Crime Prevention Tips and latest Crime Maps for District 5

Summertime Special Prevention Tips- Pawtucket Police

Pawtucket Police Department

Crime Prevention Tips for the Winter or Summer

With the summer months approaching, the Community-Oriented Policing Unit of the Pawtucket Police Department would like to offer the following crime prevention and safety tips for residents.

If you leave your residence to do yard work, enjoy a BBQ, or just enjoying your back yard make sure that your entrance doors are securely locked along with making sure not to leave valuables that can easily be seen from the windows outside.

Sheds and Garages: Lock 'Em Up Pawtucket Police Department wants to remind residents to lock their sheds and garages. Officials say the best deterrent to keep thieves from stealing your property is a lock and key. Don't assume you are safe from these unwanted people just because you are at home.

Oftentimes, burglars watch and wait to see where you are and what you are doing. Sheds and garages are often left open and unattended as we do yard work or other outdoor activities. The thief is counting on us to become lax in our security.

To avoid losing valuables, remember to close and lock doors to your garage, shed and home. This is especially true if you are in the front yard and the storage area is in the back. It takes almost no time for a thief to come and go with your property.

Take the time to reacquaint yourself with your old neighbors and meet the new ones. Why not suggest a neighborhood watch to protect and watch out for one another's property. Let your neighbors know when a suspicious person has been spotted in your area. Neighbors working together for each other's wellbeing are the foundation for a happy community.

Make life difficult for a burglar, use locks and keys to protect your property. If you see a suspicious person or notice an unusual situation around your house or that of a neighbor, call 911.

Keep Patio Doors Locked

This time of year we all like to let the fresh air into our homes. And as the warm summer months approach we need to remember some summer safety tips to avoid those pesky summer pests: burglars.

Here are a few recommendations from the Pawtucket Police Department's Burglary Unit:

Never leave a patio door unlocked while away from home. Security experts recommend a security bar placed between the sliding door and the doorjamb. These bars are often referred to as "Charlie bars." Don't assume that the latch on the door is secure enough to ward off a thief. Lock the door at night as well to keep out unwanted guests.
Always lock windows on the first floor or ground floor. This applies even if there is an enclosed or screened-in porch. It takes so little time and effort to cut through screen mesh and gain access to a home or apartment.
Always secure windows and doors in the basement. It can be easy to forget about this area of the house during the summer months when we're running in and out doing chores.
Some other areas to lock up when not in use: those sheds and garages. When not using them, lock them. Thieves often wait for residents to leave the area, if only for a moment, to raid the shed or garage. And don't forget to lock the windows of the garage too. If there is an entrance to the house through the garage, a thief can enter your residence while you are out tending to the garden or washing your car.

Enjoy all that summer has to offer but don't let your house become a target for burglars.

Got A Bike? Engrave It - Lock It Or Lose It

Bike riding and warm weather are a natural combination. But if your bike is stolen, hiking will be more your speed over the next few months.

The Pawtucket Police Department suggests all bike owners engrave their bikes. It's very simple to do and if needed, owners can go to the local precinct and borrow an engraving tool. Officers say using the ID numbers from a driver's license or Rhode Island ID card is the best way to mark your bike. Never, Never use a social security number as an ID number.

Another suggestion from officers is when storing a bike in a shed or garage, lock and attach it to a lawnmower or other heavy and bulky equipment. Thieves do break into sheds and garages. Attaching a bike to a piece of heavy equipment makes it more difficult to just walk or ride away from the area.

Before Leaving for vacation …Secure Your Residence

Make sure all the locks on the doors and windows function properly and use them.

Make sure your residence looks lived in and not empty.
Leave the shades and blinds on doors and windows in a position that you would normally have them.
Ask several neighbors to keep an eye on your residence while you are away. Leave your vacation address and telephone number with the neighbors so you can be reached in an emergency.
Make sure your smoke and burglar alarms are functioning properly and armed.
Arrange for a neighbor to pick up your deliveries: mail, newspaper, and any other packages.
Arrange for someone to maintain your yard so your home appears occupied.
Have someone place your garbage cans at the curb for normal pickup and put them away after the pickup has been made.
Make sure you have timers for lights, television, or radios so they turn on and off at the appropriate times.
Turn the ringer on the telephone down low or off. A possible intruder will not be alerted to your absence by a ringing telephone. If you can, forward your calls to your cellular phone or a trusted individual.
Leave a normal message on your answering machine; do not announce your absence on the answering machine.
Ask a neighbor to park in your driveway while you are gone so it will appear that someone is home. If you leave your car at home, park as you normally would.
Consider taking valuables that you cannot live without to a safety deposit box.
Call local police to advise them that you are on vacation.
On The Road

