Barefoot Neighborhood Watch volunteers gathered for an educational presentation by North Myrtle Beach Safety Department LCpl McLeod on Thursday, April 27 at Putters Pub. Sponsored by the BRRA Neighborhood Watch Committee, chair Barbara Beech welcomed attendees and introduced Officer McLeod who, with his team, is permanently assigned to Barefoot.

He offered several tips to the group, including:

• Sign up for Nixle alerts. Go to the North Myrtle Beach Public Safety website ps.nmb.us and click on the Nixle icon. That will take you to a pre-programmed local Nixle page where you can sign up. Look for the green box at the top of the page that says: "Receive alerts from your local agencies" and click on the Sign Up button. You will get alerts about North Myrtle Beach police concerns – from blocked streets due to traffic accidents to safety alerts during bad weather and emergency preparation alerts.

 

• Neighborhood Watch is about neighbors watching neighbors – watching out for each other. Be observant and never hesitate to call the police about something that looks out-of-the-ordinary and suspicious. Be vigilant about keeping your neighborhood safe. Focus on capturing details; even a partial plate number can identify a vehicle.

 

• Request a Residential Security Survey from the NMB Public Safety office; an officer will come to your home and fill out a form for you that identifies your home's security issues. Contact Officer McLeod.

 

• THIS TIP IS IMPORTANT: What is the most vulnerable part of your front/back door? The strike plate. Kicking in the door to gain access is surprisingly easy. And the easy foil? Purchase inexpensive 2.5 inch stainless steel screws; replace the existing short screws to ensure your doors are simply not accessible.

 

• Feel safe living in a third floor condo? Think again; ladders make easy access to such low levels. Lock your patio doors at night. Consider adding pin locks or charlie bars to make access more difficult.

 

• For an emergency, call 911. That call goes to Conway which then gets diverted to North Myrtle Beach. If you have time to consider your emergency, call 843-280-5511. This is the local NMB emergency number. 

 

Thankfully we live in a very safe area with few emergencies. Caution: ensure your own safety so you are not that isolated victim.

The Barefoot Neighborhood Watch system is in place to help you and your neighbors. If you are not receiving Neighborhood Watch alerts, this likely means your community does not have a Community Captain or Block Captain. 

Volunteer now to help keep your neighborhood safe. Your job is simply passing on alerts to your neighbors. Easy. Quick. Helpful for all of us.

If you want more information and/or wish to help, contact the Neighborhood Watch Committee today.