vehicle doors taking what they wanted.  On the morning of October 29^th a resident was waiting at curbside in the 20800 block of 104th Lane for friends to pick him up to go golfing.  He was standing there with his golf clubs, but then went back inside for a minute to get something.  When he came back out his golf clubs were gone.  Overnight on November 17th several vehicles parked in driveways in the Shores subdivision, around 10500 W Runion Drive, were vandalized and items were stolen out of some vehicles that were unlocked.  The common thread here is property sitting out front of homes, and in particular unlocked vehicles, all becoming opportunities for crime.

Remember to always park your vehicles in your closed and locked garage, and if you must park outside always park in your driveway closing all windows and locking all doors.  Do not leave valuables in your vehicle even if it is locked, including your garage door opener.  Someone could break into your vehicle, open your garage door with it, and get into your home.  Also do not leave valuables open in public view and unattended.  We know for fact that thieves’ drive around the streets of Ventana Lakes, along with those of other communities, looking for an opportunity to steal something.  Let’s all work together and don’t give thieves’ the opportunities they are looking for.

If you see anyone driving around our community who looks suspicious please call 9-1-1 and report them to the police.  You never know, they may have a trunk-load of items stolen from homes a few streets over.  We want potential crooks to know we are watching them and that we will call the police.  If we all work together as neighbors, watching over each other’s property and calling the police if we see anything suspicious, that is the best crime deterrent we can put into place.  You do not have to identify yourself to the police if you don’t want to, but please make that call.

Ventana Lakes Block Watch can use your help by volunteering as a Block Watch Captain.  If you want to learn more about Ventana Lakes Block Watch go to www.vlpoa.org and click on the Block Watch link.

Know Who You Talk To
December 1, 2008 Edition

It was around 2:30pm on a nice sunny day here in Ventana Lakes when a resident who is a grandmother received a phone call from a young man claiming to be her grandson.  Coincidently - He did get the name right!  His voice didn't match exactly, but sounded very distressed so the grandmother listened.  The young man called this resident "grandmother" several times, and asked her to please not say anything to anyone, especially his family. He lives with his parents in another state and told this grandmother that he had been invited to a friend's family wedding in Canada, and his friend paid for the airline ticket.  While at the wedding he drank one drink and when driving back to his hotel he had a car accident, and was now in jail for DUI.  He told the grandmother he desperately needed her help, and pleaded to please send him some money so he could get out of jail.  The Grandmother then said that she wasn't quite sure she was really talking to her grandson, and started asking some personal questions.  The phone immediately hung-up!  The grandmother quickly followed-up, and called her family.  Her daughter said her grandson was safe at school.

This incident reminds us all that no matter how distressed a phone caller may appear; always check-out the situation before sending any money to anyone.  Never send money to anyone for any reason unless you know for sure they are who they say they are, and the situation is in fact the case.

Also beware of all phone calls asking for any personal information, no matter who they claim to be.  Get the name of the company they say they represent, hang-up, and call the company back using a phone number you have for the company.  You do not want to become a victim of Identity theft.

Other ways to help prevent identity theft is to call the police if you see anyone looking in trashcans on your street because they may be identity thieves.  Always shred all your junk mail and documents, and take labels off empty prescription bottles (put them in the dishwasher) before throwing them away.  Safeguard your social security number.  Don’t give personal information to anyone who calls requesting it, for any reason.  The first line against identity theft is you.

Support Block Watch in Ventana Lakes by working together with your neighbors, watching each other’s property, and if you see or hear anything suspicious call 911 and immediately report it to the police.  Block Watch needs more Captains, especially North of Beardsley.  If you would like to volunteer as a Captain please call Chuck at 825-4517.

Keep Your Vehicles Locked
November 1, 2008 Edition

On September 30^th at 110^th Lane and Escuda Drive four vehicles parked in driveways were broken into overnight.  In some cases valuables were stolen from the vehicles, and in other cases there was nothing to take but the resident’s found papers from their glove-box tossed around the vehicle.  We probably shouldn’t say that the vehicles were broken into, however, because in all four cases the thief only had to open the door.  None of these vehicles were locked!

Always park your vehicles in a closed and locked garage.  If you must park outside always park in your driveway with your windows closed and your vehicle locked.  Even if your vehicle is locked, always remove valuables and your garage-door-opener from your vehicle.  We had one break-in a few months back where an unlocked vehicle was gotten into overnight and the thief used the garage-door-opener to open the garage.  And in early September a lady’s purse was stolen from the front seat of a locked car in a driveway during the day where a window was broken out to get at the purse.

