Residents Gather for Tips on Crime Prevention And Emergencies

Last week, a girl coming home from school encountered a burglar in the house. The man was wearing a surgical mask and gloves. The man went after her, but she escaped through a bathroom window and called police. The burglar wasn’t caught.

That incident was brought up at a neighborhood watch meeting Tuesday night as an example of why Piedmont residents should take steps to protect themselves. The hour-long meeting, which was held at resident Maureen Kennedy’s home in Police Reporting District 3, also went into detail about how residents can prepare for emergencies.

While the crime rate was down overall last year in Piedmont, Piedmont Police Det. George Phifer pointed out that there were 10 to 15 cat burglar cases in the city as well as a higher number of home burglaries.

“The best way to protect your home is to get an alarm,” police officer Todd Mather said. “Get stickers—let everybody know this house has an alarm.”

Residents should lock their doors and windows at home and not have anything in their cars that can be taken, such as any high-tech devices or even a gym bag.

“Locking your doors—simple as it is—doesn’t always happen here,” Phifer said.

Residents should be aware of their surroundings and call police if they see anything suspicious.

“Be as descriptive as possible,” Mather said, when making a call about a suspicious person.

As for emergencies, people should prepare for five to seven days without utilities, food or running water. That means having an emergency kit, which can be purchased from the Piedmont Fire Department or from the Red Cross, said Nina Johnson, a professional organizer who also does emergency preparedness.

The kits should be updated once a year and personalized with medicines, clothing, paperwork, hygiene items, supplies for pets and camping gear.

Johnson said she created her own emergency kit last year. She encouraged people to at least start their kits with supplies that can be purchased at CVS, Ace Hardware and grocery stores.

“I tell you, when you do it, it’s the biggest sense of relief,” she said.

In an emergency, she said that people should at least have slippers, old shoes or hiking boots under their bed and in their car in case they need to walk over broken glass or rough terrain. Water should be purchased for the home and car and changed every six months. Emergency numbers (Piedmont police: 510-420-3000 and Piedmont Fire: 510-420-3030) should be entered into cell phones.

A flier she handed out offered additional tips that can be done “next week”: Enter an out-of-state contact into your cell phone; make an ID card with important numbers; check and replace batteries in flashlights and place them strategically around the house; identify gas, water and electric shut-offs and be sure to have a proper wrench taped to the shut-off; and make contact with neighbors.

Residents can also organize their neighborhoods through a city program called Map Your Neighborhood, which teaches residents how to look out for each other in the event of an emergency, said Piedmont Fire Lt. Justin McNulty. Residents can also sign up for classes in first aid and CPR through the fire department.

At under three minutes, the Piedmont Fire Department has one of the fastest response times in California. Yet people will have to fend for themselves for hours and days in the event of a disaster, McNulty said.

“We all know an earthquake is going to happen,” he said. “It’s not a matter of ‘if,’ it’s a matter of ‘when.’”