Try not to carry large amounts of cash; use traveler’s checks. If you must carry large sums of money do not openly display it.
Do not carry more credit cards than you will need. Keep a list of all traveler’s check numbers and credit card numbers in a safe place. Have telephone numbers to call if either are lost or stolen.
Never advertise your plans to strangers; this includes travel routes and the amount of cash you are carrying.
Do not stop for hitchhikers or stranded motorists. If you want to help, call for assistance for them.
If you suspect that someone is following you, drive to the nearest well-populated place and call 911 or use your cellular phone for emergency assistance.
Do not leave any tickets (airline, train, bus) in open view. They are as valuable as cash.
Males are advised to carry wallets in an inside pocket or the front pocket of their pants. Females should carry their purses under their arm with a firm grasp.
Mark your luggage so it is easily identified. Take pictures of your luggage so airline personnel can identify it if it is lost.
Be sure your luggage is locked and labeled with your name and telephone number. Someone can call you if your luggage is found. If you have a business address, label it on the luggage for a return address.
Hotel and Motel Security

Place all of your luggage in your room; do not leave anything in your vehicle.
Do not leave valuables in your room when you are not there; take them with you.
Keep a daily check of all your belongings.
Place extra cash, jewelry, or valuables in a hotel/motel safe.
Use the door viewer to identify anyone requesting entry into your room. Do not open the door if you do not believe the person has a legitimate reason for being in your room.
Unpack your luggage. Arrange all your belongings so that you will notice if anything is missing.

Pawtucket Drop in Crime & Smart Woman avoids Tire Kidnapping

04/26/2007
Police see drop in crime
By: Kevin O'Connor , Times staff writer

PAWTUCKET - This city became a kinder, gentler place in 2006.
Police have the numbers to prove it.
Reported crime dropped by eight percent last year, with big drops reported in stolen cars, assaults and larcenies.
There were 347 cars reported stolen in 2006 compared to 437 in 2005, a drop of 21 per cent. Larcenies dropped from 1806 in 2005 to 1559 in 2006, a drop of 15 per cent. Robberies went from 107 to 93 in the two years, a drop of 13 percent.
The most apparent negative in the statistics was the number of housebreaks, which went from 492 in 2005 to 556 in 2006.
"We'll be looking at that closely," Police Chief George Kelley said. "We'll be making up charts, showing us all the neighborhoods involved and the times each break is reported.
"Eventually, we'll see patterns."
That, Kelley added, is a good example of the change in police work that has helped the department cut down on crime in the city.
"We've introduced a lot of technology to this work in the past few years," Kelley said. "The officers are really using the technology intelligently."
The whole department is connected by computers now. It goes way beyond filing reports and passing notes to each other.
Officers are getting more comfortable using their computers to do what good cops have always done - keep their eyes open and share what they see.
"Our officers have always filed field interview reports when they speak to someone or run a license check after a traffic stop," Kelley said. "Those used to be written on cards that would either get lost or never looked at again.
"Now they go into the computers. It can help us see patterns and make connections."
Detective Major John Whiting noted that detectives recently arrested several juveniles on robbery charges - the arrests resulting from the work of officers on patrol.
"It was as simple as the patrol officers noting that everyone in a group was wearing the same type of sports jersey," Whiting said. "When those jerseys were part of the description in a robbery, we were able to go to the FI cards (field interview) and come up with names. It gave us a really good start."
Police brass meet twice a week to pick over every crime reported and search for a better way to tackle the problem.
"Eventually, there are patterns that emerge," Kelley said. "Often we see that a particular group is working in a neighborhood."
Cutting crime requires two things, Kelley said. Police have to help prevent crime and they have to arrest criminals.
"We were seeing a lot of cars that were stolen while they were left running," he explained. "We put up posters at all the doughnut shops and convenience stores, telling people to turn off their car when they left it.
"We made a concerted effort and we saw a significant reduction."
Detectives have also maintained a good clearance rate on crimes. They made two dozen arrests based on fingerprints that detectives found at crime scenes and then matched to fingerprints on file. Detective David Griffin came up with 21 of those matches in 2006.
But, that said, Kelley noted that the department made four arrests on robbery charges in the past month. All four arrests were the result of patrol officers keeping their eyes open and detectives persistently knocking on doors.
"I'm reluctant to say this, because we could get hit with a string of crimes tomorrow, but I think we are policing better," Kelley said. "We're patrolling smarter, we are working smarter and we are taking advantage of available technology.
"But it really still comes down to the officers out there, doing the work."







