Emily Stone's Crime Watch Tip 23 - Neighborhood Watch

One of the most common questions that Emily receives is about neighborhood watch. Many people want to know how to start one. This is a great question. I think many will be surprised how easy and fun it is to start a neighborhood watch.

First, check out a great website about getting started. It will give you an overview and some things to think about. www.USAOnWatch.org

• Determine the area you want to organize (the larger the better).
• Talk to surrounding neighbors and find out how many want to assist and participate (8-10 households is a good number).
• Set up a free neighborhood watch website to coordinate your efforts.
  

Here are five basic steps to get you started and motivated:

1. Contact your local police/sheriff’s department to schedule speakers for your neighborhood watch group. Make sure you pick a location to accommodate your group and presentation (grange, hall, school, etc.).
2. Invite your neighbors. Get a name, phone number, and email list. Send out flyers about two to three weeks before your presentation meeting and then follow up with a “reminder” a couple of days before.
3. Prepare a neighborhood map. This map should have the houses, names, and phone numbers of each household.
4. Benefits of the presentation. You will learn how to develop a plan of action, crime prevention techniques, personal safety, how to report suspicious activity, meet your neighbors and develop a strong communication network, order neighborhood watch signs, and recruit your coordinator and block captains.
5. Maintaining your neighborhood watch plan. Keep your plan on track with meetings, neighborhood outings, and a monthly newsletter, website or blog.

Jennifer Chase
Award Winning Author & Criminologist

Blog: www.authorjenniferchase.blogspot.com
Website: www.jenniferchase.vpweb.com
Crime Watch: www.emilystonecrimewatch.blogspot.com
Book & Crime Talk: www.blogtalkradio.com/jennifer-chase

Emily’s Crime Watch – Tip #14 (Stalking)

In my novels Compulsion and Dead Game, Emily Stone relentlessly searches down the bad guys. You could say that she is stalking them in order to bring them to justice.

But what does stalking really mean?

The definition of stalking is the act of following prey stealthily.

Stalking is caused by a chronic obsessive personality. Anyone can become a victim or a stalker. It has been estimated that one out of every twelve women will be a victim of a stalker at some point in their lives.

What happens when someone is stalking another person? There are stalking laws in place for this type of unwanted attention.

The California Stalking Law Penal Code Section 646.9 is one of the strongest stalking laws in the country. No Longer should victims of stalking be turned away by law enforcement and told, "come back when he actually hurts you." From 1991 through 1993, stalking was a misdemeanor punishable by only one year in county jail when no restraining order was in place. Under the current law, a first-time stalker can be sentenced to a felony charge and sentenced to State Prison for up to three years. If a court or restraining order is in effect, the stalker can be sentenced up to four years in prison or if he has previously been convicted of felony stalking or other related crimes, he could face up to five years in prison.

I’ve had first hand experience of being stalked by someone and it was a life altering experience for me. Some of you may already know that I lived next door to a violent sociopath for 2 ½ years that threatened my life weekly, sometimes daily. The good news is that I turned that unfortunate situation into a positive one by using my experience, or inspiration for lack of a better description, in my fictional writing and that’s how Compulsion came to life. The bad news was that I had to move and this person continued to stalk me at work and even found my new residence. Everything finally worked out. I’m safe now and this person went to jail for a crime of aggravated assault on someone he knew, but unfortunately he’s out free again.

I wanted to share some stalker warning signs.

Stalkers usually have two or more of these personality traits:

1. Impulsive

2. Obsessive

3. Selfish

4. Won’t take “NO” for an answer.

5. Has few friends.

6. Low self-esteem.

In my situation, this person was also highly intelligent, clever, had violent tendencies, had one or two so-called friends that would follow his orders, and he felt that everyone had “wronged” him in some way.

The best approach to stop a stalker is to nip it in the bud, but this isn’t always the simplest approach.

What you can do to STOP the stalker:

1. NEVER let the stalker know that he’s having any effect on you. I know this doesn’t sound easy, but it’s important.

2. Make sure you have a Caller ID on your phone.

3. If you’re being harassed by phone, make sure that it’s connected to a recorder to gather evidence. Get a second line (unlisted) for your trusted friends or use a cell phone.

4. Have friends, family, neighbors, and coworkers help to shield you.

5. Get a camera cell phone (most cell phones have this feature now) and document everything and every encounter with this person.

6. Change your schedule to make it more difficult to follow you.

7. Drive around the block a couple of times before returning home. If you are being followed or threatened drive straight to a police station. Never confront this person alone.

8. Plan an escape route in case your stalker enters your home, follows you on foot, or follows you in the car. It’s important to plan out what you would do in an escape and don’t let anxiety and fear cloud your judgment.

9. Find out all your options with restraining orders. Talk to your local police department and file a report. Law enforcement is there to help us. From my own personal experience, the police were helpful and supportive of my situation.

10. Contact an attorney or your local police department for more information.

Be safe and alert at ALL times. Don’t feel like you have to suffer through this alone. Tell friends, family, and law enforcement. You're not alone!


Jennifer Chase
Author & Criminologist

Emily’s Crime Watch – Tip #5

Emily Stone has some interesting ways that she fights back against crime and injustice in my novel Compulsion. She has been known to fight with punches and kicks, but she also has an uncanny ability to infer subtle clues in order to track down child pedophiles and killers.

What are victim’s options when suddenly confronted or threatened by a criminal predator?

Interestingly, there are guidelines that the FBI suggests if you are confronted in a crime situation along with a couple of other options that I’d like to share. Emily has exhibited all but one of these guidelines.

1. Posturing :If you show that you’re confident and would be a possible tough target, predators will generally wait for an easier target. Be aware of your surroundings and know where you are going. Never look unsure about your next move. This can be a signal to a would be predator. Stand up straight and look ahead and subtly around you. Confidence can carry you a long way to safety.

2. Outsmarting: Sometimes it may be possible to verbally diffuse a situation and maneuver yourself to an escape route. This requires a cool head and the ability to surmise a situation. This may not be the best technique for everyone, but it definitely has its place in some situations.

3. Fleeing: This technique falls under our primal reaction to danger as the “fight or flight” mechanism. It may seem obvious that you should run away from danger, but it might not be possible under certain conditions. Always look for an escape.

4. Surrendering: This technique may be implemented if you see an opportunity to escape at a later moment or fight.

5. Fighting: This has been referred to as “stun and run”. Basically you fight with everything you have in order to escape the situation.

It’s not always easy to anticipate what you would do in any situation, but you should be vigilant, aware, and confident in your daily activities. Emily wants everyone to be safe.

Take the thriller challenge and see if you can spot which technique Emily didn’t do in "Compulsion".

I would love to hear from you.