Dear Editor:
At the beginning of the year, there was a large focus on the police department due to what many would call an influx of crime. This created many opportunities for dialogue. Much of the dialogue centered on what residents felt the police are not doing. While the police department can always do better, it was an eye opening experience for many residents as to what they already do and the every day challenges they meet while trying to keep Jersey City residents as safe as possible.
Unfortunately, one of the aspects of keeping a community safe, in my opinion, didn’t get as much focus as it should have. And that aspect is how we as residents play an important part in that. Community policing doesn’t mean that residents walk a beat like a police officer. There are so many different subtle things that a resident can do that would have a huge impact. To drill down even further, communicating with your district police department is crucial. Whether it’s the North, South, East or West districts, they are always willing to assist as best as they can.
The most subtle yet very impactful way you can help your community as well as your police department is to have your property well lit. An individual looking to burglarize a home will first target a home that is not well lit. The darkness gives them a better opportunity to perform their criminal activities undetected. And when a police car is driving by, they are a lot less likely to be seen under cover of darkness. In contrast, a well lit home will deter most (but not all) criminals from targeting your home. Most criminals would rather not have a confrontation. So a home well lit will also allow your neighbors as well as the police to have a clearer view of your property and spot potential criminal activity if the occasion arises.
Many people when asked to turn the outside lights on their property on, they refer to costs. There is a major misconception that this will cause your electric to sky rocket. In fact, depending on each family’s situation, the cost is in the proximity of $2.00 to $4.00 a month. When you look at what the cost of your average home alarm would cost, this would seem incredibly worthwhile. But if having a light on all night is still not appealing, you can install a light fixture that has a motion detector. Just make sure the setting is done properly for your neighborhood as it might be going on and off all night due to stray animals.
So in closing, for pennies we can all do our part to make our streets safer. So I encourage everyone to keep their lights on their property on over night for the rest of August and I hope to see our streets lit up like a Christmas tree.
Here’s to all fellow Jersey City residents in their effort to make it Christmas in August!!
John Hanussak
Democratic Committee Representative
Ward C District 13