BALLYMEADE

Safety Rules for a Safe Community! (Call 911)

Below is a copy/paste of a recent Email/Newsletter from our County Councilman Bob Weiner, Council District 2, New Castle County, DE  www.bobweiner.com   There are some very good ideas for the safety of your home listed below....read this all the way through. 

May 23, 2013

Dear community leaders and friends,

Good news! Crime in our entire County is down 12%, dispatched calls for police service are down 11% and pro-active vehicle/pedestrian stops have increased by 37% when compared to the same time frame in 2012.  Thanks to our hard working New Castle County Police Department.  Anyone who runs toward danger when everyone else runs away is a special person. Thanks for the generally thank less job they do!

Many of these crimes are resolved because we citizens immediately called 911 when we saw something or someone out of place or suspicious.  No one knows their neighborhood better than those of us who live here; so our observations and detailed descriptions to the 911 call takers are extremely helpful to our police.  Police activities include both visible and unseen initiatives in the area. 

I thank you all for continuing to encourage your friends, relatives and neighbors to utilize sound crime prevention methods such as locking windows and doors and for reinforcing that everyone call 911 to report suspicious activities in our community.

We Must Remain Attentive!!

We also want to remind our citizens to remain “on the alert” for their personal public safety. We cannot stress enough the importance of taking the few extra seconds to lock the door, to close their windows and to be watchful of our neighbors.

With summer, the warm weather sometimes brings a relaxed approach to our safety.  We sometimes fail to lock our vehicle doors.  Another seasonal trend we see this time of year is leaving first floor windows fully open.  Unfortunately the screens in most windows can usually be easily removed allowing unwanted access into the home.  Either closing and locking the first floor windows at night, when we are away, or utilizing the feature that allows the window to open only a few inches can help prevent access into our homes. 

REMEMBER… Criminals are lazy! They will look for the easiest and most accessible way to commit a crime. Let's make it hard for them and easy for us. Thank you in advance for your anticipated sharing this detailed prevention information with others.  

Hoping you all remain safe ! Bob Weiner, your County Councilman

I have appended below previously transmitted Safety Rules for a Safe Community!

 …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

 Please keep your doors and windows locked, use alarms (if residences are equipped) and keep all valuables (such as purses, laptops & flat screen televisions) away from open windows where they can be seen. Leaving radios and televisions on during the day---as well as radios and lighting at night may also serve as a deterrent---making your residence appear to be occupied. Many of these burglaries are occurring during daytime hours. Sometimes burglars are kicking in front doors to gain access. Our police have reason to believe that burglars are using vehicles, so please call the police if you see suspicious vehicles in your area.

Remember these basic safety practices: lock your car doors and home doors, leave nothing in plain view in our cars, leave lights on both back and front of our homes every night. Additionally:

      Report a person’s suspicious activity to the police:

·         A stranger entering your neighbor’s house when it is unoccupied;

·         Observing someone in the neighborhood that you haven’t seen before if this person is looking into driveways and yards as they walk through your neighborhood.

·         A scream heard anywhere might mean robbery or assault;

·         Offers of merchandise at ridiculously low prices may mean stolen property;

·         Anyone removing accessories, license plates, or gas from a vehicle should be reported;

·         Anyone peering into parked vehicles may be looking for a vehicle to steal or for valuables left in the vehicle;

·         Persons entering or leaving a place of business after hours;

·         A sound of breaking glass or loud explosive noises could mean an accident, burglary or vandalism;

·         Persons loitering around schools, parks and secluded areas could be sex offenders;

·         Persons loitering in the neighborhood who do not live there; and

·         Anyone forcing entry to, or tampering with a residence, business, or vehicle should be reported.

While it is important to help reduce the risk of becoming a crime victim, it is very important to never try to apprehend a suspect. Let the police handle this responsibility and top  Never assume that any location is totally safe. Always remain cautious of suspicious people and activities.

 If you need additional information or assistance with this issue, please contact my office at 302-395-8362.  I am also including the contact numbers for our County Police:

New Castle County Police EMERGENCY Dial 911 

Non-Emergency Police Service 302-573-2800 

Drug Tip Line 302-322-6317 

All Other police Information 302-395-8100

Please feel contact our Community Policing Officer- Officer 1st Class Kristen Hester, NCCPD Community Services Unit, Northern District, 302-395-8172 (direct), 302-395-8050 (main) KLHester@nccde.org with any additional questions or concerns.

I also refer you to our county website (www.nccde.org/police) to view our New Castle County Police Burglary Prevention seminar which may be distributed as you wish.

