Join K.A.O.S.S. and become a crime fighter

I have started a meet-up group and on-line community of Crime fighters.  It is FREE to join and is a place where we can share and learn from each other how not to become a victim of crime.

The aim of K.A.O.S.S. is to vigorously promote crime prevention by providing crime awareness information, programs and safety-related training to cities across America all FREE of charge.

Become part of K.A.O.S.S.  Click here!  www.meetup.com/keepingallourstreetssafe

After being in Law Enforcement for over thirty years and dealing with countless victims, I am using the knowledge and experience I have gained to spread awareness, and help millions of people everywhere learn how not to become a victim of crime. 

It is my hope that K.A.O.S.S will become a household word and a simple reminder that all of us need to do our part to “Keep All Our Streets Safe”.

Why join a group? 

There are numerous organizations, neighborhood watch groups and community associations that are available for you to join in your area or you start one of your own.  The reason you join a group is to form a master mind alliance with like-minded people who are motivated in the same cause.  There is a lot of power in numbers and much can be accomplished, learned and gained from each other’s own experiences.

Something as simple as telling your group to remember not to leave their lap top computer, purse or personal property on the front seat of their car would help people not become a victim.  Scams and Identity theft could be drastically reduced if we all were aware that the thief only wants these two things; “your personal information” and wants you to “send them money”.   

I, like you, am sick and tired of watching and hearing on the news about criminals committing their crimes and taking advantage of good innocent people.  It is also dis-hearting and aggravating that too many people are either ignoring the fact that crime exists or they take on the, “it will never happen to me” attitude and then stand by doing nothing while criminals take advantage us.

Since the beginning

Crime has been around since time began.  Even in the very beginning as the Bible tells us, the criminal or the enemy, came in the form of a serpent and deceived our first parents.

The criminal, are people of all walks of life, of all back grounds and cultures and sometimes it is not easy to know who the enemy truly is.  It could very well be your neighbor, your co-worker, your minister, priest, teacher and trusted loved one or as hard as it is to believe, maybe even a family member that will take advantage, steal and deceive you.

Needless to say, it is up to each of us to become educated and aware of this truth so we can protect our families, ourselves, our children and our treasures by not giving this virus the “opportunity” to make us a victim.

As long as we turn our backs to crime, ignore it or believe it will never happen to us, criminals will always be there when opportunity presents itself and another victim will fall prey to the enemy and have to feel the pain, anger and frustration of being a victim. 

Spreading the word

Unless you have been a victim of crime, it may be hard to understand how important awareness truly is.  If every one of us just warned three people who in turn warned three people who warned three people, the entire world would be aware in only a few weeks.  You can help by sending this article to three people and help them to become aware and then ask them to send this article to three people and so on…let’s all adopt “K.A.O.S.S.”

Conclusion

I ask that we all take on the mindset that “awareness” is the first step in the fight against crime.  As we become more aware and “eliminate the opportunity” by making it harder for the criminal to commit crime, in turn, the criminal will also become aware that he cannot commit his crime so easily because there is no opportunity.

Let us “spread this word” and start to win the war on crime. 

Abandoned Car Seat Placed by the Roadside: A Potential Lure

Upon seeing what would appear to be an abandoned child car seat (often containing a life-size doll or rolled bundle, partially covered with a small blanket) a passing motorist would instinctively stop their car and get out to inspect. Here is where the gang or rapist comes out of hiding and apprehends the motorist.

A serial rapist may have studied your daily commute and know the approximate times of your travel, and set-up this tactic in an effort to catch YOU off guard. Don’t be fooled!

The placement of the child car seat generally tends to be near wooded areas or grassy fields. Any secluded place that is comfortable to the perpetrator, making convenient work to drag or forcibly lead the would-be victim to a more secluded spot where s/he is robbed and possibly murdered and their vehicle stolen.

Women are especially being targeted by this tactic as a rapist would capitalize upon a woman’s instinct to intervene in what initially appears to be an abandoned child. Don’t become a victim! -Don’t let yourself be fooled!