We also had a mailbox broken into at 110^th Lane and Escuda Drive overnight on September 22^nd.  One resident had a credit card stolen from the mailbox.  The resident immediately called their credit card company and the police after learning of the mailbox break-in, and the thief was caught the next day trying to use the credit card.  The best protection against mailbox theft is to always keep your mailbox empty.  Pick-up your mail every day, and if out of town have a neighbor pick it up or stop your mail.

Don’t make crime easy for criminals.  Always keep your garage doors closed, park vehicles in your garage, and lock vehicles if parked outside.  Turn on lights when away at night.  Keep a lookout for anyone or anything suspicious.  Call the police if you see anything that concerns you.  Protecting your property, working together as neighbors, and calling the police is the best deterrent we have against crime.

Block Watch Is Neighbors’ Working Together
October 1, 2008 Edition

The Block Watch Crime Prevention Meeting held in Ventana Lakes on 9/11 was great.  We learned some good crime prevention tips.  Here are a few…

Support Block Watch and work together with neighbors to prevent crime.  If you see anything suspicious dial 911 and have the police investigate.  Neighbors’ working together is the best deterrent against crime.

Always keep your garage doors closed, and keep the door between your garage and house locked.  Crimes in Ventana Lakes are largely crimes of opportunity.  Don’t give a thief the opportunity they are looking for by keeping your garage door open.

Always park vehicles inside your closed and locked garage.  If you must park outside, park in your driveway with windows closed and doors locked.

We recently had a window broken-out with a ladies purse stolen at around 12:30pm from a locked vehicle parked in the driveway of a home on 106^th Lane.  The ladies purse was sitting in full view on the front seat.  Do not leave valuables in your vehicle even if you have locked the vehicle.

Keep house doors locked, and secure your windows so they cannot be opened more than 3 inches.  Windows that slide open can be secured by cutting a piece of PVC pipe and placing it in the sliding channel to prevent the window from opening more than 3 inches.

When you are away from home make it appear that someone is home.  Turn lights on at night with a timer, turn a radio on, and have a neighbor pick up papers from your driveway.

Prescriptions drugs should be stored in a secure place, out of reach of grandchildren or any other person who might abuse these drugs.  When disposing of prescription drug containers remove your name and other personal information from the container to protect yourself against identity theft.

We have experienced several cases of graffiti in Ventana Lakes lately.  If you see graffiti report it to the Management Office at 566-6001.  Block Watch has formed a Graffiti Busters group who will remove graffiti quickly when reported.

Block Watch needs Captains.  If you don’t have a Captain on your street and want to volunteer please call Chuck at 825-4517.  For up to the minute crime reports, prevention tips, and more go to www.vlpoa.org and click on the “Block Watch” link.

Upcoming Crime Prevention Meeting
September 1, 2008 Edition

On September 11^th Ventana Lakes Block Watch will host an important Crime Prevention Meeting between all residents of Ventana Lakes and the City of Peoria.  This meeting is free, will give you crime prevention tips, and an opportunity to ask questions of the Peoria Police, Fire Department, and others.  So mark your calendar.

From the Peoria Police Department Lieutenant Doug Steele will talk about Police Patrol Operations and Function, Detective Mike Carlow will discuss Identity Theft , Officer Aaron Foote will present information about Ventana Lakes Patrols, and Ann Bowers and Julie Miller will talk about Police Community Relations.

From the Peoria Fire Department Tim Eiden will discuss Fire and Life Safety in our Homes.

Peoria Animal Control will talk about Wild Animals, Stray Pets, Barking Dogs, and the services they provide.

We are also pleased to have members of the Sun City Elks Drug Awareness Program to present information about the abuse of drugs and kids (grandkids).  Ed McDonnell, a Ventana Lakes resident, will present information on the Abuse and Consequences of Illicit and Prescription Drugs.

Ventana Lakes Block Watch Chairman Chuck Schumm and Co-Chairman Bob McDonald will present information on the Ventana Lakes Block Watch Program, How You Can Support Block Watch, Operation ID, the Watch Your Car Program, and the Auto Window Etching Program.

Our Crime Prevention Meeting will be held on Thursday 9/11, at 6:30pm in the Yacht Club.  We are planning to have punch and cookies.  We want to hear input from you our community, and we look forward to hearing from our guest speakers to help us reduce crime in Ventana Lakes.

Regarding crime in Ventana Lakes, in June we had a string of vandalism and nuisance crimes.  There were three incidents where boats were let loose from their moorings, and in one case a boat was found sitting in the middle of a nearby street.  We also had three incidents where front yard lights were smashed.  In one of these incident’s a resident saw five boys on bicycles smashing lights in her front yard and the homeowner immediately called the police.  The boys sped off, and after the police arrived they went looking for the boys.  We do not know if the boys were found.

