Woodstock Early Bird The Early Bird Gets the Worm: earlybirdtips@gmail.com

Woodstock Patrol Officers Joe and Jen were smiling a lot as the day began last August 28th.
That changed a bit as the severity of Irene became quickly apparent.

We’ve joked around here on this blog when posting the following information before that in such a small community it is sometimes a good idea to “Know Your Neighbor LESS” but, the fact is, according to Woodstock Police Chief Robbie Blish, knowing your neighbor MORE can help stave off more break-in’s and burglaries such as we’ve had over the summer. At the Village Trustees meeting last night Blish said having a general sense of what is and what is not normal in your neighborhood is a great way to fight crime. Blish says his patrolmen will be upping their surveillance of known recent break-in sites and ask for help from the community in staying vigilant to anything or anyone out of the ordinary:

Know Your Neighbor/Know Your Neighborhood Campaign and House Check Program.

The Woodstock Police Department is asking residents to take part in the Know Your Neighbor/Know Your Neighborhood campaign to help stop home burglaries in the Woodstock Area.

Home alarms, fences and guard dogs are good, but the agency says one of the best crime prevention methods is when neighbors watch out for each other.

“Nothing beats an alert neighbor watching over their respective neighborhood” says Police Chief Robbie Blish.  “The key to this concept is communication.  Talk to your neighbor.  Know who belongs and who does not.  If you see someone suspicious in the neighborhood, pick up the phone and call the police.”

Woodstock PD also suggests:

Tell a trusted neighbor when you will be out of town, ask them to collect your mail or deliveries and invite them to park their vehicle in your driveway.

If you have an alarm system, use it!

Always lock your doors and windows.

Woodstock PD also offers the free House Check Program for when you are out town.  If you sign up, an officer will inspect your home regularly to make sure it is secure.  This has been a long running program created by the Woodstock PD as part of its commitment to community based policing.  By providing this service, vacationing citizens and second home owners can have peace of mind and security knowing that their home is being monitored and checked at different dates and times during their absence.  Citizens can pick up a form at the police department and return it when it is completed.