View from the cop: Crime & punishment
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AJC.com > Metro > View from the cop > Archives > 2008 > June
June 2008
Crime and Punishment
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thefts from cars are again becoming the summer event with our local crooks.
As I look these reports over I see the same thing again and again. The items stolen were sitting right there, in plain view, ready to be taken if someone so chooses to walk the path of crime! At some point, it becomes a “victim-compliant” crime.
I have been on record on television, radio, print media and several Moose Lodge speeches as saying that if you will just remove the opportunity, i.e.: the items to be stolen, you will increase the risk, i.e.: the time and noise it takes to break into your car and then start looking around. Don’t make it easy.
Please call 911 if you see anyone walking through the public parking areas in your apartment complexes, looking into cars or even loitering when it seems odd to do so, for instance, at 2 a.m. If you would like literature on thefts from cars, please send me an e-mail and I’ll be glad to send it to you.
Robbery:
Berkley Trace
A man said someone knocked on his door. He answered it and spoke to a man who told him that he needed to talk to him outside. When he got outside, another man, whom he knows, pulled a gun and accused him of stealing his computer. They made the victim go back inside, remove his clothing, and lay down on the kitchen floor. The suspect, who, if you remember he knows, then let two females, who the victim also knows, into the apartment. The bad persons took some money and a small amount of pot that then left in a black Pontiac Grand Prix.
Theft
Hampton Drive
A man called the police and accused another man of stealing his computer monitor. The other guy said he was at the guy’s house but didn’t steal it but neither guy had a receipt. The other guy said he’s bought electronic things from the first guy before when the first guy was short on cash. The report said they were friends until this tragic incident.
Roswell Road
An employee of a restaurant stole $150 from the register while the other employees were tied up. She left and was last seen running down Roswell Road. The employee was earlier confronted about drinking on the job.
Windridge Drive
The resident of an apartment said a woman whom he knows, while in the apartment, took several bottles of medication from his bathroom. She stopped by several days before wanting to purchase sleeping pills from him. The victim told the officer the woman fell and hurt herself while on the drugs she took.
Kingsport Drive
Someone stole a pink and blue 26-inch women’s power-climber bike from her patio. (LOCK and chain your bicycles to something sturdy if you leave them outside.)
Fraud, Forgery, and I.D. Theft:
Scott Valley Road
The victim reported that someone accessed her American Express Card number and charged $3,000 in airline tickets on it.
Burglary:
Aldwych Lane
The victim said someone pried the back door and got into the apartment. The stolen items included a 47” flat screen TV, Surround Sound system, PS3 and games, king size bed.
Spring Creek Lane
Someone entered the victim’s apartment through a bedroom window and took a DVD player, 50 DVD’s, two loaves of bread and a box of cereal.
Northridge Road
The victim found forced entry, through the door and into his apartment. He reported a laptop and his Garfield watch missing. He suspects a former roommate.
Hammond Drive
A woman reported that her residence was burglarized. She returned home and found a key in the door and a fire extinguisher outside. She said she was told by the management that a fire inspection would be conducted on that date. She said her Dell laptop and just over $500 cash are missing.
Mt. Vernon Hwy The victim reported that three extension cords, electric saw, and a box of trash bags were taken from her storage shed.
Castleton Drive
Someone pried the rear window on the back porch of a home and took a Wolf stainless steel six-burner range.
Arrests:
5500 block of PDR
Officers received a call to a medical office after an employee saw a man trying to steal a laptop from an office on the 6th floor. The lookout was given on a man in black pants, white Polo-type shirt. Another responding officer saw a man walking alongside PDR. The man matched the suspect lookout. The officer detained the man and as he questioned him, the lookout was expanded to include a bag which description matched that the man had on him. The suspect, whose name is omitted at this time because I can’t verify his age, was arrested for Burglary. At the time of arrest, he made a rather brilliant comment to the officer. He told the officer that he couldn’t understand why he was being arrested since he only tried to steal the laptop but didn’t actually get it.
27-year old Ruben Perez of Linwood Drive in Smyrna, GA was arrested after a man called police regarding two men who had just stolen his tailgate from his truck and put it into a Cadillac Escalade. The victim followed the men who abandoned the car. The officers found the tailgate and a gun. The officers also found and arrested Perez who was hiding, noisily, in the bushes nearby. The officer said Perez was acting in a suspicious manner— by the way hiding anywhere at 3 in the morning will create some suspicion. Perez was then identified by the victim and taken to jail.