From June 28^th through August 3^rd no crimes were reported – July was a really great month.  But on August 4^th we received a report of a purse being stolen from the front seat of a car parked and locked in the driveway of a home in the 20600 block of N 106^th Lane.  A lady was visiting this home and left her purse sitting in full view on the front seat of her car.  She came out around 12:45pm and found a window of her car broken-out and the purse gone.  She called the police but the thief was not found.  Always remember – Do not to leave valuables in your vehicle, but if you must, lock them in the trunk so they cannot be easily seen and taken.

For up to the minute crime incident reports for Ventana Lakes use the Internet and go to www.vlpoa.org, click on the “Block Watch” link, and then click on “Crime Incident Reports.”

August 1, 2008 Edition

There is no Block Watch news for August 1.  The next Block Watch news will coincide with the next issue of the Ventana Views which will be September 1.

Keep Your Mailbox Empty
June 1, 2008 Edition

Crime continues to remain low in Ventana Lakes with no major recent incidents, but as we have said in the past, crime does occur from time to time.  In mid April, the office received a report of two mailboxes being broken into, one in the 10900 block of Tonopah, and the other on Ventana Drive.  This is a reminder that we all need to remove our mail from our mailbox daily, and if you are going to be away for some time, have a neighbor pick-up your mail or have your mail stopped by the post office.  Residents are now receiving tax return checks, and the Economic Stimulus checks sent out  by the government.  Thieves know that these checks are in mailboxes, so they break-in trying to steal some extra cash.  The best way to protect your mailbox is to keep it empty.

One other potential crime issue that may be coming our way is thieves siphoning gasoline out of your vehicles.  With the price of gasoline going up and up, it is becoming valuable.  Keep your vehicle in a locked garage, and use a locking gas cap if you can.

Please report all crime to the Peoria Police Department.  If you see anything or anyone that may be suspicious on the street, call the police at 623-773-8311 to have the situation checked-out.  We recently had an opportunity to talk to a Peoria Policeman while he was in Ventana Lakes, and he said he had just spotted two men placing advertisements on resident’s doors.  When the men saw the officer, they hightailed it out of the community.  The officer suggested that the men might have been casing the community because they departed so rapidly after spotting the officer.  Don’t forget, call the police if you suspect anything or see someone or something suspicious.

Block Watch had one other incident where a resident called to report that a garage door was left open and no one appeared to be living in the home.  Our advise, call the police to investigate.

Remember that crime in Ventana Lakes is more crime of opportunity then anything else, so don’t make it easy for a criminal to steal your property.

Keep garage doors closed and light your home at night.  Pickup advertising and newspapers from a neighbor’s driveway or front door if they accumulate because they are not home.  And most of all, what out for each other and call the police if you suspect that something is not right.

If you know of a crime in Ventana Lakes please contact Chuck Schumm at 825-4517.  To stay informed about crime in our community go to www.vlpoa.org, click on the Block Watch link, and then click on Crime Incident Reports.

We still need Block Watch Captains North of Beardsley.  If you would like to volunteer as a Captain call Chuck.

Stay Vigilant To Keep Crime Low
May 1, 2008 Edition -

We do have crime in Ventana Lakes but it is relatively low when compared to other areas of Peoria.  In the month of March, we only had one incident reported to Block Watch that was from the VLPOA where some vandalism was found in the men’s bathroom on Monday night March 10 (we assume this occurred during Bingo).  We all need to stay vigilant, however, and watch out for each other.

So what can you do as residents to help keep crime low in our community?  We all need to stay proactive, get involved in Block Watch, and watch out for our neighbors and our community.

Neighbors on a street can be the best deterrent to crime.  If you see a vehicle driving suspiciously down your street, or you see something suspicious when driving into or out of the community or at a neighbor’s home, call the Peoria Police department at the non-emergency number (623) 773-8311.

Pickup newspapers and flyers from a neighbor’s driveway and front door if they are piling-up so it doesn’t look like no one is home.  People sometimes need to go out of town quickly so they forget to stop their newspapers, and sometimes they do stop them just to find them pile-up anyway.

Keep lights turned-on inside your home when you are away at night.  Using timers to turn lights on and off is a great idea.  Also, turning on a radio if you are away during the day helps to create the illusion that someone is home.