For additional information on how to prevent crime click on this link - http://www2.nccde.org/police/communityprograms/default.aspx

 Although we do have a lesser presence in our County patrol division than we would ultimately prefer, our county police are committed to making sure that the communities served are actively patrolled as staffing levels allow. Our county police rely on input from residents about suspicious activity within and surrounding their homes and deploy resources accordingly as necessary.

 Our county police are the best in the business. By national standards, we should have double the number of police in our force. Having stated this, I am proud to report that our county police have actually reduced the number of crimes in our county while only employing roughly half of the desired number of police. We have a new cadet class but due to retirements, we are just maintaining the same number in our county police force. As a consequence, we all have to be the eyes and ears for our county police.

 
ADDITIONAL TIPS: THINGS YOUR BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU.

1. Of course I look familiar. I was here just last week cleaning your carpets, painting your shutters, or delivering your new refrigerator.

2. Hey, thanks for letting me use the bathroom when I was working in your yard last week. While I was in there, I unlatched the back window to make my return a little easier.

3. Love those flowers. That tells me you have taste... and taste means there are nice things inside. Those yard toys your kids leave out always make me wonder what type of gaming system they have.

4. Yes, I really do look for newspapers piled up on the driveway. And I might leave a pizza flyer in your front door to see how long it takes you to remove it..

5. If it snows while you're out of town, get a neighbor to create car and foot tracks into the house.. Virgin drifts in the driveway are a dead giveaway.

6. If decorative glass is part of your front entrance, don't let your alarm company install the control pad where I can see if it's set. That makes it too easy.

7. A good security company alarms the window over the sink. And the windows on the second floor, which often access the master bedroom - and your jewelry. It's not a bad idea to put motion detectors up there too.

8. It's raining, you're fumbling with your umbrella, and you forget to lock your door - understandable. But understand this: I don't take a day off because of bad weather.

9. I always knock first. If you answer, I'll ask for directions somewhere or offer to clean your gutters. (Don't take me up on it.)
10. Do you really think I won't look in your sock drawer? I always check dresser drawers, the bedside table, and the medicine cabinet.

11. Here's a helpful hint: I almost never go into kids' rooms.

12. You're right: I won't have enough time to break into that safe where you keep your valuables. But if it's not bolted down, I'll take it with me.

13. A loud TV or radio can be a better deterrent than the best alarm system. If you're reluctant to leave your TV on while you're out of town, you can buy a $35 device that works on a timer and simulates the flickering glow of a real television. (Find itathttp://www.faketv/.com/)

8 MORE THINGS A BURGLAR WON'T TELL YOU:

1. Sometimes, I carry a clipboard. Sometimes, I dress like a lawn guy and carry a rake. I do my best to never, ever look like a crook.

2. The two things I hate most: loud dogs and nosy neighbors.

3. I'll break a window to get in, even if it makes a little noise. If your neighbor hears one loud sound, he'll stop what he's doing and wait to hear it again. If he doesn't hear it again, he'll just go back to what he was doing. It's human nature.

4. I'm not complaining, but why would you pay all that money for a fancy alarm system and leave your house without setting it?

5. I love looking in your windows. I'm looking for signs that you're home, and for flat screen TVs or gaming systems I'd like. I'll drive or walk through your neighborhood at night, before you close the blinds, just to pick my targets.

6. Avoid announcing your vacation on your Facebook page. It's easier than you think to look up your address. Parents: caution your kids about this. You see this every day.
7. To you, leaving that window open just a crack during the day is a way to let in a little fresh air. To me, it's an invitation.

8. If you don't answer when I knock, I try the door. Occasionally, I hit the jackpot and walk right in.
Sources: Convicted burglars in North Carolina , Oregon ,California , and Kentucky ; security consultant Chris McGoey, who runs http://www.crimedoctor.com/ and Richard T. Wright, a criminology professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, who interviewed 105 burglars for his book Burglars on the Job.


SAFETY TIP ALERT!! -  WASP SPRAY - Protection for you and your home.

 One police department recommends not using pepper spray and instead suggests getting a can of wasp spray. If you don't have a gun, wasp spray is a more humane way to wreck someone's evil plans for you. The wasp spray, can shoot up to twenty feet away and is a lot more accurate, while with the pepper spray, they have to get too close to you and could overpower you. The wasp spray temporarily blinds an attacker until they get to the hospital for an antidote. Wasp spray doesn't attract attention from people like a can of pepper spray would.

Put a can of wasp and hornet spray near your door or bed. “That’s going to give you a chance to call the police; maybe get out." Maybe even save a life.

Put your car keys beside your bed at night. Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr.'s office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night.

If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around. After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.