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Call 911 for security issues!
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Citizens on Patrol (COPS) is starting in Coldspring Newtown. Please join
us! Times are flexible to your schedule and it’s a great way
to meet your neighbors! Training dates and times will be announced.
• Exercisers and Dog Walkers, please help us by reporting anything you
think is suspicious or things that need repair. You are our most valuable daytime
security asset. Be proactive!
• Remember, leaving valuables in your car, is giving thieves a reason to
break-in. Please remove or hide valuable from your vehicles, whether
parked on the street or in the garages.
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Just remember there is a city curfew for minors. 11pm Sunday-Thursday
and Midnight Friday and Saturday. The curfew is punishable with fines,
community service and or jail time. If you ever have a disturbance
by a minor, it’s a good time to call 911.
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How not to be the candy store for auto thieves
by Bengt Halvorson
The National Insurance Crime Bureau says that once every 20 seconds in
the United States a vehicle is stolen - and that theft from vehicles occurs
far more often than that. While conventional alarms, steering wheel locks,
ignition cutoffs, vehicle tracking systems, and other anti-theft devices
help deter thieves from breaking into your car or stealing it, there are
some basic, common-sense measures that you can take to minimize the chances
that your parked vehicle will be targeted in the first place:
• Always lock all doors and close windows, even if you're going to be parked
for a very short time. Never leave your car running while you run into
a convenience store, go to an ATM, etc.
• Park in a well-lighted area. Find a space near a store entrance or higher-traffic
area, never in an outlying, deserted parking area. Park in attended lots
whenever possible.
• Don't leave any valuables in the car. Keep any loose objects in the trunk
or in storage bins under the seat. A blanket covering things can be an
obvious invitation for a break-in. Minimize the number of small objects
in your car-they're great bait for thieves!
• Parallel-park on main roads. Parking on visible major roads is safer
than parking on side streets or alleys. If you're parallel parking, park
with
the front wheels turned into the curb and the parking brake applied.
• Choose an open, visible space. If you have a small car, try to avoid
parking next to large trucks and SUVs, which give thieves good cover from
security
cameras and passers-by.
• Never hide spare keys in or around the car. Experienced thieves know
all the hiding places.
• Don't leave parking stubs in the car. It just makes it a little bit easier
for thieves to be inconspicuous. Take them with you.
• Get a locking gas cap. If your vehicle does not already have one, it
helps prevent fuel siphoning and vandalism.
• Use a sound system with a detachable face, or a sound system that can
be removed completely from the vehicle.
• Don't lock your glove box, and don't keep valuables in it. If your car
is broken into, a locked globe box can be an invitation for an annoyed
petty thief to tear your dashboard up to get it open. Do not store your
vehicle's title in the glove compartment or anywhere else in the car.
• Don't park in the same place every day. Thieves will often plan ahead
and wait for the right opportunity to come along.
• Don't ever think that your car is too old and worn to be the target of
thieves. Most often, stolen cars are stripped for parts rather than for
resale, and the overall condition of the car makes little difference. High-tech
alarm systems may thwart break-in attempts, but usually some damage results.
The best protection against thieves is to make your car unattractive to
them in the first place. |
