Police

Schedule of Fees

Neighborhood Watch

The Neighborhood Watch program is the most important tool in crime prevention. The basis of Neighborhood Watch is observation and reporting. The Neighborhood Watch sets up a communication network between the Walker Police Department and the community.

What is Neighborhood Watch?

Neighborhood Watch is a program involving a group of concerned people working together with the Walker Police Department to drive crime from their neighborhood. Area residents get to know their neighbors and work with them to spot and report suspicious activity to the Police. This way neighborhoods and the Walker Police Department work together towards the elimination of crime.

The security of the neighborhoods and its citizens depend heavily upon the people themselves. The Police Department cannot function properly unless it has the support and cooperation of the people it serves. The Neighborhood Watch program establishes a communication system between the Police Department and the neighborhoods they serve. The best Neighborhood Watch Programs involve as many people as possible. Once the program is started on a street the goal is to have at least 50 percent of the neighborhood actively involved. The more participation, the more effective the program is. It is recommended that new groups should start with only one city block and then involve the streets around it.

What are the responsibilities of the neighborhood watch members? The first part is to get to know your neighbors and be able to recognize them and where they live. This will enable you to know if someone is prowling around or if it is just your neighbor. The next part is to observe beyond your own home. Look around and see what is happening in your neighborhood; is someone prowling around a house, is there a strange car in the driveway, are the lights on when they are not normally? Is anything suspicious is observed, the Police Department needs to be notified by calling 911.

Today there are many active Neighborhood Watch Groups currently operating in the City of Walker. However, not all areas are organized. If you wish to become involved, and are not already in an organized area, a trained Walker Police Department professional will work with you in setting up the program.

Remember, we at the Walker Police Department cannot do it without you! Together we can keep our neighborhoods safe for our families and ourselves. Fore more information regarding the Neighborhood Watch Program, please call 791-6800.

Special Neighborhood Information

National Night Out

Looking For Leaders
Tornado Awareness
Neighborhood Watch Programs
Safety Tips
Block Party Ideas
Crime Prevention Tips

Looking for Leaders

A Neighborhood Watch's effectiveness depends heavily on its leaders. Good block captains usually:

Are reliable.
Get along well with people.
Have good communication and negotiating skills.
Do not view the position as a power trip or a chance for personal gain.
Are willing to delegate tasks and listen to others' opinions.
Are organized and can conduct meetings efficiently.
Don't get discouraged easily.
Don't stop at prevention -- have a long-range vision for community improvement.

Do you know of any other neighbor who would be willing to be a block captain? Send an e-mail with their name, address, and phone number to the chief at: clindstr@ci.walker.mi.us

Tornado Awareness

What are tornadoes?
Tornadoes are relatively short-lived local storms composed of violently rotating columns of air that descend in the familiar funnel shape from thunderstorm cloud systems. Thunderstorms develop in warm, moist air in advance of eastward-moving cold fronts. These often produce hail, strong winds, and tornadoes. Tornadoes in winter and early spring are often associated with strong, frontal systems that form in the Central States and move east. Occasionally, large outbreaks of tornadoes occur with this type of weather pattern. Several states may be affected by numerous severe thunderstorms and tornadoes.

Tornado Signs and Warnings
Tornadoes develop during severe thunderstorms. While not all thunderstorms create tornadoes, the potential is there. During violent weather, keep tuned to a local radio or television station for tornado reports.

If you are outside and see a funnel-shaped cloud with obvious rotating motion, it may be a tornado. Tornadoes produce a loud roar that grows louder as the funnel cloud touches the ground. When nearby, a tornado has a loud sound comparable to the combined roars of several jet engines.

What is the difference between a tornado watch and warning?

Tornado Watch: A tornado watch indicates that conditions are right for a tornado to develop and the sky should be watched for signs of possible development.
Tornado Warning: A tornado warning indicates a tornado has been sighted or is spotted on radar. Warnings will give the locations of the tornado and the area immediately affected by the warning.

Preparing For A Tornado
In the event of a tornado warning and you're in a home or a small building go to the basement or to an interior room on the lowest floor, such a s a closet or bathroom. Upper floors are unsafe. If there is not time, go to a closet, a small room with strong walls, or an inside hallway. Wrap yourself in overcoats or blankets to protect yourself from flying debris.

In the event of a tornado warning and you're in a car or mobile home: Abandon them immediately! Most deaths occur in cars and mobile homes. If you are in either of those locations, leave them and go to a substantial structure or designated tornado shelter. If no suitable structure is nearby, lie flat in the nearest ditch or depression and use your hands to cover your head.

