Reno, Nevada. Washoe County Sheriff’s Office volunteers will be going door-to-door in the Alder-Northwood area of Incline Village this Saturday to talk with residents about home safety in the wake of a recent series of “hot prowl” burglaries in the area.

This volunteer effort exemplifies the Sheriff’s Office data-driven approach to fighting crime and the agency’s philosophy that public information is one of the most important keys to crime prevention. The Sheriff’s Office monitors emerging trends through a nationally recognized data-driven approach and works creatively with community and media partners to mobilize efforts, and resources to proactively reduce crime and increase public awareness with the goal of increasing overall public safety.

“When communication has been established between law enforcement and the community, the net result is trust,” Washoe County Sheriff’s Office PIO Deputy Armando Avina said. “When citizens and law enforcement learn to trust each other, the true progress begins.”

Volunteers from the Sheriff’s Office Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) will meet at the Incline Village Substation off Mt. Rose Highway at 8:00 a.m. and begin the Knock and Lock campaign in the area of Northwood Boulevard and Alder Avenue (east of Tahoe Boulevard) at 9:00 a.m. Volunteers will canvass residences in the area under the direction of a Sheriff’s Office Patrol Supervisor.

Washoe Sheriff’s Office PIO Deputy Armando Avina will be on location from 8:00 a.m. until 11:00 a.m. the day of the Knock and Lock.

CERT volunteers plan to visit nearly 300 residences with information about home and vehicle safety as well as child safety tips parents can follow to protect their children at home, on the street and on the internet.

Volunteers will also hand out information about AlertID, a free online service that allows residents to receive and exchange critical information happening in their neighborhoods that help keep families and neighborhoods safer and better informed.

Volunteers will carry CERT credentials to identify themselves as Sheriff’s Office volunteers.

Deputy Avina said that public safety benefits when perpetrators know communities and law enforcement have confidence in one another.

“Crime is a community problem and citizens must understand and accept their role in controlling and minimizing its occurrence,” he said. “No one knows a community like the people who live and work there, and by working in conjunction with the Sheriff’s Office, citizens can often determine the ‘who, what and why’ of criminal activity in their neighborhoods. With this knowledge in hand, law enforcement odds for effectively dealing with crime in the community increases dramatically.”

Washoe County residents can also stay informed on public safety trends by signing up for the Sheriff’s monthly Community Partnership Connection e-newsletter at WashoeSheriff.com.

These monthly email publications offer practical and valuable information that can help keep residents safe along with updates about Sheriff’s Office programs, services and partnerships within the community.

Residents may also receive timely information from the Sheriff’s Office via Twitter by following: @WashoeSheriff.