Here are a few helpful tips to protect your property:

Before Freezing Weather

 •       Wrap all exposed pipes located outside or in unheated areas of the home.

•       Remove garden hoses from outside faucets. Insulate outside faucets with Styrofoam cover, rags or paper.

•       Make sure that your property owner’s water cut-off valve is accessible and operational.

In Sub-Freezing Weather

•       Drip outside faucets 24 hours a day (roughly 5 drops per minute; faster if a hard freeze is expected).

•       Open cabinet doors under sinks adjacent to outside walls.

•       In unheated garages, shut water off to washing machines. Turn off both the hot and cold water lines and disconnect them from the back of the washer. Place both lines in the drain pipe behind the washer and drip the faucets.

•       In sustained sub-freezing weather, let water drip slowly from inside faucets (steady drip).

•       Take extra precautions to protect pipes that have frozen in the past.

•       Businesses and homes that operate landscape sprinkler systems are urged to shut their systems off to prevent run-off water from freezing on sidewalks and road surfaces.

If You Are Not Going To Be At Home

•       Cut water off at the property owner’s cut-off valve.

•       Drain all outside water faucets if your house will be unoccupied for several days (leave outside faucets open and return water flow to then gradually when you return home).

•       Or, leave home heating system on at a low setting.

•       Open cabinet doors under sinks adjacent to outside walls.

•       Renters and tenants may be responsible for personal property damage caused by broken water pipes during severe weather conditions.

Residents should contact property management, landlord or maintenance personnel to locate the property owner’s cut-off valve and find ways to avoid pipe breakage during a freeze.

The City of Austin submitted a drawdown request to the Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) in October, hoping that fall rains would increase water storage in lakes Travis and Buchanan and allow for an effective drawdown. However, as of Nov. 30, the combined water stored in the two lakes is around 1.1 million acre-feet — about 55 percent of their capacity.

Over the past decade, the lake has been lowered several times to control the aggressive non-native aquatic plant hydrilla. The last time the lake was lowered was in January 2008. The introduction of sterile grass carp into the lake by the City of Austin has had a major impact on controlling this weed. However, the carp have been less effective against other aquatic vegetation such as Eurasian watermilfoil.

“The lack of a drawdown is not the best case scenario for either property owners or lake users, but unfortunately, the persistent drought conditions are determining the situation,” said Mary Gilroy, Environmental Scientist with the City’s Watershed Protection Department. “While a drawdown would help minimize the impacts from the nuisance aquatic vegetation in shallow water, it would not have much effect on the aggressive hydrilla, which grows in much deeper water.”

“Reduced environmental flow requirements as a result of low lake levels and reduced winter water releases would not be enough to effectively draw down Lake Austin,” said Mark Jordan, Manager of LCRA River Management Services. “Even a very limited drawdown would not be effective for either vegetation control or dock maintenance and repair.”

The City of Austin continues to work with its partners (the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, LCRA, and citizens’ group Friends of Lake Austin) to combat the invasive hydrilla, which showed resurgence to more than 320 acres this fall. Because sterile grass carp proved successful in reducing the aquatic weed in the past, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department granted approval to stock an additional 4,400 fish. In mid-November, 2,200 fish were stocked, with the remaining fish scheduled to go into the lake later this year.

Contact: Krista Umscheid, LCRA, (512) 473-3365; Lynne Lightsey, City of Austin Watershed Protection Department, (512) 974-3538

WANG recently co-hosted a Crime and Safety Seminar with the Austin Police Department at the O. Henry Middle School.  The seminar featured APD Chief of Police Art Acevedo as the special guest speaker, including presentations by APD representatives concerning crime prevention, as well as information from local security companies and products for protecting your home.  See highlights and links from the agenda below:

HIGHLIGHTS AND LINKS FROM THE

WEST AUSTIN CRIME AND SAFETY SEMINAR

Website for Austin Police Department with links to all areas:  http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/police/

Neighborhood Crime Summary, including Central/West Austin:

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/police/crimeinformation.htm

West Austin Crime BLOG — To report crime or read blogs on activity in West Austin see:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/West_Austin_Crime_Reports/

Burglary prevention tips

Burglaries in Austin neighborhoods cost residents over 1.3 million per year in loss of property alone. Most burglaries in your neighborhood are being committed by youths 18 and under. They are not skilled professionals, but they will take advantage of an easy target. Don’t make it easy for them.

1. Install a deadbolt lock.
Deadbolts are usually locked with a key from the outside and a thumb turn on the inside. The cylinder should be pick resistant. Lock your doors every time you leave the house, even if you’re leaving for just a few minutes during the day. The most popular times for residential burglaries are weekday daylight hours. In over 1/3 of burglaries, there is no forcible entry–someone forgot to lock the doors.

