Archived Security Updates

November 2020

Dear Neighbors,

We hope that each of you is doing well.  The holiday season is here, and it is great to see the neighborhood getting ready.  Please take a moment to review this message regarding ways in which we can be safer through greater situational awareness. 

Regarding the gym, please note that it is closed between 10:00 PM and 5:00 AM.  Additionally, please remember to put weights and equipment back in their place, and please leave the gym cleaner than you find it.  On many days, people arrive at the gym to find weights all over the floor and trash all over the counter.  There have also been a lot of recent complaints of marijuana-scented candles being lit in the gym bathrooms.  If you have teenagers or college-age children who might see the gym as an unsupervised place to gather with friends at night, please make them aware of the gym hours and common courtesies. 

This is also a time of year when criminals are more active.  Thieves are opportunists, and they take advantage of the hectic nature of the holidays.  Whether it is a car door left unlocked due to hurrying from one place to another, a laptop bag or purse left on the seat of a car, or an unoccupied home due to travel, thieves are looking for opportunities to steal.

Fortunately, because most thieves are opportunists, they will move on if they do not have an easy target.  The key is to maintain situational awareness and secure our belongings and homes so that we are not easy targets.

Steps we can take to minimize criminal activity in our neighborhood are as follows:

  1. Remove valuables from vehicles when we are not in them.
  2. Lock vehicles when we are not in them.
  3. Keep valuables (ATVs, trailers, yard tools, etc.) locked up and out of sight (preferably in garages).
  4. Maintain good lighting around homes so as to deny criminals a good working environment; it is helpful to have lighting triggered by motion near driveways and home entrances.
  5. Trim shrubs and trees away from homes.
  6. Install home security systems, preferably with outside cameras with motion detection capabilities to monitor driveways and home entrances.  Arlo, Ring, and Nest are several options for video cameras, with each system having various features depending on needs.  Additionally, security companies such as Priority One and ADT offer systems with camera capabilities.
  7. Request that packages be delivered to a back door or side door not visible from the street.
  8. Check mail on a daily basis and do not place outgoing mail in mailboxes.
  9. Place lights and a radio or television on an automatic timer when we leave town so as to convey the appearance that someone is home.
  10. Ask a neighbor to check our mail and check in on our home when we leave town.
  11. Wait until after we get home to post pictures of trips.  Criminals have social media, too.
  12. Wait to place trash on the curb until the evening before it will be picked up (ideally, place it on the curb the morning that it will be picked up).  Doing so will help avoid identity theft.
  13. Consider breaking up boxes of high-dollar purchases so they are not readily visible in our trash.  Doing so prevents sending a beacon to criminals that a really nice gift is available inside a home.
  14. Report all crimes to the Greenville County Sheriff’s Department, as well as Gwen Miller.  Doing so helps keep track of events and is helpful when assessing whether it makes sense to allocate more resources to the area.  Emergency: 911; Non-emergency: (864) 271-5210; Crime Prevention Unit: (864) 422-2037.

These steps, as well as suggestions offered by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office will help our neighborhood become less of a target for thieves.  We have become much better with awareness in the neighborhood, and it is important to maintain the attitude of “if you see something, say something”.  By addressing criminal activity when it is at the opportunistic stage, we can help ensure it does not escalate to violent criminal acts (home invasions, assaults, selling of the black tar, etc.).

If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out to Pete Murray at (864) 363-4068 or at [email protected].

 

Respectfully,

Your Neighborhood Security Team



December 2018


Dear Neighbors,

We hope that each of you is doing well.  The holiday season is upon us, and it is great to see the neighborhood lit up with awesome lights and decorations.  This is a great time to gather with friends and family and reflect on the blessings we have had throughout the year.

It is also a time of year when criminals are more active.  Thieves are opportunists, and they take advantage of the hectic nature of the holiday season.  Whether it is a car door left unlocked due to hurrying from one place to another, a present or purse left on the seat of a car, or an unoccupied home due to travelling to see loved ones, thieves are looking for opportunities to steal.

Fortunately, because most thieves are opportunists, they will move on if they do not have an easy target.  The key is to maintain situational awareness and secure our belongings and homes so that we are not easy targets.

Steps we can take to minimize criminal activity in our neighborhood are as follows:

  1. Remove valuables from vehicles when we are not in them.
  2. Lock vehicles when we are not in them.
  3. Keep valuables (ATVs, trailers, yard tools, etc.) locked up and out of sight (preferably in garages).
  4. Maintain good lighting around homes so as to deny criminals a good working environment; it is helpful to have lighting triggered by motion near driveways and home entrances.
  5. Trim shrubs and trees away from homes.
  6. Install home security systems, preferably with outside cameras with motion detection capabilities to monitor driveways and home entrances.  Arlo, Ring, and Nest are several options for video cameras, with each system having various features depending on your needs.  Additionally, security companies such as Priority One and ADT offer systems with camera capabilities.
  7. Request that packages be brought to a back door or side door not visible from the street.
  8. Check mail on a daily basis and do not place outgoing mail in mailboxes.
  9. Place lights and a radio or television on an automatic timer when we leave town so as to convey the appearance that someone is home.
  10. Ask a neighbor to check our mail and check in on our home when we leave town.
  11. Wait until after we get home to post pictures of trips.  Criminals have social media, too.
  12. Wait to place trash on the curb until the evening before it will be picked up (ideally, place it on the curb the morning that it will be picked up).  Doing so will help avoid identity theft.
  13. Consider breaking up boxes of high-dollar presents so they are not readily visible in our trash.  Doing so prevents sending a beacon to criminals that a really nice gift is available inside a home.
  14. Report all crimes to the Greenville County Sheriff’s Department, as well as Renee Diaz.  Doing so helps keep track of events and is helpful when assessing whether it makes sense to allocate more resources to the area.  Emergency: 911; Non-emergency: (864) 271-5210; Crime Prevention Unit: (864) 422-2037.

These steps, as well as suggestions offered by the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office (attached) will help our neighborhood become less of a target for thieves.  We have become much better with awareness in the neighborhood, and it is important to maintain the attitude of “if you see something, say something”.  By addressing criminal activity when it is at the opportunistic stage, we can help ensure it does not escalate to violent criminal acts (home invasions, assaults, etc.).

Respectfully,

Your Neighborhood Security Team



June 2018
As summer heats up and children are out of school, you will notice a lot of activity around the neighborhood (especially around the pool).  Unfortunately, predators are also aware of this increased activity and they can take advantage of situations in which children are unaccompanied by adults.  Please be mindful of potential dangers, and please speak with your children about ways in which to avoid danger if you believe doing so is appropriate. 

Another way you can help ensure our children have a safe experience at the pool this summer is to lock the pool gate behind you and not prop it open when you enter or leave.  Aside from being a violation of code, unlocked pool gates present an opportunity for accessing the pool by potential predators.  In addition to this request, we have reminded the lifeguards to make sure that the gates are not propped open.

We have been notified by two other neighborhoods that a registered sex offender has recently approached children at area pools.  His name is Jason Ryan Henderson, and he is on trespass notice at all Sugar Creek pools.  Additionally, he has been seen at a pool in the Five Forks area.  We do not pass this information along to you to cause alarm, but rather to increase awareness of a particular risk.

His pictures, description, and descriptions of his vehicles are noted below:

http://scor.sled.sc.gov/OffenderDetails.aspx?Display=VehicleInformation&ID=760496

Please contact Pete Murray at (864) 363-4068 or [email protected] if you have a concern, and we appreciate your continued vigilance and support in ensuring our neighborhood remains a safe place in which to live.

Respectfully,

Your Neighborhood Security Committee