Bright Ideas *
Adolfo Martinez, 33, and Mark Anderson, 26, were indicted for fraud in Las Cruces, N.M., in April, accused of passing forged checks. The men’s plan was to buy Domino’s pizzas with the checks, then have one of the men put on a Pizza Hut shirt and resell the pizzas, by the slice, in a local park or at stores (even though the pizzas were still being carried around in the Domino’s boxes).
Instant Karma:
A 31-year-old man was hospitalized in critical condition in Salt Lake City, hit by cars after running into traffic to avoid paying for a taxi ride he had just taken
Joseph Manzanares, 19, pleaded guilty in April to disorderly conduct in Commerce City, Colo., after police were called to a domestic disturbance, as he and his ex-girlfriend, who are the parents of a toddler, fought over which local street gang’s colors (hers or his) the kid would wear.
Least Competent Criminals:
Should’ve chosen another career: Joshua Crowley, 22, was charged with robbing a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Camas, Wash., in March after being chased down, wrestled with, and subdued by passerby Mary Chamberlain, 66.
*Courtesy of Chuck Shepherd’s News of the Weird www.newsoftheweird.com
AND FINALLY.. Detective Sandy and I will be on vacation next week. This means that we’ll be at the beach engaging in such activity as frolicking, drinking things with umbrellas in them and lying around not answering our cellphones.
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Crime and Punishment
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thefts from cars are again becoming the summer event with our local crooks.
As I look these reports over I see the same thing again and again. The items stolen were sitting right there, in plain view, ready to be taken if someone so chooses to walk the path of crime! At some point, it becomes a “victim-compliant” crime.
I have been on record on television, radio, print media and several Moose Lodge speeches as saying that if you will just remove the opportunity, i.e.: the items to be stolen, you will increase the risk, i.e.: the time and noise it takes to break into your car and then start looking around. Don’t make it easy.
Please call 911 if you see anyone walking through the public parking areas in your apartment complexes, looking into cars or even loitering when it seems odd to do so, for instance, at 2 a.m. If you would like literature on thefts from cars, please send me an e-mail and I’ll be glad to send it to you.
Robbery
Berkley Trace
A man said someone knocked on his door. He answered it and spoke to a man who told him that he needed to talk to him outside. When he got outside, another man, whom he knows, pulled a gun and accused him of stealing his computer. They made the victim go back inside, remove his clothing, and lay down on the kitchen floor. The suspect, who, if you remember he knows, then let two females, who the victim also knows, into the apartment. The bad persons took some money and a small amount of pot that then left in a black Pontiac Grand Prix.
Assault A man reported that while at a party in the 1000 block of Pitts Road, he spoke to a woman and then when he left, a man walked up to him and hit him with a beer bottle causing a deep laceration on his face.
Theft
Hampton Drive
A man called the police and accused another man of stealing his computer monitor. The other guy said he was at the guy’s house but didn’t steal it but neither guy had a receipt. The other guy said he’s bought electronic things from the first guy before when the first guy was short on cash. The report said they were friends until this tragic incident.
Roswell Road
An employee of a restaurant stole $150 from the register while the other employees were tied up. She left and was last seen running down Roswell Road. The employee was earlier confronted about drinking on the job.
Windridge Drive
The resident of an apartment said a woman whom he knows, while in the apartment, took several bottles of medication from his bathroom. She stopped by several days before wanting to purchase sleeping pills from him. The victim told the officer the woman fell and hurt herself while on the drugs she took.
Kingsport Drive
Someone stole a pink and blue 26-inch women’s power-climber bike from her patio. (LOCK and chain your bicycles to something sturdy if you leave them outside.)
Fraud, Forgery, and I.D. Theft
Scott Valley Road
The victim reported that someone accessed her American Express Card number and charged $3,000 in airline tickets on it.
Burglary
Aldwych Lane
The victim said someone pried the back door and got into the apartment. The stolen items included a 47” flat screen TV, Surround Sound system, PS3 and games, king size bed.
Spring Creek Lane
Someone entered the victim’s apartment through a bedroom window and took a DVD player, 50 DVD’s, two loaves of bread and a box of cereal.