In the event of a tornado warning and you are in a school, factory or shopping center, you should go to interior rooms and halls on the lowest floor. Stay away from glass enclosed places or areas with wide-span roofs such as auditoriums and warehouses. Crouch down and cover your head. Don't take shelter in halls that open to the south or the west. Centrally located stairwells are good shelters. Go to an area away from outside walls, glass, or large rooms. Get under a table or counter or take cover in a restroom or small storeroom. DO NOT GO TO YOUR PARKED CAR!

Tornado Myths

Myth: Area near rivers, lakes, and mountains are safe from tornadoes.
Fact: No place is safe from tornadoes. They can cross rivers, travel up mountains and roar through valleys.

Myth: Low pressure with a tornado causes building to "explode" as the tornado passes overhead.
Fact: Violent winds and debris slamming into buildings cause most damage.

Myth: Windows should be opened before a tornado to equalize pressure and minimize damage.
Fact: Opening windows allows damaging winds to enter the structure. Leave windows alone; instead immediately go to a safe place.

Neighborhood Watch Programs

Check with your Neighborhood Watch Police Officer for more information on the following programs:

Operation Identification
Drunk Simulation
Starting a Neighborhood Watch on your street
Child Watch

Safety Tips

Summer Safety

Wearing a bicycle helmet can prevent 88% of bicycling head injuries. Helmets should be positioned correctly and should fit snugly when the straps are properly buckled. Parents should insist that kids wear helmets for bicycling, skateboarding and in-line skating and should lead by example.

Car Accidents

Do you know the safest place to be sitting if you are in a car accident? The middle seat in the back. So keep your youngest children in the back middle seat in an approved car seat that has been correctly installed. If you are not sure that the car seat is correctly installed, check your manual or ask your car dealer for further information.

To protect yourself during a car accident, here are some things to think about first.

Prepare by moving your seat as far back from the dash as possible without losing comfortable contact with the controls.
If you are the passenger, move back as far as the seat allows.
Keep clutter to a minimum; objects become missiles when a car suddenly changes directions or stops quickly.
If you have time, disengage the cruise control and step on the brake to slow as much as possible before the collision.
Try NOT to brace yourself. Keep your legs extended but not pushing against the floor. You also need to get your hands and elbows away from the steering wheel and airbags. At the last second, place your hands on opposite shoulders in a crossed position or over your face. This can protect your arms from fractures and even prevent the loss of a finger or hand when the airbag deploys.
Have a device handy to cut through seat belts and break car windows for a quick escape, if needed.
Have a car emergency first-aid kit in the trunk or under the seat. Know how to use it.

Kids and Cars

Never leave your child in an unattended car, even with the windows down.
Teach children NOT to play in or around cars.
Always lock car doors and trunks, even at home.
Be wary of child-resistant locks. Teach older children how to disable the driver's door lock if they unintentionally become entrapped in a motor vehicle.
Check to make sure all children leave the vehicle when you reach your destination.
Don't overlook sleeping infants.
Watch children closely around cars, particularly when loading and unloading.
Make sure you check the temperature of the car seat surface and safety belt buckles before restraining your children in the car.
Use a light covering to shade the seat of your parked car. Consider using windshield shades in front and back windows.

Kitchen Safety: Burns

Keep all hot liquids, including your coffee cup, a safe distance from your children.
If you have toddlers in your home, avoid using a tablecloth. If a child tries to pull himself up by the tablecloth, a heavy object or hot liquid on the table could fall on the child.
Turn all pot handles inward from the edge of the stove and away from other burners.
Always use a pot-mitten or potholder to remove pots and pans from the stove.
Store cookies and other foods away from the stove area so no one will be tempted to reach across a hot burner.
Keep clothing from coming into contact with a flame or heating element.
Avoid reaching over the stove with loose clothing.
Do not heat a baby's formula in a microwave. Heating is often uneven, and bottles with disposable plastic liners may burst when the bottle is shaken or while the baby is being fed.

Block Party Ideas Year Round

What are you going to do to get your neighbors together? It is important that neighbors know each other and watch out for each other. Block captains need to hold some kind of party to help rally their neighbors together.

Here are some ideas to try.

Autumn Ideas:
Chili Cookoff
Last Chance Grill Get-together
Football Season Kick-off Party

Winter Ideas:
Wine Tasting Party
Tropical Theme Party

Spring Ideas:
Start of Grilling Season Party
Spring Fever Party
Swimming Party (Need pool access)

Summer Ideas:
Summer Grill-off
National Night Out
Progressive Theme Party

These parties and get-togethers are not hard to do. Get a few neighbors to help out with the details and have each neighbor bring a dish to pass. If you plan to award prizes to kids or adults, you might consider an entry fee to help cover the costs. Also plan supply table settings and non-alcoholic beverages to both kids and adults.