If you see an abandoned child car seat by the roadside covered with a blanket, Don’t stop your car and get out. -It could be a trap.

Image by stobor via Flickr

Report it immediately to your local police or law enforcement agency. If nothing else, they can secure the area and remove the bait. Perhaps law enforcement will even flush-out the lurking gang or rapists hiding in the area. There is nothing like the sight of a slow-moving police vehicle to scare away the criminal element from a would-be crime scene.

But there are other methods and tactics being used to get you to stop your car and become a victim…

Drive-by Windshield Egging

You may be driving along a secluded road or lesser-used highway and pass several pedestrians whom suddenly for no reason pelt your car’s windshield with raw eggs. DO NOT TURN ON YOUR WINDSHIELD WIPERS at this time! Don’t use the windshield washer-sprayer either, this is also a bad action. Attempting to wash away the smashed egg using the windshield washer/sprayer will only disperse the egg more, created an opaque hazy white view.

The windshield wipers will only disperse the organic egg yolk and albumen (egg whites) into a wide and pervasive greasy smear, greatly obstructing vision and causing you to either crash your car or forcing you to stop at least. Again, placing your safety in jeopardy.

Your safest action is to continue driving with haste to a distant safe location and where it is safe, remove as much of the egg using a towel or cloth. And of course, be sure to report this event to authorities.

Likely you are not the first targeted would-be victim. And by reporting the incident you may prevent someone else from falling victim to a theft, rape or murder.

Child Safety Seat Hoax, or Prediction for the Future?

According to hoax-slayer.com, this scenario is a hoax that was perpetrated across the U.K. and is a variant of a similar hoax that was perpetrated across the U.S., Canada and other nations. There have been no reported victims of this alleged crime to date. Still, now that this recipe is circulating it is not so far-fetched and untoward to not be attempted sometime in the future. Be aware, be warned.

 One.  Strangers that frequently come and go out of a nearby house.

Now we all have our family and friends who will periodically visit, but some people have a house that is often being visited by all sorts of people.  Most of the people don’t stay for long, may not enter the home, and usually don’t have anything obvious in their hands.  Drugs can be hid in all sorts of places on the body.  People who are trying to hide something bigger may do it with a box, bag, backpack or large purse or worse their own child.  The key is to pay attention to patterns.  Who’s bringing the items?   What does this person look and dress like?  Which people are often walking away with or without something?  What hours of the day are these same people coming and going?  Unless the people are living there, why would someone in the neighborhood come over every day or on a certain day, never stays for long, and often meets outside? Could the person be running a legitimate business from home?  If so, strike up a conversation one day and talk about a home business you may know about. 

Listen for clues that this person is operating a business from home and ask for a business card.   If they don’t mention anything about a business and seem rather annoyed talking about home businesses with you, keep your eyes open and start noting what you see while keeping track of days and times.   Report your findings anonymously to the local police. They will start driving by the house.

Two.  Drive-by strangers.

This is the people traffic that never bothers to get out of their car or truck.  They may drive up to the home with loud music or discreetly and just sit and wait.  Someone comes out gives the person something and then drives off.  Once again, pay attention to patterns.

Three.  People traffic during the middle of day and throughout the week while most people work.

A good way to keep busy bodies out of their business, the drug dealer or user doesn’t want any attention on his or her home, so while the cats in the neighborhood are away the mouse will play.  Chances are while you are watching him or her, the dealer is watching you and everyone else.  He or she may know about what time you leave for work every morning, if you come home for lunch or not, and when you arrive home.  Change up your weekday and weekend routines.

Four.  Frequent damage to property.

You may have visited neighborhoods that have graffiti on walls, falling shutters, cracked glass, run-down doorways, worn out sidewalks, and a home in need of a serious paint job.  It seems that with each passing week it is looking worse and you may have spotted a bullet hole here and there.  This is a clear indication that the drug dealer is using his or her own supply and may have been in trouble a time or two for not paying whoever they bought it from.  The house may be gradually turning into a crack house—a place for users to do drugs only. 