Northridge Road
The victim found forced entry, through the door and into his apartment. He reported a laptop and his Garfield watch missing. He suspects a former roommate.
Hammond Drive
A woman reported that her residence was burglarized. She returned home and found a key in the door and a fire extinguisher outside. She said she was told by the management that a fire inspection would be conducted on that date. She said her Dell laptop and just over $500 cash are missing.
Mt. Vernon Hwy The victim reported that three extension cords, electric saw, and a box of trash bags were taken from her storage shed.
Castleton Drive
Someone pried the rear window on the back porch of a home and took a Wolf stainless steel six-burner range.
Arrests
5500 block of PDR
Officers received a call to a medical office after an employee saw a man trying to steal a laptop from an office on the 6th floor. The lookout was given on a man in black pants, white Polo-type shirt. Another responding officer saw a man walking alongside PDR. The man matched the suspect lookout. The officer detained the man and as he questioned him, the lookout was expanded to include a bag which description matched that the man had on him. The suspect, whose name is omitted at this time because I can’t verify his age, was arrested for Burglary. At the time of arrest, he made a rather brilliant comment to the officer. He told the officer that he couldn’t understand why he was being arrested since he only tried to steal the laptop but didn’t actually get it.
27-year old Ruben Perez of Linwood Drive in Smyrna, GA was arrested after a man called police regarding two men who had just stolen his tailgate from his truck and put it into a Cadillac Escalade. The victim followed the men who abandoned the car. The officers found the tailgate and a gun. The officers also found and arrested Perez who was hiding, noisily, in the bushes nearby. The officer said Perez was acting in a suspicious manner— by the way hiding anywhere at 3 in the morning will create some suspicion. Perez was then identified by the victim and taken to jail.
Bright Ideas * Adolfo Martinez, 33, and Mark Anderson, 26, were indicted for fraud in Las Cruces, N.M., in April, accused of passing forged checks. The men’s plan was to buy Domino’s pizzas with the checks, then have one of the men put on a Pizza Hut shirt and resell the pizzas, by the slice, in a local park or at stores (even though the pizzas were still being carried around in the Domino’s boxes).
Instant Karma A 31-year-old man was hospitalized in critical condition in Salt Lake City, hit by cars after running into traffic to avoid paying for a taxi ride he had just taken
Joseph Manzanares, 19, pleaded guilty in April to disorderly conduct in Commerce City, Colo., after police were called to a domestic disturbance, as he and his ex-girlfriend, who are the parents of a toddler, fought over which local street gang’s colors (hers or his) the kid would wear.
Least Competent Criminals Should’ve chosen another career: Joshua Crowley, 22, was charged with robbing a Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurant in Camas, Wash., in March after being chased down, wrestled with, and subdued by passerby Mary Chamberlain, 66.
*Courtesy of Chuck Shepherd’s News of the Weird www.newsoftheweird.com
AND FINALLY.. Detective Sandy and I will be on vacation next week. This means that we’ll be at the beach engaging in such activity as frolicking, drinking things with umbrellas in them and lying around not answering our cellphones.
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The History of Doughnuts: By a cop
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Inevitably the week doesn’t pass without some poor guy making a pitiful stab at the fabled doughnut joke.
Along with “He did it” and “It wasn’t me,” it remains one of the top five lamest lines to deliver to an officer.
But did you know how the historical pasts of the doughnut and police officers came together? Read on.
The first recorded history of the doughnut goes back several centuries.
Archaeologists turned up several petrified fried cakes with holes in the center in prehistoric ruins in the Southwestern United States. Because of the difficulty in identifying recipes from fossils, except for what would later be known as the convenient-store burrito, it wasn’t until the 19th century when recorded history gave us the first peek at the doughnut - or olykoeks - as the Dutch called it.
Olykoeks, not to be confused with Oly-Oly-In Free, were composed of dough balls fried in pork fat.
Fast forward to the early 1900’s in Brooklyn, New York. Irish cop Brannagh O’Toole, working a foot beat on Montague Street and Court Street stopped by a sidewalk stand to look at something that he had never seen—a convenient-store burrito.
Deciding on something a little less likely to cause him problems later, he opted for an Olykoek, a name that he couldn’t pronounce. Maybe this was the beginning of the relationship with cops and doughnuts but who knows.
