When in Doubt, Call the Police! How Personal Awareness can Keep Me and My Community Safe Officer Jonathan McIntosh Creve Coeur Police Department

Agenda Being Safe: – Observation skills – Personal awareness Misconceptions about burglaries Protecting your home and property “Ask a Cop” Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Did you know? There are over 400 streets in the City of Creve Coeur. The city is split up into 5 sectors. There is one officer per sector. They cannot patrol every street at all times. This is where you help. Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Crime and Burglaries Thieves are known to “scout” neighborhoods before they steal something. Burglaries are more likely to occur during the day; Night-time burglaries are very rare. Thefts/Property Damage are more likely to occur overnight/early morning. St. Louis is very safe, but we need your help to keep it that way! Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Being Safe Through Awareness and Observation

Awareness and Observation What should I observe in my daily life? – Condition “Yellow” – Be aware of your surroundings. – Be aware of your feelings, instincts and intuition. – Avoiding areas and situations that set off your “alarms”. Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Awareness Recognize the fact that you may be targeted for a crime and prepare for it now. Be preventative: – Avoid visiting stores at closing time. – Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. Pay for purchases with a credit card or debit card when possible. – Talk to your children about safety and prevention. Know your location at all times. Be aware of the people around you. Recognize potential hazards. Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Awareness If you carry a purse, carry it close to your body and under your arm. – If someone grabs your purse, let it go. Keep wallets in an inside or front pocket. Do not overload yourself - Keep your hands free. – Be prepared to fight back, if necessary.

In your Car… While driving, always lock your doors. Keep at least a half-tank of gas in your car. Always park in visible, well lit areas. Have your keys ready when approaching your car. Scan around your car when approaching it. Back into a spot if able.

In your car… Remove valuables from your vehicle before having it serviced. Remove all keys when dropping off your vehicle with a valet or when it is getting serviced. Do not leave your purse in your car, even when parked at home. Lock packages and valuables in the trunk when you park. Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Observation Skills Physical Setting Specific Locations – Where am I? – What street am I on? – What business am I at? – What time is it? Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Observation Skills What is really important when you call the police? – Your location? – What is happening? – Who is doing it? – Where are they going? – What help is needed? – Your name? Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Observation Skills People – Where are they? – What do they look like? – What are they doing? Why is it strange? How are they acting? – What are they wearing? – How many people are there? – What direction are they heading? Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Reporting Suspicious Activity If an incident, individual, vehicle or circumstance seems out of place or unusual or makes you feel uncomfortable, do not hesitate to call the police and report it. Let law enforcement make the decision on what response to take. We cannot be everywhere at once. We rely on you to tell us what is going on in your neighborhood. Without you, we cannot do our job. Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

What is important here? Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Important Questions Were there cars parked on both sides of the road? How many cars were in the picture? What type of car struck the pedestrian? What color was the car? Was there a minivan? What type of damage was there to the vehicle? How many pedestrians were there? How many were injured? How many occupants were in the vehicle? What did they look like? Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

What is important here? Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Observation Exercise Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Write down the following: How many suspects? Description of suspects? Number of other witnesses? What type of weapon used? Environment? Other important details? – Location, direction of travel, vehicles used Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

What do you see here? Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Observation Exercise Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Observation Exercise Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Broaden your perspective Stay calm, Stay safe, Stay alert. Begin with the basics. Move into the specifics. Take a deep breath, and start looking around – don’t focus directly on what is happening. – What other events are occurring? – Who else is affected? – What is the overall situation? Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Burglary Misconceptions

Burglary, Robbery, or Theft? Burglary: someone breaks into a building to commit a crime – Stealing valuables – generally a property crime Robbery: “This is a holdup” – Stealing valuables from a person by force Theft: someone steals an item from an open business or open area – Stealing property that is not secured Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Residential Burglaries Crime Statistics – According to the FBI Uniformed Crime Report, the months with the highest number of burglaries is July and August. Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Residential Burglaries FBI Uniformed Crime Report (2008) – 70% Residential in Nature – 61% Forced Entries – 32% Unlawful Entries (No Force) – 52% Daytime – 28% Nighttime – Average loss $2,079 – Burglaries are increasing Crime patterns are determined by the victim Entered when someone was not home 9 am -11am 12 pm – 3pm Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Securing your home Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Securing your home Lock your doors! – Have Deadbolts on all exterior doors. Lock your Car Doors. – Even if it is parked in your driveway. Double check that your garage door is shut before you go to bed and before you leave. Set your alarm. If you go out of town, tell your neighbors and call the police: Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Door Jambs Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police Factory 1” strike plate screws 3” strike plate screws Jamb Stop

SECURITY STRIKES Security Strike Plates Door jambs will split if they are kicked in. By lengthening the strike screws and installing high security reinforced strike plates, you increase your level of security. Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Why you need a Security Strike Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Edge Latching on solid core doors Wood doors tend to split when kicked inward. Wrap-around reinforcement keeps the door together.

Door without a deadbolt or a door wrap

Securing a sliding glass door

Assist Emergency Responders You can help response time to calls by having your address numbers on either your house or mailbox. Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Trimming back landscaping The Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) recommends trimming low tree branches to 8 feet and bushes and hedges to 4 feet. Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

This provides a clear line of sight Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Recording numbers When you get new items: – Take a photo of the item and the serial number. – Record the item, date purchased, serial number and model number. – Use an engraver to mark a number on it. Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Security Safes Security Safes are best if they can be bolted into the floor or a wall stud. Make sure the safe is security rated. Fire rated safes are not necessarily security rated. Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police Don’t tell people you have a safe in your home. Most burglars do a hit and run job. The safe may discourage theft.

Don’t make a thief’s job easy Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Don’t make a thief’s job easy Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Don’t make a thief’s job easy Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police Don’t make a thief’s job easy

While no crime prevention program can guarantee your total safety, we feel that by becoming more involved, educated, and prepared for crime and disaster, you will greatly reduce your chances of becoming a victim of crime or tragedy. Glenn A. Eidman Chief of Police

Would you like to “Ask a Cop” anything? Thank You!