Think of a get together idea, plan it out and make it happen. You won't regret it. You will have a ton of fun and make stronger relationships with your neighbors. Go For It!!

Crime Prevention Tips

Sliding Glass Doors

Sliding glass doors are usually installed at the rear of a home or apartment making them good candidates for entry by a burglar. In warm climates, an experienced burglar knows that sliding glass doors are often left standing open for ventilation or for pet access. Since they slide horizontally, it is important to have a blocking device in place to prevent sliding the door fully open from the outside. This can be easily accomplished by inserting a wooden dowel or stick into the track thus preventing or limiting movement. Other blocking devices available are metal fold-down blocking devices called "charley bars" and various track-blockers that can be screwed down.

Sliding glass doors are notorious for failing to prevent a forced entry attempt especially in apartment buildings. This is because of the wear and tear they receive and due to the inadequate nature of many of the latching mechanisms. Sliding glass doors usually do not have locks on them, only latches. The latches are often made of aluminum and can become worn or out of adjustment. The most common methods used to force entry, aside from breaking the glass, is by prying the door near the latch or lifting the door off the track. The blocking devices described above solve half the equation. To prevent lifting, you need to keep the door rollers in good condition and properly adjusted. You can also install anti-lift devices such as a pin that extends through both the sliding and fixed portion of the door. There are also numerous locking and blocking devices available in any good quality hardware store that will prevent a sliding door from being lifted or forced horizontally. Place highly visible decals on the glass door near the latch mechanism that indicates that an alarm system, a dog, or block watch/operation identification is in place. Burglars dislike alarm systems and definitely dogs. Use a secondary blocking device on all sliding glass doors. Keep the latch mechanism in good condition and properly adjusted. Keep sliding door rollers in good condition and properly adjusted. Use anti-lift devices such as through-the-door pins. Use highly visible alarm decals, beware of dog decals, or block watch decal.

Door and Locks

The first step is to "harden the target" or make your home more difficult to enter. Remember the burglar will simply bypass your home if it requires too much effort or requires more skill and tools than they possess. Most burglars enter via the front, back, or garage doors. Experienced burglars know that the garage door is usually the weakest followed by the back door.

The garage and back doors also provide the most cover. Burglars know to look inside your car for keys and other valuables so keep it locked, even inside your garage. Use high quality Grade-1 or Grade-2 locks on exterior doors to resist twisting, prying, and lock-picking attempts. A quality deadbolt lock will have a beveled casing to inhibit the use of channel-lock pliers used for forced entry. A quality door knob-in-lock set will have a 'dead latch' mechanism to prevent slipping the lock with a shim or credit card.

Use a solid core or metal door for all entrance points
Use a quality, heavy-duty, deadbolt lock with a one-inch throw bolt
Use a quality, heavy-duty, knob-in-lock set with a dead latch mechanism
Use a heavy-duty strike plate with 3-inch screws to penetrate into a wooden door frame
Use a wide-angle 160° peephole mounted no higher than 58 inches

The most common way used to force entry through a door with a wooden frame is to kick it open. The weakest point is almost always the strike plate that holds the latch or lock bolt in place. The average door strike plate is secured with only one-half inch screws set into the door frame molding. These lightweight moldings are often tacked on to the door frame and can be torn away with a firm kick. Because of this construction flaw, it makes sense to upgrade to a four-screw, heavy-duty, high security strike plate. They are available in most quality hardware stores and home improvement centers and are definitely worth the extra expense. Install this strike plate using 3-inch screws to cut deep into the door frame stud. This one step alone will deter or prevent most through-the-door forced entries. You and your family will sleep safer in the future.

Family Travel

Before you leave - Preventing crime during family travel starts with making sure your home is protected while you're away. The key is to make it look like you never left:

Keep shades and blinds in their normal positions.
Stop mail and newspapers, or ask a neighbor to pick them up every day.
Put several household lights on timers.
so they turn on and off at appropriate times.
Arrange to have grass mowed (or snow shoveled) while you're gone.
Make sure all your door and window locks are in working order - and use them.
Activate your home alarm (if you have one).
You might even leave a radio on - or put it on a timer.
Ask a neighbor to park in your driveway overnight - anything that might suggest someone's home.
And don't forget to lock all doors and windows when you leave.

Walker Police Department
4343 Remembrance Rd.
Walker, MI 49534-1181
(616)453-5441
All information © 2010 City of Walker

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