Stay Safe Rossmoor – RHA Neighborhood Watch Program Expands

You may have noticed the Stay Safe Rossmoor tagline in recent Neighborhood Watch communications.

This theme builds upon the Orange County Sheriff’s Department’s Stay Safe OC effort and is being used to highlight Rossmoor’s Neighborhood Watch Program and to encourage residents to become more aware and involved in neighborhood safety. In support of this initiative, Rossmoor’s Neighborhood Watch Committee has recently completed several important projects to enhance program visibility, communications, outreach and com- munity awareness as follows:

• Stay Safe Rossmoor – Initiated a theme for resident communications.
• Neighborhood Watch Signs – Installed 15 new, reflective signs in March 2018 to deter crime, promote Rossmoor’s Neighborhood Watch Program, and encourage community involvement. The signs have been strategically posted throughout Rossmoor to warn would-be criminals that we call law enforcement when we see something out of the ordinary. (If you see something, say something by calling the OCSD: 714.647.7000)
• RHA eNews Blasts – Added security tips and Neighborhood Watch information as regular features.
• Weekly Sheriff Activity Reports – Posted weekly crime reports every mid-week on the RHA website. 
• Nextdoor – Expanded weekly crime report distribution through Nextdoor with circulation to 3,638+ residents.
• Block Captains – Expanded the Neighborhood Watch block captain program by seven captains or co-captains since January 2018. We now have 87+ captains covering 1.5 square miles, over 3,750 households, 10,200 residents, 78 streets, ~32 miles of streets, and more than 225 blocks.
• RHA Website – Updated the Neighborhood Watch Program on the RHA website to include more information about Neighborhood Watch, block captains, block members, weekly crime reports and more.
• New Website Sections – Added two new sections to the RHA website in March: OCSD Quarterly Sheriff Activity Reports which include OCSD data for quarterly neighborhood incidents and an annual report with 1- and 5- year comparative data for reported Rossmoor crimes. And, Security Tips for home security, identity theft, personal safety, property crimes, scams, street or Rossmoor park light outages, vacation checks, vehicle safety and when to call 9-1-1.

NEW REFLECTIVE NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH SIGNS

The Rossmoor Neighborhood Watch Sign Committee has been working diligently to design new, larger signs to replace existing signs which became faded or damaged. A team of volunteers re- viewed existing sign locations and sizes, studied neighborhood crime statistics, received recommendations from OCSD Sheriffs on placement, and designed new signs for easier reading as well as nighttime reflectivity. Orange County Public Works approval and permitting were required before the signs were manufactured and installed. Final permit approval was received in January. Supervisor Michelle Park Steel, 2nd District, Orange County Board of Supervisors and the RHA Board also helped bring this long-awaited project to reality. The fifteen 24×36”, retro-reflective signs were installed March 14, 2018 at community entrances and other strategic locations.

A special thanks to John Merchant, Chair – Neighborhood Watch Sign Committee, Dorothy Fitzgerald, Bev Houghton, Janice Manis, Ken Yee, Steve Rinella, George Post, Nancy Post, and Cindy Zeigler for their commitment and dedication to the Neighborhood Watch sign project.