Five.  Police arrests made near or on the premises.

When the signs go up from property owners about giving police permission to make an arrest on the property, there’s trouble on or around.  You may have witnessed or heard about people getting into altercations where the police had to take someone off to jail.  When you see an increase of this kind of activity, then you know there is trouble in the neighborhood.  Chaos will either rise or fall depending on how much shady activity is going on in the area.

Six.  Illegal drug use odors.

There are those individuals who smoke for recreational purposes and others who are in business or both.  Any mind altering drug creates problems for either the people who the individual lives with or those who don’t.

Seven.  Loud music coming from automobiles usually late at night.

You frequently hear a certain automobile with loud music going up and down the street at various hours during the night when most people are sleep, this is a clear indication that the driver is trying to get the attention of someone in the neighborhood.  It doesn’t have to be drug-related, it could be a boy in heat trying to get his girlfriend out the house or some folks who like to party, but whatever the case, sometimes look out your window.  Jot down a license plate number and file a noise complaint with the local police.

Eight.  Strangers knocking on your door sometimes all hours of the night mistaking you for someone else.

When observing these strangers pay attention to their demeanor.  They may not look healthy, have a weird look to their eyes, appear nervous, and/or impatient.  Some of these people may be drug users looking for the previous resident or someone in the neighborhood who you may look like.  Note what you see and don’t open the door if the person should come back to your home after you have already told them that you are not that person or “the person you are looking for doesn’t live here.”

Nine.  Neighborhood watch signs start going up, neighbors buy dogs, have bars on windows, and tell stories of robberies, rape, and/or kidnappings.

Most likely, some of these things have already happened.  Others may have just started happening which may make you feel like you ought to do the same thing.  This is when you must communicate with the police, a neighborhood watch group, or review the local newspaper or community website and check the crime blotter section to find out about the latest occurrences in the neighborhood.

Ten.  Children share stories of seeing people in the neighborhood looking and/or acting strange.

Some of the best detectives are children.  They act as if they aren’t paying attention to anything but their toys and games, but the truth is they are watching adults and they see things that others may not see.  Befriend a child in the neighborhood and find out what he or she sees.  Unfortunately, some of these children are used by adults involved in illegal activities to help them, so be careful which child you talk to and watch for his or her connections.

Be proactive wherever you live and know what is going on in the neighborhood.  Watch who you choose to associate with and pay attention to neighbors who may be connected with those in the neighborhood deemed trouble-makers.  Avoid opening your home up to people whose activities you question and decline invites to visit their homes.  When you do, you are keeping you and your family safe.

Mokhtar Yusof, 71 and his wife, Halimah Mat Yassin, 57 became victims to a robbery-murder that was believed to be perpetrated by their own grandson.

The perpetrators were all teens and were in the process of ransacking the couple’s house when the couple came home after visiting a relative at the Tuanku Ampuan Najihah Hospital (HTAN) at Kuala Pilah.

Upon entering their home, the couple noticed that the house was in a state of disarray. They went to each of the rooms in their house and in one room discovered two teenagers ransacking the room. One of the teens was their grandson.

Halimah Mat Yassin persuaded her grandson not to do anything stupid. At that moment, two other teenagers appeared and one of them probably panicked and stabbed Mokhtar twice in the back. Mokhtar was also stabbed on the chest and immediately fell to the floor. Halimah panicked upon seeing her husband covered with blood. She didn’t even noticed being slashed on the arm.

Halimah screamed for help and neighbors came to her aid upon hearing the commotion but it was too late. The four teenagers fled with cash and valuables. In the meantime, Mokhtar died in Halimah’s arms.

Within three hours, the four teenagers, three boys and a girl, were arrested. The cash and jewelleries that were taken were recovered.

It’s sad that the couple’s own flesh and blood could be involved in such a heinous crime. I’m sure if their grandson needs money or needs help, his grandparents would certainly give a helping hand. Why did he have to resort to robbing his own grandparents?

