The Board of Directors of the Canyon Creek HOA and the members of our Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee have been following and discussing internally the various threads on social media and e-mails sent to the board regarding the recent auto burglaries and thefts. Based on our observations, there appears to be some level of interest by residents in deterring such activity through hiring private security to patrol the neighborhood overnight. In considering this and other possible measures, the Board is broadly aligned on two key points.
First, ensuring that Canyon Creek remains a safe and secure community is a subject of keen interest to residents and for that reason, the Board has and continues to engage with local government representatives including District 6 Councilmember Mackenzie Kelly, our APD District Representative Frank Creasey, and Travis County law enforcement resources, as appropriate, to ensure that our neighborhood is well supported by local civil authorities. If you have been victimized, even if nothing of value was lost or you have no expectation of recovery, it is critical that all crimes are reported appropriately in order to get future support from APD.
Second, it is outside the responsibilities of the HOA to incur expenditures that extend beyond the scope of normal HOA operations such as maintenance and use of Amenities and Common Areas. Actions ultimately designed for the protection of Member private property are not among the enumerated powers and duties of the Association and therefore unsupported by its governing documents.
Setting aside the topic of Association powers and duties for the moment, internal discussions included considerations related to the whether any measures we might undertake should be more proactive / deterrent in nature versus more reactive / oriented toward suspect apprehension. We all desire to live in a community free of crime and fear but any measures that might be undertaken come at a cost and we would like to maximize the effectiveness of any investments of time, money, or other resources.
The board did make a cursory examination of the economics of nightly patrols. While patrols might provide comfort to some residents and serve as a minor deterrent (according to law enforcement sources consulted), it does not guarantee that any random act will be prevented. Expressed in financial terms, a single armed vehicular patrol could cost over $200,000 annually(1). For the handful of property crimes reported thus far this year, nightly patrols could cost significantly more than the estimated value of the affected property. While this may be of little comfort if you are a victim, the financial cost is difficult to justify especially when such losses are covered by private insurance.
While the Board must operate within the bounds of our governing documents and sound economic principles, our hands are not tied.
The Board is working on some specific recommendations, but we need your help.
Accept responsibility for your home and personal property security including:
Parking your vehicles in garage or in your driveway, not on the street if you are able to do so.
Remove valuables from view or lock them in the trunk of your vehicle.
Lock your vehicles, and your doors when not at home. Consider wireless key fobs may be subject to certain types of security vulnerabilities as described here and take measures to reduce that risk.
Consider the value of motion sensitive lighting and personal door & eave mounted security cameras that cover your property.
Check your personal homeowner’s and auto insurance policies to ensure a level of coverage that meets your needs.
If you have any incident, file a police report even if you have no expectation of a resolution or recovery. If the incident is in progress dial 911 (after-the-fact 311). The Austin police will only direct resources to where crimes are occurring so reporting these incidents is the only way to ensure accurate metrics and data-driven decision making.
Participate in HOA led safety initiatives:
In the coming days look for a very short survey from our Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee that will help us understand the scope of the un-reported incidents, etc.
Volunteer to survey streetlights for PEC’s repair. We have many that have gone out over the past few months. While you may report each by dialing 311 individually, we have a direct contact number for repair. Contact the HOA board at board@canyoncreek.net to participate in this neighborhood project.
Communicate and volunteer. If you are interested in participating in the Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee, let us know how you think you are uniquely qualified to participate on this committee.
Volunteer to set up a Neighborhood Watch on your street or block.
On behalf of the Board of Directors and the members of the Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee,
Brett Funderburg
President, CCHOA
(1) Patrolman - $50/hr + Vehicle - $20/hr = $70/hr * 8hr/night * 7 nights/wk * 52 wks = $203,840
edit: An earlier version of this article incorrectly used the minimum daily rate of $140 as the hourly rate. This has been corrected.