The Palm Springs Office of Neighborhood Involvement in partnership with the police department will present an innovative approach to solving crime beginning in October.
The Neighborhood Leadership Academy is a free, 12-hour course that will be presented over three Saturday mornings. Citizens will learn various techniques on how to prevent themselves from becoming victims and taking proactive steps to continue making their neighborhoods safe and secure. Topics will include home security, preventing identity theft, victimization, gangs and graffiti and unique strategies that can be utilized in crime prevention.
“We’ve worked with the police department to develop a curriculum that addresses not only personal safety, but specific steps people can take to make their homes and neighborhoods less of a target for criminals,” said Lee Husfeldt, the City’s Director of Neighborhood and Community Relations. “Some of it might seem like common sense, like getting to know your neighbors and asking them to watch over your property when you’re away – neighbors watching out for neighbors. This training will empower our residents with the necessary tools to impact crime where they live.”
The leadership academy is part of the City’s commitment to continue development of strong partnerships between residents, the business community, the police department and other City agencies, Husfeldt said.
“The Neighborhood Leadership Academy will give our citizens additional tools to take personal responsibility and a hands on approach in making our community safe,” Palm Springs Police Chief David Dominguez said. “The police department relies on a strong partnership with our residents and we
are committed to working together to continue with aggressive strategies in making our city safe. We are pleased to be working closely with the Office of Neighborhood Involvement and look forward to continued success”.
The Neighborhood Leadership Academy will be held at the Police Training Center on Civic Drive next to the police department and is open to residents throughout the Coachella Valley. There is no pre-set class size.
Although the academy is taught over three Saturday mornings, participants are not required to attend all the classes. You can attend one or all three sessions. However, anyone interested in attending must register by calling Community Services Officer Deborah Palmer at (760) 323-8101.
The schedule for the first Neighborhood Leadership Academy is:
Oct. 4, 2008, 8:00 am – 12 p.m. - Identity Theft and MySpace.com
Identity theft and computer crimes continue to impact not only innocent victims but financial institutions. It can take years to recover once your personal identity is stolen. Do you know who your kids are talking to on MySpace? Find out how sexual predators use MySpace and other internet sites to commit crimes.
Oct. 18, 2008, 8:00 am-12 p.m. - Home Security, Crime Prevention through Environmental Design and Victimization/Hardening the Target.
Find out how to make your residence or business difficult to be broken into and how to prevent yourself from becoming a victim of crime. Learn how to implement and sustain a successful Neighborhood Watch Program
Nov. 22, 2008, 8:00 am-12 p.m. - Gangs, Graffiti and Hate Crimes
Do you know the difference between Tagging versus Gang Graffiti and how it can impact your neighborhood? How do you recognize a tagger and what are the current trends in graffiti. There needs to be an awareness of Hate Crime and how disturbing they can be.
Contact: Lee Husfeldt
Director of Neighborhood Involvement & Community Relations
City of Palm Springs
(760) 323-8255