Keep your garage doors closed when not in your garage.  If you open the door for ventilation, open it no more than 3 inches so that someone cannot slip under the door.  Most thefts in Ventana Lakes are crimes of opportunity meaning a garage door is left open or a car door is left unlocked leaving your property just sitting there for someone to easily take.

Keep house doors and windows locked, and also keep the gate to your backyard locked.  One idea for sliding windows and doors is to place a cut piece of PVC pipe in the track so that the window or door cannot be opened more than 3 inches.

Do not investigate or get involved in a suspicious situation because you could get hurt.  We have read some news reports about people who got seriously hurt or killed because they investigated something they thought suspicious.  If you hear a loud noise like breaking glass at a neighbor’s home, or someone screaming, call 9-1-1 immediately and report a possible crime in progress.

After a crime situation has been resolved we in Ventana Lakes Block Watch would like to know about the crime so we can make others aware of it.  Call Chuck Schumm at 825-4517.  We don’t need your name or exact address.  Crime incidents are posted on the VLPOA website at www.vlpoa.org, click on the Block Watch link, then on the Crime Incident Reports link button.  This information is posted to give residents information about crime in our community so you can take steps at your home to prevent a similar crime from happening to you.

We do need Block Watch Captains north of Beardsley.  If you would like to volunteer as a Block Watch Captain please call Chuck at 825-4517.

But, the number one thing you can do to help keep crime low in Ventana Lakes is simply call the police if you see or hear anything suspicious.  Call the police, we can’t say this enough, and it works.

Tips To Protect Your Property
April 1, 2008 Edition -

Crime is relatively low in Ventana Lakes, but in late February we did have two break-ins’ in one night around 10:00pm in the Coves area.  The property owners were not home, and all lights were off in the two homes.  A heavy object was thrown through the sliding-glass door in both homes to gain entry.  Items were stolen, and police reports were filed.  So what can we do at our homes to help keep our property safe?  Here are some tips.

Support Block Watch by getting to know your neighbors and by watching each other’s property.  Get to know each other’s habits, comings-and-goings, when your neighbor is out of town, and so on.  Watch each other’s property working together to deter crime, and become the eyes and ears for the police department.

Residents working together and with the Peoria Police Department help to deter crime.  Know your neighbors, and get to know your Block Watch Captain.  If you do not have a Block Watch Captain and want to volunteer, please call Chuck Schumm at 825-4517.  Captains are listed on the Block Watch web page.  Go to www.vlopa.org and click on the Block Watch link.  You will find a Captains List, recently reported Crime Incidents, and much more.

If you see or hear anything suspicious on your street, call the Peoria Police Department non-emergency number at (623) 773-8311 and ask them to investigate.  If you hear any noise that could be a break-in at a neighbor’s home like glass breaking, shouting, a scream for help, or a loud crash call 9-1-1 immediately.  Please do not get involved in the situation yourself.  If this is a crime being committed you could get badly hurt if you walk into a crime scene.

Burglars will only spend a few seconds trying to break into a home.  Good locks and good neighbors who watch out for each others property can be big deterrents to crime.

Do not allow newspapers and flyers to accumulate in a neighbors’ driveway or at the front door it they are out of town.  Please pick them up.

Many burglaries are a result of thieves entering through unlocked doors or windows.  Always keep doors and windows closed and locked.  Don’t open your doors to strangers.  Keep backyard gates locked.

Keep your garage doors closed and locked.  If you need to open your garage door for ventilation open it no more than 3 inches to prevent a person from sliding under it.  Keep the door between your home and your garage locked.

Park vehicles in your garage, and keep them locked with windows closed even when parked in the garage.  If you must park outside, park in the driveway, close all windows, and lock all doors to your vehicle.  Do not leave valuables in vehicles.  Use a locking gas cap so no one can siphon your gasoline.

Keep automobile keys with the key fob on your bedside table at night, and if you hear any strange noise that might indicate an intruder push the panic button on the key fob to start beeping your automobile horn.

Secure sliding windows and doors by using a piece of wood or PVC pipe cut to fit into the slider track to help stop the slider from opening.

Install outside lights and keep them on at night.  Install motion sensing outdoor lights that turn-on when someone approaches, or lights with photocells that turn-on when it is dark and turn-off at daylight.

When away from home create the illusion that you are home by using timers that will turn inside lights on and off in different areas of your home after dark.  Turning on a radio or TV also helps create the illusion that someone is home.

Pickup your mail every day, especially now with the government rebate checks coming soon.  Stop your mail or have a neighbor pick it up if you are gone for more than a day.

In Ventana Lakes

WE CALL THE POLICE

Emergency: 9-1-1
Police Non-Emergency: (623) 773-8311