Hiram College Professor Jason Johnson was quoted in the online magazine Upwave article “Get to Know Your Neighbors.”
Chatting with neighbors on your own property gives them an understanding of your home. If something looks suspicious later on, they may be your first line of defense, as “over 70 percent of first alerts to the police come from neighbors,” says Jason Johnson, Ph.D., professor of political science at Ohio’s Hiram College. “If the neighbors have gotten to know you, they may [someday] think, That’s odd. They usually close their garage, and the door is up four feet.” So consider small talk an effective home-security technique.