Do cops like doughnuts?
Beyond the mythical association with doughnuts, cops, like just about everyone else, like doughnuts. The association probably had to do more with the convenience of locations and hours. Not many eateries are open at 3 a.m. so the doughnut shop was convenient. Actually, it had more to do with coffee than doughnuts although the sugar in a doughnut was good for the extra boost to get an officer over the 4-7 a.m. hump prior to the Red-Bull days.
Although I have been doughnut-free for several years, thanks to rehab and convenient-store burritos, I preferred the chocolate something or other at Dunkin-Donuts and the hot glazed doughnut at Krispy-Kreme.
For those of you lucky enough to enjoy international travelling, Spudnuts is a favorite in Panama City on West 23rd Street, across from Horacio’s House of International Convenient-Store Burritos.
As far as trends, wings have become popular with the evening-watch cops but unpopular with the fleet-maintenance manager who has to clean all the chicken bones from under the seat.
More health-conscious police traditions have failed to catch on. Most cops will pass on establishments called “The Tofu-Tavern” and McAlphalfa’s” but will dig in at “Sid’s House of Pork-Fried Dough.” Yum.
Now, doughnuts are getting an gourmet dunk.
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A cop’s take on Campbell’s cry for help
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Guess what? Former Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell’s semi-prison environment has made him realize that he’s a champagne alcoholic.
That’s right. He tried to get into the substance-abuse program back in October but the drug abuse coordinator in Miami, where Campbell is struggling through the hardships of the prep-school style semi-prison life, denied his entry into the program based on the lack of documentation that he had a substance problem. Here’s how the conversation went:
Bill: “Uh, hi. I was sitting over by the pool and I realized that I’m a drunk and / or other substance abuser.”
Substance Person: “Really?”
Bill: “Yeah—uh, substance abuser.”
Substance Person: “What substance?”
Bill: “The kind that if I go into this program, I can get out in June instead of October.”
Substance Person: “Do you have any documentation?”
Bill: “Sure do. I have a letter right here.”
Letter: To Whom It May Concern: Bill has a substance problem. Please put him in the program that gets him out of the semi-prison in June. Thank you, Bill’s cousin, Pete.
Substance Person: “Mr. Campbell, this letter is written on semi-prison stationary.”
Bill: “Well I’ll be—I didn’t know Cousin Pete was here!!”
Substance Person: “Look Mr. Campbell, stop trying to lie your way into this program. You need to get back out there and put in your two hours a day work and your four-o’clock tennis lesson. Suck it up mister! This ain’t no country club—well, not yet, we still haven’t gotten the golf course finished—but you need to do your time and quit trying to con your way out!
Bill: “No fair! My ordeal was too painful and embarrassing to recollect! I can’t tell you how many bottles of champagne or whatever I consumed!”
Substance Person: “Apparently too painful for anyone else to remember as well. Look Mr. Campbell, there has to be documentation that you abused the same substance—champagne in your case, that you want treatment for now. Your documentation says you occasionally made toasts.I mean, how many toasts did you do, let’s say, in a week.”
Bill: “Uh, I don’t know, maybe 849.”
Substance Person: “Nobody can confirm that you ever had a substance problem. They testified in court on it!”
Bill: “My God!! Do you know what this means?”
Substance Person: “No, what?”
Bill: “Those people are on drugs—and / or alcohol! They can’t remember a thing! They need rehab!!”
Substance Person: “Okay Mr. Campbell, I think that you need to go now. You’re late for your spa treatment.”
Bill: “That’s no fair!! This whole justice system is no fair! I should sue you! This whole semi-prison is a sham! I’m boycotting the putting contest tomorrow! No—I’m going further with this protest. I’m voting Libertarian!
Substance Person: “Look Mr. Campbell, this turkey ain’t flying if you know what I mean?”
Bill: Listen to me! I was in self-denial until I was sort of incarcerated in semi-prison where I no longer had access to the alcohol or that stuff you toast with to self-medicate my stress from the trial and the media pressure and the personal tragedies—and all that stuff.”
Substance Person: “Well, by chance was there any stress from accepting tens of thousands of dollars in illegal campaign contributions, cash, travel, and home improvements in exchange for city contracts?”
Bill: “Uh, well, would there by chance be a rehab program for that? You know, something getting me gone by say, June?”
