Adult/Senior Neighborhood Programs

St. Joseph offers a number of safety programs for adults, business owners, and senior citizens.

Personal Safety for Women:

This programs is designed to show women how not to become the victim of a crime. This is taught in a classroom atmosphere. Ideas and ways to protect from being the victim of a crime are discussed along with how to avoid an attack.

Safety Belt/Safety Seat Program:

The Safety Seat Program is designed to teach adults the proper use of safety belts and child safety seats. This includes securing child safety seats into the vehicle and their importance.

Hands-on Drug Identification:

This program is used to show actual drugs and paraphernalia used in conjunction with drugs, controlled substance laws and the effects of some drugs are also discussed.

The idea behind this program is to show adults how to identify certain drugs along with paraphernalia so they can be better informed.

Drunk Driving Awareness:

This program is taught to adults and designed to make people aware of the laws governing drunk driving and to show the cause and effects of drunk driving accidents. The adults may be asked to wear our fatal vision goggles that simulate being intoxicated and they are then asked to perform simple chores.

Shoplifting:

This program is designed to make small businesses aware of shoplifting and how to cope with the situation.

Financial Institution Security Training:

This program is a hands on training for banks, credit unions and financial institutions in general. The training is three parts; good security practices, what to do in the event of a robbery and what to do after a robbery. The entire training culminates with a mock bank robbery, which is held at the financial institution after hours. All of the training is then discussed after the mock robbery.

Home Security Program:

The Home Security Program instructs adults on how to properly secure their homes and surroundings. The program touches on key control, good locks, good windows, etc.

Home Security Inspections:

Members of the Crime Prevention Unit will come to a residence if requested and inspect the home and property. Upon completion of the security inspection, the officer will provide the homeowner with a list of recommendations that may make their surroundings more secure. There is no cost for this service.

Neighborhood Watch:

The Neighborhood Watch Program is designed to have neighborhoods take a stand against crime by reporting suspicious activities within the neighborhood. This is an organization within the neighborhood utilizing one block captain per block for those blocks interested in participating. Neighborhood Watch signs are posted on the block to let others know that this is a Neighborhood Watch area. Individual residents living on a neighborhood watch block are eligible to receive neighborhood watch decals for their home and garages.

Michigan Community Child Watch:

Please refer to the Michigan Community Child Watch under the Elementary Student Section for more information about this program.

Confidence, Games and Swindles:

This program is designed to educate adults and the elderly against the dangers of confidence, games and swindlers such as home repair fraud, driveway scams, mail fraud and telemarketing.

Senior Safety:

This is taught to the elderly. This touches on personal safety, fire safety and calling 9-1-1. Con games, swindles, home security and seat belt usage is also covered in this course.

Armed Robbery Awareness:

This is designed for small businesses involved in cash handling such as convenience stores, etc. This is done in the individual store and employees will learn prevention and safety strategies to avoid becoming a victim in an armed robbery situation.

Merchant Alert:

This program is a telephone calling tree system activated by the Public Safety Department as needed to fan out information on various types of criminal activities that may effect retail and small businesses in the City.

CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design):

At the request of any size business in the City, a member of the Crime Prevention Unit will spend time on site and do a comprehensive review of security practices, physical security items, landscaping as well as working with business owners in putting crime prevention into the blueprints for new construction.

Other:

Tailored programs are available for businesses and individuals throughout the community. The Crime Prevention Office is willing to work with any individual on the tailor made or customized crime prevention program. For further information on any of the above programs, or to arrange to receive a program, please call the St. Joseph Public Safety Department Crime Prevention Unit at 985-0300.

If you have any questions about these topics, please contact the City and we will be glad to help you.