Perhaps, the grandparents have disowned him because he’s involved in drugs or in gang-related activities. Otherwise, how can a grandson even thought of robbing his own grandparents?

And as for elderly couples everywhere, I think that they should be more careful if they were to ever return to their home and finding it in disarray. Anyone who comes home to a house that has been ransacked should quickly call the police or call for reinforcement.

In many Malaysian villages, there are groups that would make sure of the security of the village like a neighborhood watch group. Instead of entering their house, they should have just quickly called for help because they may never know if the house is still secured or not.

 (Photo courtesy of Google)

We live in a very dangerous and crazy world.  You look at the television or open up the newspaper and notice shootings, identity theft, violence, and other bad things.  You cannot be too careful in this day and age; you have to be on guard.

I was the unfortunate victim of identity theft.  I was enrolled at a college several years ago and someone took out more than $25,000 without me knowing.  I eventually found out about the theft because when I tried to get a personal line of credit, the bank turned me down.  I was baffled and said, How is this possible? I have great credit!

When I looked at my credit report, there was a delinquency of a student loan on my report!  I was mortified, so I went to the police station to file a report.  Moments later the debt collectors were calling me left and right; thank god, I had my police report to fax into them, but the matter took almost 2 years to get fixed; it was an absolute nightmare.

When I looked at the fraudulent student loan application, I saw that someone has scribbled in my name.  They never caught the jerk who took my identity.  I hope that the loser fails college; what goes around comes around.

At the time, the person who gave the jerk the student loan never checked for fingerprints or an extensive background; perhaps this has changed today.  Information is widely available over the internet and for a fee, a person can delve into your private life-Very scary!!

My advice to everyone out there: Check your bank statements carefully, if something does not look right, call your bank and let them know about a strange charge to your account.  An investigation will be promptly done.

Were you aware of the fact that thieves actually rummage through people’s trash to look for bank statements or other documents with the person’s personal information on it?  To avoid becoming a victim to these creeps, the best thing to do is to put your documents in a shredder so that the information cannot be retrieved.

Also, do not give out personal information online, such as in a chat room or over the phone; people can use this information to rack up huge shopping charges and you will be stuck with the bill.

Do not be tempted to respond to bogus internet scams, which usually has a situation where someone has found missing treasure or lost money and needs your assistance.  If you fork over a portion of your hard earned money to these crooks by money wire transfer, you will never see your money again, and the crooks will be laughing all the way to the bank.

I have heard heartbreaking stories in which scam artists con gullible people out of their live savings-$10,000 and even as high as $100,000, if not more.  Many times the victims will not tell others about the incident because it causes them too much embarrassment or shame. 

A person going on vacation should have a responsible person gather the mail and packages on a regular basis. A thief is able to scope out a person’s house and tell whether he or she has been gone for a long time due to the accumulation of packages or mail in the mailbox.  Also place a sign in the window and the lawn saying that the premises has an alarm.  This will usually stop a thief in their tracks.  Large guard dogs will also deter a thief because the thief knows that he or she is no match for a growling dog.

If going out at night in an unfamiliar neighborhood, travel in a group.  If for some reason you have to go out at night, take a portable alarm in which you pull off the tab quickly to emit an ear piercing sound to scare off the perpetrators.  Pepper spray is equally as effective and I hear that the stuff will have the perpetrator screaming. If heading to a car, always walk with your keys in your hand and walk with purpose, alert and ready to open the door, and always look around you.

You can even use your keys as weapons if attacked by someone; just place the keys between your fingers and strike at the bad person’s face and even go for the eyes; that should teach them not to mess with you.

These are some tips in which I recommend to keep you from become a victim of fraud and crime

G*O*S*S*I*P*I*N*G

“Did you see…?”

“Well, I heard..”

“Well, I never…”

“Yes, you did, you’re just too old to remember..”

“Why did she do that?”

“Who knows..”