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Welcome to Margaritaville
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Twenty dollars to park. Another $20 to access the area behind where we parked to put the awning to cover the card table and chairs, in essence taking up another parking space.
Wings on the card table and a few coolers with side dishes and refreshments. It takes about thirty minutes to get used to the heat. By 4:30 we’re kicked back and watching the show. Grass skirts, coconuts bikini tops, straw hats with Corona taped to the top next to the naked Ken and Barbie dolls—and those are the guys. Tiki-Bar outhouses and bouncing inflatable sharks and beach balls can only mean one thing: Welcome to Margaritaville.
It’s the annual celebration composed of 20,000 people— mostly 30-, 40-and 50- somethings decked out in tropical shirts, skirts, water wings, floaties, and just about anything that they would normally not be caught dead in. It’s Halloween in July for a whole bunch of Republicans.
The annual Jimmy Buffett at Lakewood is not so much about seeing Buffett as much as it is using the date to see all the one-day-pseudo-crazies outdoing each other in the parking lot. If you have not been, you should go. Take a camera, cooler, awning (as the heat is unbearable,) flip-flops, your favorite beverage, and shirt to convey your image. Also, bring a designated driver. That’s a given.
When you get there, get off the Lakewood Freeway, Hwy 166 and onto Metropolitan Avenue. Go past two crime scenes, turn right and follow the signs. Now here is the decision you need to make. You can go into the Lakewood fairground area and be up close to the gate entrance. Behind the amphitheater is a large parking area where the RV’s and the more orthodox parrotheads gather. By far it’s a must for the tour. They get there early so they’ll be there when you get there.
There’s also parking near the front area, a short walk to the gate but you’ll pay for it when it’s time to leave. You can also park in one of the parking lots before you get to the fairground property. To each it’s own. I park in the front, facing the road, for a quick getaway. Wherever you decide to park, do get there early enough to do some cruising around. Take a camera.
Find and use the bathroom early. Many improvised outhouse are scattered throughout the parking area and portable outhouses are on the fairground property—yes there’s a line.
On the front side, the guys who run the Chevron are nice guys, evident by the two long lines down aisle 3 and 4 outside the men’s and women’s room. The names don’t matter. It’s coed. It’s air conditioned and it’s worth the wait to see the people-zoo as you stand in line. They do sell a lot of beer to those standing by although they run out of toilet paper early.
After that, you’re at the show. Have fun and if you’re in the lawn, watch out for the poor souls who hit too soon, too much, passed out and spent $70 for a tailgate party that ended much too soon. Still, it’s fun except for the chafing, courtesy of the coconut bikini top. It still hurts.
And before you know it, it’s Monday.
The Smart-For-Two car is starting to get the attention it wanted. The car is 106 inches in length and gets 33 mpg in the city and 41on the highway. It seats two people or 16 circus clowns comfortably. Parking isn’t a problem. Just fold it up and put it in the handy canvas bag (not included.) I think it’s great that we’re looking at alternatives such as this car. I think the hardest part will be keeping them from being I-285 traffic appetizers.
NKOTB are back. New Kids On The Block will be here in October. You can get a seat in the first ten rows and a Meet-And-Greet pass for only $350. According to Phyllis Brusco of Alliance Artists who manage classic rock bands including Styx, NKOTB tickets went for $17 back in their prime. I know, I took my daughter—twice. She hasn’t mentioned them yet, probably because she has two new kids on her—uh, block and another one in the oven so that means almost on…uh, the block….well anyway she’s busy that night.
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Crime & Punishment
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Well folks, this is May and many of you are leaving for vacations and so hopefully you have done some homework in getting ready to go.
Even as you prepare for the beach by purchasing ugly shorts and oversized flip-flops, crooks are gearing up for the summer as well. This is prime time for stealing—specifically from cars.
This is a metro-wide rise in crime numbers. DeKalb County, especially the perimeter area is showing an increase and Zone 2 Atlanta is showing a 29% increase mostly due to thefts from autos.
GPS units are very popular but believe it or not, we’re seeing an increase in thefts where the driver left a purse, wallet, camera, and so on, right there on the front seat and in some cases, left the door unlocked.
We are all guilty of this from time to time as our lives are so busy as evident by my increased speaking-engagement schedule. Today alone I spoke at two Waffle House employee reunions and the Georgia Chapter of the Moon Amtrak Club. (www.moonamtrack.org.) I must say, I’m in demand this summer.
