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At California West Patrol, we understand that
crime prevention is everyone’s responsibility. Many
people think they will never become victims of crime.
People living
in gated or affluent communities tend to think that, by virtue
of their neighborhood, they are safe from crime. Nothing could
be further from the truth! Your neighbors are not the only ones
who have access to your neighborhood. A host of people visit
your neighborhood each day, ranging from legitimate contactors,
landscapers and delivery people to criminals looking for an easy
target.
Fortunately, most criminals
are opportunists and if you do your part to make things more
difficult for them they will look to ply their trade elsewhere.
This
page provides suggestions you can take to make yourself less
likely to become a victim of crime at home, work or play.
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Tip of the Month!
Soft Targets, Hard Times
The term “Homeland Security” has understandably become part of the American lexicon since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on 9/11/2001, but what does it really mean to us in our day to day lives? The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is a Cabinet department of the United States federal government with the responsibility of protecting U.S. territory from terrorist attacks and for responding to natural disasters. The DHS prioritizes security risks and monitors activity that may lead to terrorist activity in the United States. DHS created the Homeland Security Advisory System, a color-coded terrorism threat advisory scale commonly referred to by the media as the "terror alert level". The scale consists of five color-coded threat levels intended to reflect the probability of a terrorist attack and its potential gravity. The threat levels are:
• Severe (red): severe risk
• High (orange): high risk
• Elevated (yellow): significant risk
• Guarded (blue): general risk
• Low (green): low risk
Terrorist attacks historically have been directed at large targets such as military bases, embassies and government or commercial buildings. The different threat levels trigger specific actions by federal agencies and state and local governments, and they affect the level of security at these types of facilities.
How does this system benefit the rest of us living, working and socializing in an around potential “soft targets”? The term soft target is a military term used to describe unarmored or undefended targets. It is more commonly applied in the fight against terror to apartment buildings, hotels, shopping malls, subways, trains and train stations, sports stadiums, theaters, schools, hospitals, restaurants, entertainment parks, and many other areas we spend a great deal of our time.
The intent of an attack on soft targets is to create chaos, fear and insecurity within the population. The majority of car and suicide bomb attacks in Israel, the Middle East and other parts of the world have been against soft targets such as market places, restaurants and resort hotels. Who can forget the horrific images of the hotel attack in Bali in 2002, the school hostage crisis in Beslan, Russia in 2004, the suicide bomb attacks on London's public transport system in 2005 and the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India’s commercial capital on at least two five-star hotels, a train station, a Jewish center, a movie theater and a hospital in November 2008? It is reasonable to assume that if such attacks were to be carried out in this country, they would be directed at similar targets.
The accessible nature of soft targets makes them harder to protect. Some preventative measures you might consider in the protection of your property or facility are:
Conduct a professional security assessment of your property or facility to identify potential security threat areas and methods to minimize them.
Increase security patrols in and around your property.
Install security and surveillance cameras in remote or high risk areas.
Encourage your staff, workers and residents to report suspicious behavior and unauthorized or unknown persons on your property to authorities immediately.
Have an emergency plan for your property and practice it!
The staff at California West Patrol can absolutley assist you with the first three measures listed above. Call 1(800) 815-7784 today for a comprehensive onsite security assessment of your property, security and surveillance system consultation or any of your security needs.
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Business Safety Tips:
Don’t
stay late if you’ll be alone in the office. Create a buddy system
for walking to parking lots or public transportation after hours,
or ask a security officer to escort you.
Report broken or flickering lights, dimly lit
corridors, broken windows, and doors that don’t lock properly.
Be sure to lock all your doors and windows when
you leave for the day.
Windows should have secure locks and burglar-resistant glass.
Consider installing metal grates on all your windows if necessary.
Remove expensive items from window displays at night and make
sure you can see easily into your business after closing.
Light the inside and outside of your business, especially around
doors, windows, skylights, or other entry points.
Remove or trim plants, trees or shrubs that obstruct views of
entry doors and windows.
Check the parking lot for good lighting and unobstructed views.
Owners should conduct a security assessment of their business
that evaluates the physical layout, employees, hiring practices,
operating procedures, and special security risks of your business.
