Announcements

On the lookout for Christmas shopping bargains?

A shopper’s best weapon against these potential criminals is awareness.

Use common sense, be aware and cautious of your surroundings.

The pair were found bound and shot dead in their SUV. The killer has not been caught.

Police said criminals like to hang around shopping centers because they offer a large number of people, many of them carrying money.

Shoppers tend to relax their vigilance because many consider visiting the mall a leisurely activity.

Besides shoplifting, which is the top offense at shopping centers, other common crimes include carjacking; auto parts robbery; stealing cash, credit cards, purses, wallets and jewelry; and even sexual battery.

Pregnant women, the disabled, the elderly and young children have all been victimized.

Local law enforcement agencies and mall security companies have stepped up efforts to prevent crimes during the busiest shopping season of the year, which kicked off with Black Friday and lasts through Christmas.

Police say they cannot keep shopping centers crime-free without the public’s help. People must be aware of their surroundings, take note of any suspicious activity, and to be ready to give officers good descriptions of suspects if a crime occurs.

Instincts can also make a difference between a victim and a cautious, safe shopper.

Officers say that when people feel something is not right about their surroundings, they should heed that premonition and seek security.

www.privatedetectivesrus.com          1-800-433-0073

It’s a sad fact that thousands of children are reported missing each year. Know how to protect your children against abduction by strangers.

What YOU should do:

• Know your child’s whereabouts at all times.
• At a very early age, teach your child their name, address and telephone number and your first and last name.
• Teach them how to call 9-1-1 for help. When using the telephone for these lessons, make sure the call to 9-1-1 doesn’t actually connect.
• Make sure children know how to make local and long distance telephone calls.
• Never leave children alone in a car, not even for a few seconds.
• Establish strict procedures for picking up children at school, after movies, at friends’ homes, etc.
• Establish a family code word that only you, your child and a trusted relative or friend knows. Teach your child to ask for the code word when approached by someone offering them a ride.
• Remind your children to never accept a ride from someone you don’t know, even if the child knows them.
• Talk to your children about child abduction in a simple, non-threatening way.
• Listen to your child when he or she discusses anyone they have met or spoken with when you weren’t around.
• Have photographs taken of your children at least four times a year (especially for preschoolers). Make note of birthmarks or other distinguishing features.
• Have your child fingerprinted and store the prints in a safe, easily accessible place in your home.

Teach your children to:

• never leave home without your permission. Very small children should play only in areas away from the street, such as a backyard, or in a play area supervised by a responsible adult.
• never wander off, to avoid lonely places, and to avoid shortcuts through alleys or deserted areas. They are safer walking or playing with friends.
• come straight home from school unless you have made other arrangements.
• never enter anyone’s home without your approval.
• scream, run away and tell you or a trusted adult if anyone attempts to touch or grab them, of if a stranger offers them a ride.
• never give any information over the telephone including their name and address, or indicate they are alone.
• keep doors locked and admit only authorized people into the house.
• http://www.privatedetectivesrus.com          1-800-433-0073

At the airport

• Stay alert and watch your bags and computer carefully at all times. Don’t let anyone but uniformed airline personnel handle or watch your bags.
• Always carry proper identification such as a state issued driver’s license or passport.
• Do not bring anything on board for another person unknown to you or not traveling with you, however innocent or small the package or item may appear.
• Carry your purse close to your body or your wallet in an inside front pocket. Better yet, use a money pouch under your clothes.
• Watch out for staged mishaps, like someone bumping into you or spilling a drink. Often it’s a ploy to divert your attention from your valuables.
• Keep a separate record of the contents of checked luggage in case your luggage is lost or tampered with. And keep anything of value in a carry-on that stays with you.
• To avoid problems when passing through customs or security checkpoints, keep medicines in their original, labeled containers. Bring copies of your prescriptions and the generic names for the drugs. If a medication is unusual or contains narcotics, carry a letter from your doctor attesting to your need to take the drug. If you have any doubt about the legality of carrying a certain drug into a country, consult the embassy or consulate of that country before you travel.

         http://www.privatedetectivesrus.com                1-800-433-0073

High-tech thieves found a ways to install card readers in ATM machines enabling them to steal personal information from debit cards and credit cards.

They also install a tiny camera that records your personal identification numbers.

Upon completion of your transaction, the equipment is removed, hooked to the USB port of a computer, and your personal information is downloaded.

When using an ATM machine, or card reader in a gas station, pull on the device to insure it is not removable.  If the device comes out, use caution because the thieves are generally in the immediate area to protect the equipment.

http://www.privatedetectivesrus.com          1-800-433-0073