Officers will be out inspecting car seats, free of charge. If a seat doesn't meet the safety standards, parents can enter a raffle for a chance to win one of ten free car seats. In addition, Chief Hawkes visited local schools to inform children about the McGruff Safety houses which is in Petersen's juristiction. The houses provide a place for kids to go if they are in danger, afraid, or even for seemingly minor concerns like bullies. Background checks are run on families wishing to participate in the program, and members of the household over the age of 18 are trained to deal with emergency situations.
Callers reach an answering service which police check daily.
Anything suspicious or strange can be reported, but less serious annoyances, such as a neighbor's dog barking too loudly, will also be dealt with via the tip line. Besides decreasing conflicts between neighbors, the tip line helps police know which parts of town could use extra surveillance, Petersen said. The Neighborhood Watch encourages neighbors to get to know each other and to be observant. Being aware of little things like what cars neighbors drive, what their names are, or when they will be out of town, can prevent problems, Northenor said.