Four Old Women sitting under a tree

G*O*S*S*I*P*I*N*G

“My doctor said..”

“Would you speak up, you know I can’t hear!”

“THAT’S WHY WE’RE TALKING ABOUT YOU!”

“Okay, but, you know I can’t hear!”

“Who is that?”

“Who are they going to see?”

“Would you quit craning your neck they’ll know we’re watching!”

Four Old Women sitting under a tree

G*O*S*S*I*P*I*N*G

Back in the day when I was a young Police officer, community members were not as involved as they are today in working with the Police, and they were left out of the crime solving equation.  Instead, most stood on the sidelines and watched from a distance as Police did their job, and no one asked any questions.

However, as crime continued to plague our neighborhoods, people wanted to get more involved, everyone was, fed up, and no one wanted to take it anymore.  It became apparent the two needed each other more than anything did and so, community based Policing was fully implemented.  

Cops spend the majority of their time patrolling around neighborhoods deterring criminal activity.  Imagine if each Officer had information of the problems given to them by community members of who, what, when and where crime was occurring.  Officers would be able to focus on those areas and solve the problems even before the crime happened, causing the crime rates to go down.   

What is a Neighborhood Watch Group?  

Neighborhood watch is a crime prevention program that consists of community members who live in and around an area neighborhood.

Community members work in partnership with their local Police department meeting together regularly and discuss various problems, crime trends and concerns in the area and possible solutions of reducing the fear and incident of crime.

How to start your neighborhood watch group 

Starting a neighborhood watch group is simple and easy.  Most Police departments will have a Neighborhood watch starter pack, which will have all the materials you will need to hold your first meeting.  You can contact the Crime Prevention Unit or Senior Lead Officer of your local area Police Department to assist you.

You can also start by handing out flyer’s or by word of mouth announcing that there is a neighborhood watch group starting.  Include the date and time of the first meeting inviting everyone to come and get involved.

It is critical that you invite a Police Officer familiar with your area to attend the meeting and ask him/her to come prepared to speak to the group concerning crime in the area.

Excellent resources to help you get started 

National Neighborhood Watch Institute,   www.nnwi.org

USA on Watch, USAonwatch.org

How to organize your neighborhood watch group

Some groups become elaborate and very organized.  They elect an organizer or president of their group and have a group name associated with the street they live on or the name of the surrounding area.  Example; The Elm Street Neighborhood Watch Group or The Valley Square Neighborhood Association.

Some groups collect dues and hold fundraisers, which not only brings neighbors together, but also helps raise money to improve their neighborhoods.

A monthly newsletter also goes out to the group announcing various activities, crime prevention tips and other news associated with the group’s interests.

What happens at a neighborhood watch meeting? 

The group will talk and share information on various problems and crimes occurring in the neighborhood and develop an action plan.  The Police Officer attending the meeting will organize the information into areas of concern and then give the information to specialized units, and patrol Officers, who work and patrol the particular problem areas, so they can seek out and solve the problems.      

Police Departments track crime by analyzing and compiling crime reports.  After imputing the crimes into the computer, the system pinpoints on a map the pattern where crime is occurring.  This information is helpful and as members of the community and Police work in partnership together, they can come up with various solutions to the problems before they occur.

In conclusion

In today’s day and age, it is important that we all get involved in making our Country a safer and better place.  We cannot sit back anymore and expect someone else to do it.  It takes a larger voice, a group of loyal and dedicated people focused on winning the fight against crime. 

The strength of our Nation is in its citizens.  As all members of our communities and Police, continue to work in partnership together, the fight and battle against crime will triumph.  

Article also posted on Bukisa.com and Associatedcontent.com by Scott Hallock

Our possessions are always a target for thieves, whether it be our homes, cars, families, pets or personal items. You and your family are the most valuable asset, and the best protective measures should be taken to ensure everyone’s safety, especially your children. You should know where your children are at all times to prevent child abduction. Make sure you are keeping an eye on your children while  they are playing outside.  Many children are reported missing after they have been left to play outside without being monitored. Be sure to learn as many prevention methods to keep your child safe. As a parent or guardian, you are responsible for your child’s safety.

