The Neighbor Helping Neighbor program in Garden Grove, Calif., is more focused on people than crime, according to Crime Prevention Officer Sherry Hess.Hess said while the
Neighborhood Watch focuses more on crime in the physical neighborhood,
while Neighbor Helping Neighbor focuses more on the people in the
neighborhoods helping and watching out for each other — talking to
each other, preparing for emergencies etc.Hess recently spoke to a neighbor's group about personal safety, emergency and disaster preparedness, home security, identity theft — but most importantly the importance of watching out for each other. One important shopping tip Hess mentioned is that when one is shopping don't put your purchases in the trunk of your car and then go back in to shop because thieves are watching parking lots and may \"pop\" the trunk of your car and steal the purchases.A good tactic is to put the purchases in the trunk and then get in the car and park it in a different area of the shopping center before going back in to finish shopping.Another tip — when walking through a parking lot walk in the middle of the road, not next to cars, and keep your head up, look around for danger and look people in the eyes. Martha LaFond hosted the event designed to introduce neighbors to the program.LaFond, an active Mormon in the area, said she decided to have this Neighbor Helping Neighbor event at my home because her late husband Steve had always wanted to have one.He presented the program to the Garden Grove Police Department and had done a few of them himself when he worked for the department.LaFond said people need to know what to do in case of an emergency and it helps to get to know your neighbor.She said, \"I had a homicide in my alleyway — you know, so as neighbors we've got to look out for each other and get prepared for an emergency — in case, you know, we are cut off from services from the city, so, you know, to store food and water and that, for a certain number of days. (She suggested a minimum 2-week supply).\"