Assess the company’s vulnerability to all kinds
of crime, from burglary to embezzlement.
Follow basic crime
prevention principles, and work with your security company and
local law enforcement to protect your business.
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Cars Most Often Stolen - HOT SHEET!
Stolen vehicles are a major concern for many of the properties
we serve. Here is a list of the 10 most stolen vehicles as reported
by the National Insurance Crime Bureau in July of 2008 — the
number in parentheses is the model year most stolen:
- Honda Civic (1995)
- Honda Accord (1991)
- Toyota Camry (1989)
- Ford F-150 (1997)
- Chevrolet C/K 1500 (1994)
- Acura Integra (1994)
- Dodge Ram Pickup (2004)
- Nissan Sentra (1994)
- Toyota Pickup (1988)
- Toyota Corolla (2007)
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Home
Office Safety Tips:
If
you work at home, in addition to making your home safe and secure.
Be sure to use window treatments that obstruct the view into
your office. You don’t want to advertise your expensive office
equipment.
Review your insurance policy — almost all policies
require an extra rider to cover a home office.
Mark your equipment with identification numbers,
and keep an updated inventory list (with photos, if possible)
in a home safe or a bank safe-deposit box.
It’s a good idea to
keep backups of your work in a secure, separate location as well.
Follow the same caution with deliveries and
pickups that businesses do. Anyone making a delivery to your
home office should be properly identified before you open the
door. Do not let the person enter your home.
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Personal Safety Tips:
Do not
give out personal information over the phone, through the mail,
or over the Internet unless you have initiated the contact or
know with whom you are dealing.
If you’re a senior, use direct deposit for your
Social Security check and other regular payments.
If you notice someone following you when you’re
driving, head for the nearest busy, brightly lighted area. Write
down the license number and make and model of the car. Call 911
or your local emergency number.
As you walk down the street or through the parking
garage, pay attention to your surroundings and walk assertively.
Don’t weigh yourself down with too many parcels.
Take several loads to the car if necessary.
If you carry a purse, hold it close to your
body; if a wallet, keep it in a front pocket.
Don’t display your cash or any other inviting
targets such as pagers, cell phones, hand-held electronic games,
or expensive jewelry and clothing.
When traveling, carry only the credit and ATM
cards you absolutely need. Leave the others at home, safely stored.
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School Safety Tips:
Enforce
zero-tolerance policies toward the presence of weapons, alcohol,
and illegal drugs.
Establish policies that declare that anything
that is illegal off campus is illegal on campus.
Develop protocols between law enforcement and
the school about ways to share information on at-risk youth.
Develop resource lists that provide referral
services for students who are depressed or otherwise under stress.
Involve teens in designing and running programs
such as mediation, mentoring, peer assistance, School Crime Watch,
and graffiti removal programs.
Insist that all students put outerwear in their
lockers during school hours.
Require all students to tuck in their shirts
to keep them from hiding weapons.
Develop and enforce dress codes that ban gang-related
and gang-style clothing.
Establish a policy of positive identification
such as ID badges for administrators, staff, students, and visitors.
Deny students permission to leave school for
lunch and other non-school-related activities during school hours.
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Vehicle Safety Tips:
Always
lock car doors and take the keys when you leave your car, even
if you’ll be gone “just for a minute.”
Don’t leave valuables in view in the car. Leave
them in the trunk or, better yet, take them home immediately.
Don’t leave your keys under your bumper or on
a tire when parking at the beach. Crooks know about these “hiding
places” and will take advantage of it.
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Work Safety Tips:
Keep your purse, wallet, keys, or other valuables with you at
all times or locked in a drawer or closet.
Check the identity of any strangers who are
in your office. If anyone makes you uncomfortable, inform security
or management immediately.
If you notice signs of potential violence in
a fellow employee, report this to the appropriate person. Immediately
report any incidents of sexual harassment.
Know your company’s emergency plan. If your
company does not have such a plan, volunteer to help develop
one.
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Crime Prevention Resources:
For more Crime Prevention information visit
the National Crime
Prevention Council website
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