CRIME NEWS: Keller's Glen Crime Update (From Our Next Door Neighbors at Stonehaven)

Forwarded to the neighborhood by Chris:

From: Linda Lee Davis [mailto:lindalee@carolina.rr.com]
Sent: Wednesday, April 15, 2009 2:24 PM

This is a lengthy newsletter but please be sure to read all of it. The bottom portion is an update with some tips from our area Sergeant.

We have recently had “college kids” going door to door selling magazine subscriptions. The guys claimed to be selling magazines for UNC and had no information such as ID cards, shirts, etc. for UNC. Even if a person comes to your door and shows an ID card be extremely careful as they are easily made on a computer and that if someone claims to represent a particular organization, they should call that organization or tell the person to leave a card or other info. on their porch and if they were interested they would call the organization.

Another was a black female, who was pregnant, in her teens or early 20's. She was working for the outfit that recruits homeless people in a northern city, sends them south with a promise of work, puts them up in a hotel for a few days, then sends them out on the street selling magazines. At pre-determined time they send a van out to collect them all taking the money they've collected that day. Then, after a few days they send them out selling the magazines, but never show up in the van to take them back to the hotel and the people become homeless in the city to which they were taken.

This seems to occur every year so please be aware. Brian Lutes, our young neighborhood retired police officer, was called both times and went to investigate. The above information came from him. Please use him for any suspicious activity as he is nearby and can help until the police arrive. Another incident involving magazine sales is this. There are 2 young kids going around the neighborhood selling magazines...it's a scam. Would you forward to the neighborhood watch group?

This is the exact story the kids told me and I found out it's a scam on:

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/426/RipOff0426207.htm

A 'kid' (claimed to be 23) came to the door selling magazine subscriptions. Claimed to be attending college after serving in Iraq and being discharged after being shot with multiple medical issues... 'parents live around the corner and my neighbor recommended that I was a nice person and would likely help.' Claimed he is pursuing a degree in journalism with the opportunity to study abroad in England with the BBC... Offered to donate subscriptions to soldiers in Iraq when I told him I didn't have time to read them... even had a 'list' of soldiers and their addresses. After 6 weeks and no magazine (my school age son asks me daily where his magazines are), I find this site and realize there will never be any magazines. Called customer service number multiple times... never get to a person.

Brian also said that whenever we notice a vehicle in the neighborhood that is one we don’t recognize and seems out of place or just doesn’t feel right in our gut to note the license plate number if possible and get a look at the person/people in the car. Often times they can be linked back to a crime that may occur and having that info handy can help track the criminals down. Also remember if they really give you a bad feeling call 911 about suspicious persons and they will be happy to come and investigate. Brian Lutes at 980-253-4972


The following is from Sergeant Venn:

Greetings,

Welcome to the Independence Division, Response Area 2 monthly community letter. Please check the Independence Division Response Area map at www.cmpd.org/Patrol to see which area you’re in. If you’re not in area 2, contact either Sergeant Rod Farley, RA 1 or Sergeant Rosanne DeTommaso, RA3 to sign up for that area’s letter. I’ll be sending a letter monthly – by email, to
residents and businesses in the Independence Division RA 2. Ask your neighbors to contact me – gvenn@cmpd.org, their Response Area Commander, or the Independence Division office at 704.841.1477, if they’d like to get on board.

First, I would like to introduce myself. I am Gregory Venn, Response Area Commander for Independence Division, Response Area 2. I have been with CMPD for almost 25 years. I have been a Law Enforcement Officer for 31 years (Michigan and Colorado) prior to joining the Charlotte Police Department. The Response Area Team also includes: 14 Patrol Officers, 2 Community Coordinators, 1 Detective, 1 Traffic Officer and 4 Focus Mission team members. All of these officers are part of the team that primarily work the crime trends, issues and answers 911 calls in your neighborhoods.

Burglary/Robbery Prevention Checklist

• Keep the area around your house well lit.
• Have a wide-angle door viewer (peephole) in your front door so you can see who is at the door.
• Always acknowledge a caller at your door to determine who they are and what they want.
• Some burglars ring the door bell, and if there is no answer, they break in.
• Do not open your door to anyone you do not know.
• Secure any sliding glass doors. Put a steel rod in the door channel. Install 2 or 3 screws in the overhead track to reduce the chance of the door being lifted out of the track.
• Complete a home inventory list, complete with photos or video. Store this list in a secure location, preferably away from home.
• Participate in Operation Identification - engrave your driver’s license number on your property. Burglars do not want marked merchandise.
• Keep bushes and trees well trimmed. Thick, tall shrubbery provides hiding places for burglars.
• Make sure that the locks on your doors and windows are strong and secure and use them.
• Consider into installing a burglar alarm system.
• Display “warning” signs. If you have a dog or alarm system display signs that say you do.
• Never leave a house key in an obvious place such as a mailbox or under a doormat.
• Be careful with your keys. Put your house and car keys on separate key rings.
• Have a security plan for when you are on vacation. Ask a trusted neighbor to pick up the mail, etc.
• Be wary of wrong numbers and teach children what to say to strangers on the phone.
• Know the steps to take if your home is burgled.

More information on how to secure your residence can be found at www.cmpd.org or you can
contact the community coordinator in your area and they can assist you.

Crime Trends

We continue to see in increase in Larceny From Autos and Auto Thefts. Arrests have been made in some of these cases. Larceny from Auto is one main problem we are seeing in our Response Area. You can help us reduce these numbers and keep yourself from being a victim of a Larceny From and Of Auto by following some basic rules:

Always lock your vehicle – a large number of these, the victims report leaving their vehicles unlocked. Do not leave any items in plain view. Example: Leaving your GPS suctioned to the window, your iPod sitting on the front seat, your pocket book, book bag, etc in plain view. Please take these items with you.

Crime Prevention

One of the ways for officers to positively identify stolen items is by make, model and serial number. If you purchased a new item like a computer, GPS, iPod or Flat Screen TV, write down the make, model and serial number of these items and any other item of value and keep that list in safe place. For example, I record my serial numbers in a file on my computer for convenience, but I also keep a copy in my records just in case my computer is stolen. It isn't important where or how you record your serial numbers, it is important that you do record them and have them accessible should you need to provide them to police. Also, please remember to lock all doors to your house and cars when away from such.

Lindalee
704-367-1328
www.stonehaveninfo.com