While the holiday season brings rejuvenation, goodwill, gifts, friendship, and love to the forefront, this time of year can also be associated with a surge in crimes such as robbery and personal larceny.

It is not surprising that the holiday season inspires more online shopping, which means more packages are delivered and left unattended on doorsteps. Almost one in four adults in the U.S. say they've had a package stolen, according to a 2019 study on package theft. In addition, nearly seven in ten adults say they are unwilling to change their online shopping habits even if there is an increased risk of package theft.

Because of this, homeowners and HOAs (homeowners associations) should guard against burglaries by increasing HOA security. According to a report by CNN on holiday season burglaries in California, there was an 18% increase in burglaries in December. A similar trend can be seen in other states around the country.

With such a sharp rise in crimes during the holiday season, homeowners can secure their homes and bolster HOA security by using the latest technology.  

Tips for Preventing Crimes in Your Neighborhood

One of the first steps to prevent neighborhood crimes, such as burglary or package theft, is deterrence. Most break-ins and package thefts are crimes of opportunity. Therefore, you must secure all the possible entryways to your property, including doors, gates, fences, and windows.

Various locks are available for doors and windows, including some capable of alarm system integration. If you have already invested in a home alarm system, you should advertise the system through yard signs and door stickers to deter criminals from targeting your residence.

It is always a good idea to talk to your neighbors and ask them to keep an eye on your property if you are planning to be away from home. Taking a collective approach to keeping your neighborhood secure, where neighbors watch out for each other, can significantly deter crime. 

If you expect a package to be delivered, you can track it to minimize the time it sits on your porch. You can also have your neighbors pick up packages when they arrive. Uncollected mail or packages are an indicator for a burglar that no one is home, making the property a prime target for a break-in. 

Keep in mind it is never a good idea to leave your house keys under the mat or a potted plant, as burglars often check such hiding spots for easy access. If needed, consider leaving your key with a trusted neighbor or relative who can drop by your home to check on it and collect any packages or mail. 

If you are part of an HOA, you can get the most out of HOA security measures through the following steps:  

• Perform an HOA security audit 
• Stay updated on premises liability law
• Schedule regular maintenance of HOA security systems
• Educate residents on how to keep your neighborhood safe
• Partner with local law enforcement agencies 
• Review security measures annually and update accordingly 

How LPR cameras Can Boost your HOA Security

While the tips mentioned above can minimize the likelihood of package theft or burglary, these crimes can still occur. Using technology such as CCTV, security cameras, and LPR cameras can further reinforce your HOA security. These tools can help deter criminals from targeting your neighborhood and also help catch the suspects if they commit a crime.

In addition to standard surveillance cameras and other security controls, consider installing License Plate Reader (LPR) cameras. LPR cameras are designed to capture vehicle details and license plate numbers. Every time a license plate crosses the field of view of an LPR, it captures and stores a photo of the license plate.

There is valuable information that is derived from the license plate number, including the vehicle owner's registered address, vehicle make, color, type, and more. Not only is the first lead in an investigation, but it is also actionable evidence that can lead law enforcement to find the culprits quickly.

LPR cameras should be placed at intersections and neighborhood entries, where they're guaranteed to identify vehicles passing through the area. 

Regular security cameras are not designed for monitoring and logging license plate information. You will likely need to sift through hours of videos and photos to find the right plate, which might not be legible in the surveillance footage. Relying on eyewitness accounts can be unreliable as many vehicles look alike, and generic descriptions may provide little value.

No such issues exist with an LPR, as you will get a database of license plate numbers logged by the camera which you can search by vehicle make, color, type, license plate number, license plate state, and unique vehicle details.

Another useful feature of Flock Safety LPR cameras is that they allow for communication with law enforcement agencies. This means a camera in your neighborhood can help law enforcement agencies identify vehicles that have been hot-listed by agencies in your jurisdiction. 

Flock Safety LPR Camera

Flock Safety is the leading provider of public safety operating systems for businesses, residential neighborhoods, and law enforcement. Since 2017, the LPR camera has captured more than 1 billion vehicles making thousands of communities safer. In addition, Flock Safety has partnered with over 2000 law enforcement agencies.

Some of the key features of Flock Safety cameras include:

• 24/7 Coverage: Whether it is day or night, the cameras will continue to capture evidence around the clock. 
• Motion Activated: Flock LPRs are designed to take pictures as vehicles drive by.
• Maintenance Free: Once you have invested in installing Flock LPRs, there are no maintenance fees. Flocks offer Safety-as-a-Service, so you get all required software and hardware when you install the LPR.
• Solar Powered: You can install Flock LPRs anywhere without worrying about heavy infrastructure such as wires and power outlets. The cameras have enough energy storage to run on solar power. 

You can prevent package theft and burglary at your home by installing Flock Safety LPR cameras, but your safety doesn't stop at your door. Flock Safety boosts HOA and neighborhood security and equips law enforcement with the tools they need to obtain actionable evidence and keep your community safe. 

Flock Safety is a public safety operating system that helps communities and law enforcement in 5000+ cities work together to eliminate crime, protect privacy, and mitigate bias. We build devices that capture objective evidence and use machine learning to create and deliver unbiased investigative leads to law enforcement. Our proprietary devices and cloud-based software reduce crime by +70%. Flock Safety serves 5000 cities in 45+ states and is helping solve hundreds of crimes every day.