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Need
a Speaker for your organization?
Representatives
of the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office are available to present programs, on a
variety of topics, to any civic, community or church organizations in Ottawa County. |
HELP
US HELP YOU!
Crime Prevention Tips
What
You Can Do to Help Prevent Crime at Home
- Install good dead bolt locks in your doors, and avoid locks that
can be manipulated by breaking glass to reach inside.
- Install a peephole viewer.
- Trim back shrubbery that hides doors or windows, and trim tree
limbs that lead to the second story.
- Lock all doors and windows. Sliding doors may be secured by
dropping a broomstick into the inside track.
- Demand credentials before admitting salesmen or repairmen.
- When strangers ask to use your telephone, do not permit them to
enter...place the call for them.
- Teach your children how to answer the door and phone if they are
home alone. Also practice emergency telephoning with them.
- Report strangers or suspicious activities to police.
Keep
an Inventory of Your Valuables
If you are the victim of a burglary, it
always helps to have a detailed inventory of your valuables on hand. Take some
time to record the manufacturers, models, model numbers, and serial numbers of
items like your television and stereo, VCR, computer, cameras, firearms, and
any other valuable articles around the house. Take photos of items like
jewelry, art, and antiques. Put your inventory and pictures in a safe place.
Childrens' bicycles are often stolen. Having the serial number of your child's
bike on hand can help with later recovery and identification. If you can supply
police with serial numbers, information about your stolen property will be
entered into the National Crime Information Center's stolen property database.
Neighborhood
Watch
Neighborhood Watch is a crime prevention
program which enlists the active participation of citizens in cooperation with
law enforcement to reduce crime in their communities. Networks of neighbors are
trained by crime prevention officers on how to protect themselves and their
property as well as how to serve effectively as additional eyes and ears for
law enforcement agencies in their communities. It involves:
- Neighbors getting to know each other and working together in a
program of mutual assistance.
- Citizens being trained to recognize and report suspicious and
criminal activities in their neighborhood such as burglary, larceny,
vandalism, and littering.
- Implementation of crime prevention techniques such as home
security, suspect identification and Operation Identification, safe homes
for children, and community clean up.
There are several Neighborhood Watch
organizations in Ottawa County that are diligently ensuring neighbors watch out
for neighbors. If you would like to learn more about the existing organizations
or want more information on how to start a Neighborhood Watch in your area,
please contact the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office Detective Bureau at 419-734-6827
or 419-734-6826.
Senior Citizens and Fraud Schemes
According to the American Association of
Retired Persons, older citizens are victims of fraudulent schemes far out of
proportion to their population numbers. Keep informed about the latest con
schemes in your community by reading the newspaper. Be skeptical about any
proposal that sounds too good to be true or has to be kept secret. Don’t rush
into anything. Check it out with friends, lawyers, the police department,
Better Business Bureau, and your state or county consumer affairs department.
Be especially wary of:
- "Get rich quick" schemes for which you have to put up
"good faith" money.
- "Good deals" on expensive repair or home improvement
jobs.
- Investments that promise unusually large returns.
- Someone claiming you owe money for an item ordered by a deceased
spouse or relative.
- Work at home schemes, door-to-door sales, supplemental Medicare
insurance, miracle cures, glasses and hearing aids at bargain prices.
If you are the victim of fraud, call the
police immediately. You may be embarrassed because you were tricked, but your
information is vital in catching the con artist and preventing others from
being victimized.
Senior Citizens Against Crime
Staying active in your community will help
you to feel safer, and help to make your neighborhood a better place to live.
- Join a Neighborhood, Apartment, or Window Watch, or Citizen Patrol.
- Become a foster grandparent or block parent for children who may
need help in an emergency.
- If a friend has been a victim of crime, be supportive. Listen
carefully and don’t be judgmental, cook a meal, help repair damage or
replace belongings. Accompany the victim to the police station and to
court.
- Contact the Detective Bureau at 419-734-6827 or 419-734-6826 of the
Ottawa County Sheriff's Office to talk to your senior citizens’ group.
Want to learn more about crime statistics?
Visit: Bureau of Justice Statistics