Although no "crimes" have been reported, I wanted to alert you that a few residents have reported that two black males have come to their homes in an attempt to sell vacuum cleaners and appeared to be "pushy" about getting inside. They are said to be well spoken and "personable."

A white female and possible another male were inside the SUV -a small-size, burgundy one.
The police were not called at the time the men were at any homes in the City, but this is the time of year that residents report being scammed for services. Please be alert and report any suspicious immediately by calling 9-1-1.

AVNA is working on having signs posted throughout our neighborhood alerting potential criminals such as "No Soliciting" or "Neighborhood Crime Watch Zone". We are in the process of having a Neighborhood Crime Watch program organized, and we are putting together a "Do's & "Don'ts" Crime Watch newsletter to help inform residents on what to say when transients knock on the door looking for work, and how to report suspicious activity.

In the meantime, please note the following tips to improve our safety!

Although you may be tempted to leave your vehicle windows rolled down just a crack in these warm summer months, please remember that it only takes a minute for a criminal to enter your car this way, and turn you into a "crime statistic."

The best crime prevention piece that we can implement is to ensure that our cars are locked! Most car break-ins are caused when the doors are left unlocked. The other simple thing to do is to lock all valuables in the trunk. If an opportunity does not present itself to a crook, they will move on the next easy opportunity. But be careful when placing items into your trunk...Do it before you arrive at the restaurant, theatre or mall. Don't let the crooks see you put valuables into the trunk! If we cut down on the opportunities, more time is available to the Police Department to do REAL Police work.

Good Lighting is one of the best low-cost ways to get unwanted intruders to back away. AVNA strongly suggests that all Alta Vista residents install motion detectors. A couple installation tips: position the lights to cover all the approaches to your house, including fence gates, the patio door, the darker areas of your yard, and around trees and bushes. Ideally, it’s best to mount motion detector lights 6 to 10 ft. above the ground and position them so that most movement will occur across the sensitivity zone rather than directly toward the detector. (Source: www.rd.com)

And please be careful with your car and belongings around Cleveland Park and the stables and the YMCA. With the new trail, there appears to be an increased opportunity for opportunity crime.

Another opportunity as a neighborhood that we have is to address the transients seeking casual work (leaf raking, gutter cleaning) in our area. Please refrain from allowing these individuals to do work at your home. Politely inform them that you are sorry but that you are unable to help them or give them money. If we all do this, there will be less of this activity as time goes on. Word on "the Street" is strong!

If you would like to keep up on the crime reports, use THIS LINK to keep up with a weekly recap of crime activity in the City. If you are a business owner, you may contact Greenville PD Crime Analyst, Deb Wyant and she can link you in with a daily report. WEBSITE. Communication is the key!!