Crime: Protecting Your Home, Business And Community

In the , we looked at personal safety and what proactive measures you should take to lower your risk of becoming the victim of a strong-arm or armed robbery and what to do if you are.

Today, Lt. D. Brent Schierbaum, the evening watch commander of the Atlanta Police Department's Community Liaison Unit, explains what we can do to make our homes and business less vulnerable to crime.

He also explains why we need to strengthen ties with our neighbors, be plugged in to community listservs and websites so we know what's really happening in our neighborhoods and better determine when something's not right.

Citywide, for the period between Jan. 1 and April 28, burglaries have dropped dramatically both in the non-residential and residential categories.

Non-residential burglaries, which include commercial properties and businesses and totaled 224 incidents, dropped 22.76 percent in the period. Home burglaries totaled 1,534 in that same time period, and represented a drop of 10.13 percent.

In APD's Zone 6, which covers most of the neighborhoods that comprise Virginia-Highland/Druid Hills Patch and East Atlanta Patch, burglaries are down in the residential category, but up in non-residential properties.

Residential burglaries in Zone 6 numbered 155 incidents — a drop of 30.18 percent. But non-residential property break-ins rose 24 percent to 31 reported incidents.

The Crime Series:

Tuesday:

Today: Protecting Your Home, Business And Community

Thursday: Clean Car Campaign

Friday: Resources You Need To Know To Be More Proactive