How has Lake Ridge kept its crime rate so low?

Having grown up in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, I find it unusual for a community the size of Lake Ridge on Joe Pool Lake to have kept its crime rate so low after all these years, despite its growth and popularity increasing. As far as neighborhood communities go, Lake Ridge on Joe Pool Lake is considered one of Dallas’ best kept secrets, and the unusually safe lifestyle is one of the reasons why; although the word seems to be getting out, since so many new residents mention that as one of the attributes that drew them to visit the resort style lake view development in the first place.

There are four main reasons Lake Ridge on Joe Pool Lake has kept its crime rate to a record low compared to similar communities of this size and growth in Dallas County. One reason is due to the distinctive resort style layout and location of the community. The location itself makes for a blanketed community considering it is at the Cedar Hill/Grand Prairie border along Joe Pool Lake and only a limited number of streets will take you there–not exactly the quick in and out crime spree that most burglars of cars and houses look for.

The layout of the development itself is also not appealing to criminals. There are only two main entries/exits, one at the north end of our large 3300 acre development and the other at the south end, so it is not an accessible community with an abundance of cross-streets that open up to those outside the community. Accessibility is an important factor to criminals looking for neighborhoods to commit crime in; if spotted breaking into a home or car, they want many options to escape. At Lake Ridge, it may take several minutes to reach one of the exits and by then it is likely they would be trapped by police presence, which brings up another reason Lake Ridge has kept its crime so low.

Lake Ridge is patrolled by two different police forces–Cedar Hill and Grand Prairie, so double the police presence is also a factor in deterring criminals from our community. Cedar Hill actually has an officer assigned to Lake Ridge for community crime prevention and neighborhood watch programs. This ensures a stimulated proactive participation from residents and prevents the apathy and complacency that eventually plagues so many neighborhoods in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

This leads to the fourth reason Dallas/Fort Worth’s best kept secret has kept its crime down to almost nothing–the residents themselves. If you ever visit Lake Ridge and spend time with those who live here, you will notice a certain contagious pride throughout the people here. Neighbors really do watch out for each other and it is not uncommon for them to call you if you are away at work and ask you if that strange car is supposed to be parked outside your home. People pay attention here and they have taken measures to discourage crime. The last time a home at Lake Ridge was burglarized, a neighbor noticed the vehicle that was parked outside the home and called police, who arrived in time to make an arrest. Most of my friends live in neighborhoods where people may care about crime prevention, but just don’t pay attention–there is little proactive approach to it. But not at Lake Ridge.