A wallet or purse is usually one of the biggest targets for a thief.  They are looking to steal your purse or wallet for the money, or credit cards,  or just about anything that is worth anything. You should always call police as soon as you can to report a crime or theft. If your credit card is stolen, immediately call your credit card company to report the theft and to cancel your card. Credit card companies will usually work with you to make sure that you are not liable for any charges that the thief makes on your card.

Not only are we susceptible to crime during the night but also during the day. We must admit to ourselves that crime can happen at anytime. It is better to stay in areas that are well lit if you are out after dark. Avoid walking or jogging alone after dark. Always have your keys ready if you are walking to your car. Make sure you lock your car doors when you get into your car, and upon leaving your car. You want to make sure you are safe while you are inside without giving anyone the chance to get into your car to do you or your family harm.  Never leave keys, packages, purses or valuable items inside your car. This would give thieves a chance to steal your car and your possessions.

Identity theft has become one of the greatest alarms in our society. There are plenty of measures to keep yourselves protected. Shred mail and documents when you have no need for them. You can always buy a shredder at your local department store. Make sure you stop your mail from being delivered if you are going to be away from home and can’t get your mail, or if you are going to be on vacation. You can call your local post office to keep your mail from being delivered, or have someone pick up your mail while you are away.

Make sure pets are safe by properly making provisions for them if you can’t take them with you on a trip or vacation. Your pet can be stolen while you are away. There are kennels that will shelter pets while you are away for an extended period of time. You can also make plans for a neighbor or friend to take care of your pet while you are away, which will ensure they are safe and properly taken care of. Some pets are stolen because they are of a popular breed, which can be bred and sold for a big profit.

Burglar alarms are one of the best safety precautions for a home or car. Homes are also a big target for thieves. Make sure your home is secure and doors are locked at all times. You should make sure that door locks are stable and secure. Installing a good dead bolt lock is important to keep out unwanted visitors. Windows should have locks on them that work properly, and if need be, you can put security bars on your windows to secure them even more. Double check locks when you leave your home, and when you arrive home to make sure they are locked, especially if you are going on vacation. Adequate lighting is a very important security measure to have outside your home at night, and to use whether you are at home or away. You can install proper yard lighting surrounding your home, which include outdoor light fixtures and security lighting which switch on when darkness falls. Never go into your home if your door is ajar upon arriving home. Leave immediately and call police then go to a place where you feel safe until police arrive.

Simple neighborhood safety measures can keep you and your family safe from harm. A neighborhood watch will bring a peaceful and safe atmosphere to your street.  It will give you and your neighbors a better feeling of security, knowing that all the safety measures of a neighborhood watch are enforced.  Don’t let crime take over your neighborhood.

Image by NatalieMaynor via Flickr

Is well known that Neighborhood Watch programs in close collaboration with local police departments can create a sense of security in the city. These projects obviously, reduce crime, although it is difficult to say exactly how much. Very few programs can create relevant statistics show where crime has fallen significantly

But what about a mobile patrol Neighborhood Watch, where people really concerned unit to help Scout crime? Well, actually it is very difficult to document, and no point in trying to take credit, because most police departments are political animals and the creation of a non-mobile PNT, step on their toes a little.

Over the years I have participated in several of these types of programs and in fact wrote a manual for those wishing to create their own community. I know that at UT, WA, and there was no reduction in crime during the time that the NTP began to move, but nobody can prove that it was “because” the program, but the Volunteers program speculate that the increased visibility and public relations for the program has reduced crime.

In Jacksonville, FL is another program called a watch business and have done studies that show a decrease in crime, albeit a different program. National Sheriff’s Association statistics on these things, but not specific to anything I’ve done personally with our program. However, even if no one can prove the effectiveness of such projects, known to provide additional visibility, one of the key elements of a good cop