There are many simple precautions you can take to avoid becoming the victim of a crime. Many of them are just plain common sense, but we all forget from time-to-time.
While some crimes are carefully planned and executed, many are so-called 'crimes of opportunity.' If your actions make it appear easy and tempting for someone else to commit a crime, you could suddenly find yourself in the middle of a crime scene.
Burglary Tips
Purchase an alarm system for your home or business and use it whenever you're away.
It is also a good idea to have your home alarm activated while you're asleep.
Install motion sensor lights at the front and rear of your home or business.
Make sure you keep your doors and windows locked. Do not hide a key outside of your home, because criminals know all the places that you can think of to hide it.
Install double keyed deadbolt locks on all exterior doors if there is a window within arms reach of the interior lock. Make sure you keep a key readily available near each door in the event of a fire.
Make sure that you pick-up your mail and newspapers on a daily basis. If you're not going to be at home for a few days or longer, arrange to have someone you trust pick-up your mail and newspapers every day.
Keep the shrubbery and trees located next to your windows cut down so that criminals will not have a place to hide while they are prying open your window.
When you're going to be away from home on vacation put several interior lights on a timer, making sure you set them to go on and off at different times.
Make sure your neighbors know to call the police immediately if they see any suspicious activity at your home.
Financial/White Collar Tips
When using an ATM machine, make sure that no one is watching you enter your PIN number.
Check your credit history at least once a year to make sure that no unauthorized people have opened any accounts in your name.
Shred the pre-approved credit card applications that you receive in the mail before throwing them away.
When receiving credit cards and / or checks through the mail, make sure you check your mailbox promptly everyday to help reduce the possibility of someone stealing them out of your mailbox.When accepting checks as payment for anything, make sure the check is good prior to delivering the purchased item to the buyer. Bank checks are very easy to forge.
If your wallet or purse is lost or stolen, make sure you notify your bank and credit card companies as soon as possible.
If the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
Never give your social security number or bank account numbers to anyone over the telephone or via e-mail unless you're absolutely sure that the person/company you are talking with is legitimate.
Try to use Direct Deposit whenever possible.
Make sure that your driver's license number is not the same as your social security number.
Do not leave your credit card receipts where people may find them. (Some businesses still print your entire charge account number on their receipts.) When throwing them away, make sure you shred them completely.
When discarding your credit card statements, make sure that you shred them completely.
Be aware of the possibility of fraud when making purchases over the Internet.
General Crime Tips
When you see suspicious activity, contact the police immediately. We would much rather respond and determine that everything is okay than not be called and learn later on that a crime was committed.
Try to remember as much as you can about the suspicious person(s) or vehicle(s) so you can provide that information to the police. Write the information down if at all possible. Clothing descriptions, scars, marks, tattoos, voice impediments, jewelry worn, physical deformities and anything else that may help us identify the perpetrator(s) are important.
When noting information about suspect vehicles, the Make, Model, color, number of doors, body damage, tag number, number of occupants, type of wheels, and anything else that may be unique to that vehicle are important to us.
Make every effort to obtain a tag number from the suspect vehicle(s), as well as the direction it traveled when it left the area.
If you witness a crime, please report it immediately and make sure you stay around so an officer can take your statement.
If you look like a victim and act like a victim, you're more likely to become a victim. Be aware of potential dangers and make every effort to protect yourself, your family, and your property.
Robbery Tips
Do not loiter in the parking lot of a business or apartment complex.
If at all possible, never walk alone.
When walking to or from a location, take the most direct route possible.
Do not walk in secluded areas or hang out in unoccupied or abandoned buildings.
Do not accept rides from, or offer rides to people that you do not know.
Do not open the door for anyone unless you know them personally. If the person tells you that they need help, advise them that you will call the POLICE for them. Do not let them into your home to use your telephone.
Do not carry large amounts of cash or wear a lot of jewelry.
Make sure your wallet or purse is carried in a manner that will make it difficult for someone to grab.
Do not count your money in public.Do not leave your purse unattended in a shopping cart or on the front seat of your vehicle. Do not place yourself in harms way by frequenting areas where criminal activity is prevalent.
Always be aware of your surroundings and the activity going on around you. If your instincts tell you that something is wrong and to be alarmed, pay attention and remove yourself from the potentially dangerous situation.
Vehicle Crime Prevention Tips
Keep the doors to your vehicle locked whenever it is unoccupied.
Do not leave any items of value in your vehicle. If you must leave valuables in the vehicle, please keep them in the trunk and out of sight.
Do not leave your vehicle running while you enter a store to pay for gas or to make a purchase.
Never leave your keys in your vehicle.
When selling your vehicle, make sure that you verify that the check used to pay for the vehicle is good before you allow the buyer to take possession of the vehicle. Be aware that it is very easy to forge a cashier's or bank check.
Always try to park your vehicle in an area that is well lighted.
Do not allow anyone to borrow your vehicle unless you know and trust them completely.
Park your vehicle in your locked garage whenever possible.
-Birdy
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please be considerate of others, and please do not post any comment that has profane language. Please Do Not post Spam. Thank you.