Last year, one of our National Night Out "Project 365s" was a curb addressing campaign. This initiative came about after a Patrol Officer sent us his concerns about how difficult it was becoming to locate many home addresses at night.

Neighborhood Services partnered with the city's neighborhood associations in an effort to publicize this initiative to assist emergency responders. Home Depot put together addressing paint kits to be made available to any interested neighborhoods for around $60 (which includes bucket, stencils, paint). I understand there has been some interest, but overall, response has not been what we had hoped. It is still dark out there at night.

I am asking my individual Neighborhood Watch areas to look at their curb street addresses and, if needed, to take on this initiative as an important public safety project.

After so many years of curbside tire rubbing and fading due to weather, many addresses are extremely faded and unreadable. This can be a real problem and a safety issue for residents and responders trying to find the right address. As some of you know, house numbering can change mid-block, too. I am in favor of curb painting in at least two places along the front curb; three is even better. If you have a front driveway, I would paint both sides AND one in front of the house. Two or three locations make it easier to find an address when vehicles are parked on the street. Remember, city ordinance requires address postings front and back, which many do by tacking up numbers over the porch or garage. Our curb (or driveway apron) addressing initiative is that extra "oomf!" that is indicative of what makes this city great.

This is a simple project, a worthwhile project, and one that toots the horn of the Neighborhood Watch program. Since this was announced last year as a "Project 365," we have to report our results in October of this year. "Project 365" is one of the judging criteria used to determine national city rankings in National Night Out participation and enthusiasm. When you do (or if you already have) organize and start painting, please send me a summary of your initiative, with pictures, so we can include it in our final report. Who knows? Maybe your neighborhood picture will make the NATW National Night Out project magazine.

Here is the link to the project on our website:
http://www.cor.net/neighborhoodservices.aspx?id=3138

Officer John Corbitt
Crime Prevention Unit - West Sector
Richardson Police Department