How are the Park Cities/ Lakewood so safe? (Dallas: crime, big house)

[rosscountry]

JMO- I wouldn't necessarily feel safe being just a stones throw away from some (not so nice) parts of Dallas in a big house that could be a magnet for theft.
So how is it so many people actually feel "safe" in a non gated community in the Park Cities and other non gated "nicer" neighborhoods/areas on the edge or very near impoverished areas?

Have those areas just been lucky? or is there some kind of invisible deterrent for the bad guys?

[Macbeth2003]

Originally Posted by rosscountry

JMO- I wouldn't necessarily feel safe being just a stones throw away from some (not so nice) parts of Dallas in a big house that could be a magnet for theft.
So how is it so many people actually feel "safe" in a non gated community in the Park Cities and other non gated "nicer" neighborhoods/areas on the edge or very near impoverished areas?

Have those areas just been lucky? or is there some kind of invisible deterrent for the bad guys?

Neither. It is known that people watch out for each other. Neighbors know each other, and communicate. For example. I did have a window smashed in my car and my radio stolen (this happened to me as well years ago in an expensive part of far north Dallas) neighbors noticed the police car parked in front of the house to take my report. All day I received phone calls, and had neighbors stopping by to find out what was going on. Everybody was warned, people watched their car, and there wasn't another case of it.

I don't live in Lakewood, but live nearby in Junius Heights. Not nearly such expensive homes, but still a safe neighborhood.

A couple of police officer friends have told me gated communities are more or less useless. They make residents feel better, but do little else. My experience as an in home photographer bears this out. Whether people were home for their appointments or not, in my years of driving all over the metroplex photographing in homes, I had 2 times I couldn't get into a gated community.

[lpepping]

Also, some areas hire off duty police officers to patrol the neighborhood during certain hours of the day.

[Grainraiser]

The nicer the neighborhood the less crime you will have on average. Criminals stick out like sore thumbs in nice neighborhoods. The would rather pick a place were they can blend in.

[Lakewooder]

We have a lot of people at home during the day as well.

[billdfw]

Crime is rampant all over Dallas. It is just a fact of life here. Luckily in East Dallas it is usually limited to car and garage break-ins and theft and not the more violent type of crimes that you see elsewhere like Southern Dallas. Some neighborhoods in East Dallas have hired off duty officers patrol the neighborhoods, as mentioned and there are regular police patrols as well.

I don't know the exact stats on the Park Cities, but they have their own well-funded police force which can focus more attention on their residents and they have better city government (not to mention all of the rich people) who do not tolerate crime.

[Spree]

There was a rash of home break-ins last spring:

Back Talk Lakewood/East Dallas: Home break ins: hope to prevent, prepare for the worst

[Edward_from_Dallas]

Originally Posted by rosscountry

So how is it so many people actually feel "safe" in a non gated community in the Park Cities and other non gated "nicer" neighborhoods/areas on the edge or very near impoverished areas?

Lots of the reasons listed in this thread are true I'm sure, but part of it is that some people choose not to live in fear. Bad things may happen occasionally and you just deal with it. You take reasonable precautions but you don't spend your whole life on the edge of your seat waiting for bad things to happen.

[Lakewooder]

LNA reported only three burglaries in the last reporting period. That includes most of 75214, population 35,000.

[Lakewooder]

Here is part of the latest JH watch email - pretty benign - we do watch out for each other and there are many out walking:

Junius Heights Crime Alert

August 28, 2008



Scam Artist in Neighborhood



There was a recent report of a scam artist knocking on doors on Worth Street. (Junius Crime Alert August 20). This week he has been working Lowell Street. He is described as a white man, clean-cut, and in his mid 30s. He is driving a dark green or black Ford pick-up with the license number 73M YN3. His pattern is to knock on a door, claim to be a new neighbor or husband of so-and-so who lives at a particular address, and ask for money for an “emergency.” Do not give him any money but tell him you are calling the police.



He also followed one resident to a gas station where the attendant on duty recognized him as a habitual offender. The would-be-victims called the police but the police, unfortunately, did not arrive in time before the scam artist left.



Landscape Stones Stolen



Large landscape stones were stolen from a residence in the 700 block of Lowell the night of August 27. These stones were used for edging and had been part of the parkway landscape for years. The thieves dug them out of the ground and carted them away. If you have any information, please call 911.