Community in Action Strategies: Alley Identification Numbering
Safe & Sound utilizes a variety of strategies that involve residents, youth and volunteers in cleaning up blighted areas and improving community safety. Many of these strategies are based on CPTED (Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design) principles and work towards making neighborhoods safer and bringing residents together to develop relationships and a sense of community. The goal of Community in Action strategies is to develop projects that can be run simultaneously which are scalable depending on the number of volunteers, community need and material resources available.
Alley Identification Numbering
Many alleys lack basic house address numbering. When emergency vehicles, such as police and fire, or city services (housing inspectors or Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission) are at work they are less effective and efficient in responding without house identification. Private companies like utilities and cable companies also utilize alleys and benefit greatly from alley addresses.
Safe & Sound has applied 3 inch reflective garage numbers using community service workers, block clubs and volunteers for many years. This is a quick and effective way of providing alley identification of properties while meeting the applicable city ordinance. The effort requires four to six people for each alley, one number sorting box, step stool, rags, 2 clips boards, and informational flyers for homes that receive the numbers. The cost is about $2 to $3 per house, with a crew typically covering 8 blocks in a four or five hour period, depending on density, with an overall cost of approximately $200 to $400.
Alley Identification Team
- 4 – 5 volunteers per team
- 1 identify garage/house on address map, select numbers, layout for placement
- 2 select placement spot, wipe garage surface, apply numbers, carry step stool
- 2 flyer front side of numbered properties, recording addresses, handling clip-board
Supplies
- Clip board
- Number organizer box
- 2 or 3 hand rags
- Garage numbering flyers
- 4 – 6 3 inch reflective garage numbers per house
Provided by volunteers
- 1 step stool
- Gloves
Alley Identification Volunteer Job Description
