There is always going to be individuals willing to engage in certain types of criminal activity because it’s easy to commit and profitable.  Who is it that is making it easy and profitable?  To a certain extent, Bremerton residents and citizens are.

In the last month the number of car prowls and vehicles being broken into has been significant.

Vehicles left unlocked with valuables inside of them especially when those valuables are visible are prime easy targets.  A rise in this type of crime rate is expensive for the victims, can become a continuous drain on emergency resources and basically makes a community or neighborhood less than desirable.

Residents that make it easier for crime to occur on their property put other properties in the area on the possible criminal target list.

The Bremerton Police Department is doing what it can with extra patrols in the areas that are most affected, but it is really up to property owners and residents to do their part as well.

Lock your vehicle.  Remove all of your valuables from the vehicle or at least store them out of sight.

Do not leave your personal information, credit cards, wallets or purses in your vehicle.  Do not leave property keys or garage door openers in your vehicle.  Park your vehicle in a well-lit area if you can.

Consider additional lighting or motion-sensor lighting for your porch, yard or driveway.  Get to know your neighbors and their vehicles.

Know who is coming and going from your street or neighborhood on a regular basis and who is not.

Report marked suspicious activity to the police department.

One area that has been motivated by several of these incidents is the Manette area.  A group of residents there are working on establishing a Neighborhood Watch group.

This group will work with existing block watch groups and looks to form a wider area of coverage with an improved network for communication.  Hopefully this will inspire other areas of Bremerton to step up their organizational efforts.

If you have not checked out the Crime Prevention page on the City of Bremerton website, you should.

Information about graffiti abatement and neighborhood watch programs is available and easy to access.

Additional brochures on a variety of community crime prevention and safety issues are also listed.

Thefts and crime will gravitate and occur in and around areas that continue to provide the opportunity and right environment for it.

Every resident can and should do a little more to change that environment and take away as many of those easy opportunities as possible.

Colleen Smidt writes about everything Bremerton in Everything Bremerton.