2. Install solid doors.
Outside doors should be metal or solid hardwood and at least 1 3/4 inches thick. Frames must be made of equally strong material and each door must fit its frame securely.

3. Keep garage doors closed and locked.

4. Secure sliding doors and windows.
Cut a broom handle to the length of the bottom track so that the window or door will not slide open when forced. Also, drill one hole through both casings and sliding window and insert a nail or pin.

5. Secure sash windows.
To prevent wooden sash windows from being pried open, drill a downward sloping hole into the top of the bottom window through and into the bottom of the top window and insert a pin or nail.
To prevent aluminum sash windows from being broken into, purchase a track lock that blocks the window track.

6. Mark your property.
Mark your valuables with an engraver. Marking your property serves as a deterrent to would-be burglars and it helps police in identifying and returning stolen property. Make a property identification list. Put warning stickers on doors and windows.

7. Purchase a burglar alarm.
A home alarm system can be a very effective burglary deterrent and fit into many people’s needs. Remember to test your system monthly.

8. Leave a light on.
When leaving on trips, leave a light on in the bathroom. In the bedroom, attach a lamp and radio to a 24-hour electric timer set to go on at dusk and off at your bedtime. Close bedroom drapes or blinds.

9. Use proper exterior lighting.
Place a light over every door. Double cones lights on each corner of the house will also light up windows.

10. Work together with your neighbors.
When you are going to be away, tell trusted neighbors and ask them to watch your property. Have neighbors maintain your yard. When on vacation, have someone cut grass. Shrubbery should not hide neighbors’ view of windows or doors. Have someone pick up newspapers and mail. Tell neighbors to call police if they notice anything suspicious.

back to crime prevention

Neighborhood Watch Block

How to start a neighborhood watch

Participation in a neighborhood watch program can help reduce crime in your area. To be eligible for a neighborhood watch sign, it is preferred that fifty percent of your neighborhood or block must attend one to three meetings where helpful information on personal and property crimes is shared. Tips include how to reduce your chances of being attacked. Contact your neighborhood association president, or the Austin Police Department at 974-4736. Download the Neighborhood Watch Manual (PDF)

“Stranger Danger” video adds to APD arsenal for child safety –>

Watch the MPEG video – low resolution (13.6 Mb .mpg)
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Watch the MPEG video – medium resolution (20.8 Mb .mpg)
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See below for links to multimedia players you may download for free to see the video.

The mission of the Austin Police Department is to make Austin the safest city in America. The following video was created by the Austin Police Department to educate and raise awareness about child safety issues. This video is not intended to alarm or scare children or their families.

To schedule a presentation for a school, church, or civic organization, please call the Austin Police Department Office of Community Liaison at (512) 459-1877. Watch the Real VideoTo view to video in Real Video, you will need the Real Video plug-in for your browser. You may download it for free. If you don’t have the plugin installed, download it prior to clicking on the broadcast link above.

Links to multimedia players you may download for free:

Online Crime Reporting Resources Presentation by Jack Darby — for this presentation please e-mail: (jdlink@yahoo.com)

a)      Krimelabb Citywide Crime Data Plotting Tool –http://www.krimelabb.com/_live/view/_welcome.php

b)      West Austin Crime Listserv — West_Austin_Crime_Reports@yahoogroups.com

c)      Texas DPS Registered Sex Offenders Database — https://records.txdps.state.tx.us/DPS_WEB/Portal/index.aspx

Also, please take the online survey at www.ci.austin.tx.us/oem/

PUBLIC MEETINGS for 2009 HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN

Monday, April 27 @ 5:30 – 6:30PM

EAST:  Oak Springs Library, 3101 Oak Springs Dr., (512) 926-4453

NORTH:  Spicewood Springs Library, 8637 Spicewood Springs Rd., (512) 974-3800

Tuesday, April 28 @ 5:30 – 6:30PM

WEST:  Howson Library, 2500 Exposition, (512) 472-3584

SOUTH:  Manchaca Road Library, Blvd 5500 Manchaca Rd., (512) 974-8700

The goal of the Hazard Mitigation Plan update for Austin is to minimize or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from known hazards by identifying and implementing cost-effective mitigation actions.

In 2004, Austin was the first City in Texas to have a Hazard Mitigation Plan approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. FEMA requires that the City update the Plan every five years to maintain certain grant
eligibilities.

The 13 hazards (with ranking) identified in the 2004 Plan are:  Flood / Wildland Fire / Major Urban Fire / Drought / Severe Winter storm / Tornado & Windstorm / Hailstorm / Dam Failure / Terrorism / Hazardous materials incident / Extreme heat / Fuel pipeline accident / Transportation collision.

For more information contact: Erin Capps – (512) 769-5483 / ecapps@h2opartnersusa.com