Yeah no wonder right?  I know it's weird to map crimes but it's true the more access to travel the more crime you see. Not just the hardcore news worthy crimes but petty stuff such as vandalism and thefts. We've been in the new place 3months we already have a pretty good routine as well as a sense of who should be in the area. The neighbors are fast to introduce themselves.  So you get a good idea of who lives where and normal traffic etc.  

Knowing your surroundings doesn't hurt. 
being more aware of who is walking/driving around your neighborhood & just looking around for no reason is a good habit, sure they might be looking to buy, but I'd rather error on the side that says they probably aren't. So just jot down a note when there's anything out of the normal. Even if that note is just a text message to a friend saying what you saw and why it bugged you.