November 2016 CT

LOOKING FORWARD LARRY THOMAS, PCAM | CAI-NJ CHAPTER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

S afety and security in our communities is a conver- sation that has been around since the inception of common interest communities. In today’s ever chang- ing world it is imperative that we all take a bigger role in keeping our families and neighbors as safe as possible. Living in a community offers a much greater opportunity for us to all “keep an eye out” for our neighbors and initiate programs and methods on a much broader “community wide” platform. Since most of our communities have a social component, it is easy for us to meet our neighbors and either form an informal or a more formal “awareness” program. Our communities have numerous resources avail- able to help them in accomplishing this. They have internal committees and groups set up to develop neighborhood watch groups, they can rely on their community’s security company for advice, and, probably the most overlooked means, are their local government contacts. The local or county police and emergency agencies are always willing to assist with improving security conditions within a private community. As a manager, I remember we used to get the largest crowds at our board meetings when we would invite in the police chief or county sheriff. These profes- sionals can also take a tour of your community and offer advice as to lighting and traffic problems that may cause an accident or injury to your residents or their guests. As President Larry Sauer stated in his article, we must in this day and age, keep our eyes open at all times, and if something doesn’t look right, we must speak up. The days of living in a relatively safe environment are gone and we

must adapt to the new norm. There is no telling when and where an unwelcome violent act will take place. Being diligent and cognizant of our surroundings can minimize and hopefully prevent an unfortunate occurrence. I would like to suggest that all of our communities, either through their board or committees or through their manage- ment team, get serious and take a hard look at safety in their communities. A lot of our residents in our active adult communities are aging, and even if you had some sort of

"The days of living in a relatively safe environment are gone and we must adapt to the new norm."

“neighbor helping neighbor” program in place, it needs to be revisited and updated. Also, a major factor to consider when addressing your community’s safety and welfare is that there seems to be a lot more younger people living in our adult communities, and the safety issues change as their interests and activities differ from the considerations that were focused on a decade ago. So, the days of the mental image of “minding our own business” will remove us from danger is no longer a viable option. We must constantly be aware of our surroundings and take advantage of our neighbors and the increased opportunities that our communities offer to their residents. n

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