©The Pawtucket Times 2007


..................................
I know you're all supersmart, and trust your instincts, but just a
reminder (whether it's a true story or not) not to second guess
yourselves.



About a month ago there was a woman standing by a mall entrance
passing out flyers to all the women going in. The woman had written
the flyer herself to tell about an experience she had, so that she
might warn other women. The previous day, this woman had finished
shopping, went out to her car and discovered that she had a flat.
She got the jack out of the trunk and began to change the flat. A
nice man dressed in a business suit and carrying a briefcase walked
up to her and said, "I noticed you're changing a flat tire.
Would you like me to take care of it for you?" The woman was
Grateful for his offer and accepted his help.
They chatted amiably while the man changed the flat, and then put
the flat tire and the jack in the trunk, shut it and dusted his
hands off.

The woman thanked him profusely, and as she was about to get in
her car, the man told her that he left his car around on the other
side of the mall, and asked if she would mind giving him a lift
to his car.

She was a little surprised and she asked him why his car was on
other side. He explained that he had seen an old friend in the mall
that he hadn't seen for some time and they had a bite to eat, visited
for a while, and he got turned around in the mall and left through the
wrong exit, and now he was running late. The woman hated to tell
him "no" because he had just rescued her from having to change her
flat tire all by herself, but she felt uneasy. (Trust that gut feeling!)

Then she remembered seeing the man put his briefcase in her trunk
before shutting it and before he asked her for a ride to his car.
She told him that she'd be happy to drive him around to his car,
But she just remembered one last thing she needed to buy. (Smart
woman!!)

She said she would only be a few minutes; he could sit down in
her car and wait for her; she would be as quick as she could be.
She hurried into the mall, and told a security guard what had
happened, the guard came out to her car with her, but the man had
left. They opened the trunk, took out his locked briefcase and
took it down to the police station.
The police opened it (ostensibly to look for ID so they could
return it to the man). What they found was rope, duct tape, and
knives. When the police checked her "flat" tire, there was nothing
wrong with it; the air had simply been let out. It was obvious
what the man's intention was, and obvious that he had carefully
thought it out in advance. The woman was blessed to have escaped
harm.

Please think about forwarding this to the women you care about. It may
save a life.

Mean Moms

Mean Moms

Someday when my children are old enough to
understand the logic that motivates a parent, I will tell them, as my Mean Mom told me:








I loved you enough to ask where you were going, with whom, and what time you would be home.

I loved you enough to be silent and let you
discover that your new best friend was a creep.

I loved you enough to stand over you for two hours while you cleaned your room, a job that should have taken 15 minutes.


I loved you enough to let you see anger,
disappointment, and tears in my eyes. Children must
learn that their parents aren't perfect.

I loved you enough to let you assume the
responsibility for your actions even when the
penalties were so harsh they almost broke my heart.

But most of all, I loved you enough . . . to say
NO when I knew you would hate me for it.

Those were the most difficult battles of all. I'm
glad I won them, because in the end you won, too.
And someday when your children are old enough to
understand the logic that motivates parents, you will tell them.

Was your Mom mean? I know mine was. W e had the
meanest mother in the whole world! While other kids
ate candy for breakfast, we had to have cereal, eggs, and toast.






When others had a Pepsi and a Twinkie for lunch, we had to eat sandwiches.






And you can guess our mother fixed us a dinner that was
different from what other kids had, too.

Mother insisted on knowing where we were at all
times. You'd think we were convicts in a prison. She
had to know who our friends were, and what we were
doing with them. She insisted that if we said we
would be gone for an hour, we would be gone for an hour or less.

We were ashamed to admit it, but she had the nerve
to break the Child Labor Laws by making us work We
had to wash the dishes, make the beds, learn to
cook, vacuum the floor, do laundry, empty the trash
and all sorts of cruel jobs. I think she would lie
awake at night thinking of more things for us to do.

She always insisted on us telling the truth, the
whole truth, and nothing but the truth. By the time
we were teenagers, she could read our minds and had
eyes in the back of her head. Then, life was really tough!

Mother wouldn't let our friends just honk the horn
when they drove up. They had to come up to the door
so she could meet them. While everyone else could
date when they were 12 or 13, we had to wait until we were 16.

Because of our mother we missed out on lots of
things other kids experienced. None of us have ever
been caught shoplifting, vandalizing other's
property or ever arrested for any crime. It was all her fault.

Now that we have left home, we are all educated,
honest adults. We are doing our best to be mean
parents just like Mom was.

I think that is what's wrong with the world today.
It just doesn't have enough mean moms!

Crime Maps of District 5

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