Anyway, the point is that we’re going 90 MPH everywhere we go. One of the first things to fall in the cracks is how vulnerable we are to crime. We just don’t think it’s going to happen—until it happens, then, we go a little nutzo. As much as I hate to see people taken as victims, sometimes it’s a wake-up call and afterwards it is, at times, productive. Still, carrying expensive jewelry to a gym is nutzo and leaving expensive items in the car is nutzo. Don’t be nutzo.
Robbery A man reported that while he was standing near a dumpster at the rear of his apartment complex, a white mini-van approached, driven by a man described as white with curly hair. Two other males got out and one pulled a gun. The two men took his I.D. and $500 cash. The two men were described as 6-0” and around 160 to 180 lbs.
Burglary A complainant reported that while she was in her apartment around 11:45 a.m. a man kicked in the front door and yelled for everyone to get out. The man was armed with a gray handgun. As the complainant went for the door, the perp yelled “Never mind—wrong person!” and then left.
Someone entered the victim’s garage and took a chainsaw and blower, valued at around $700.
The victim said someone kicked the front door in and took $2,600 in property.
Someone entered the victim’s apartment and took items, valued at $600 from the apartment.
The victim reported that someone forced a kitchen window and entered his home. Property valued at just under $2,000 was taken.
Thefts A complainant reported that someone removed numerous sections of copper pipe from a construction area. Value of the theft is about $1,000.
Two men ate over $26 in food at the Northridge Road Waffle House and then left without paying.
A man gave the convenient-store clerk a bad credit card, probably stolen, and pumped $81 in gas and left. The clerk did get the tag and arrests are pending.
A man reported that he bought a laptop from a man on Craigslist for $1,000 and found later the computer had been stolen.
A man walked into a convenient store, took several CD’s and left without paying.
Forgery-Fraud-Identity Theft Someone used the victim’s name and DOB to open a credit account with MasterCard and attempted to open an account with Bank of America.
The victim said someone accessed her electronic account and paid money to Wal-Mart and a Circle-K store. Total loss was in excess of $800.
Someone used the victim’s credit card number acquiring over $8,000 in retail-store items in Chicago.
Bright Ideas *
• Most Convoluted Business Plan: Adolfo Martinez, 33, and Mark Anderson, 26, were indicted for fraud in Las Cruces, N.M., in April, accused of passing forged checks. The men’s plan was to buy Domino’s pizzas with the checks, then have one of the men put on a Pizza Hut shirt and resell the pizzas, by the slice, in a local park or at stores (even though the pizzas were still being carried around in the Domino’s boxes).
• A 31-year-old man was hospitalized in critical condition in Salt Lake City, hit by cars after running into traffic to avoid paying for a taxi ride he had just taken.
• Three men were arrested in New Orleans in February and charged with possession of almost two pounds of marijuana after police were called to a car on fire, which they said started when the men stashed their dope under the hood, and it overheated. • Recurring Themes: Mr. Cash Burch, 24, was arrested in Waterloo, Iowa, in April after he broke into a truck and tried to start it but apparently ran down the battery doing so, which triggered a theft-prevention device that locked the doors, trapping him inside, where he was waiting when police arrived. Courtesy of Chuck Shepherd’s News of the Weird www.newsoftheweird.com
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Don’t make your vacation a holiday for thieves
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It is summertime and several things are certain:
People will go on vacation, They will spend in gas the equivalent of what an old pickup truck cost in 1962. They will swear they will never go to Disney again in this heat, never stay on the 25th floor of an old condo tower in Panama City Beach. (The old elevators are really slow,) and they will surely max out the credit cards again.
This is prime time for stealing and with the rise of identity theft crimes, there’s no reason to think they won’t be lurking somewhere close to you.
How do thieves steal an identity?
Identity theft starts with the misuse of your personally identifying information such as your name and Social Security number, credit card numbers or other financial account information. For identity thieves, this information is as good as gold.
Skilled identity thieves may use a variety of methods to get hold of your information, including: 1. Dumpster Diving. They rummage through trash looking for bills or other paper with your personal information on it. 2. Skimming. They steal credit/debit card numbers by using a special storage device when processing your card. 3. Phishing. They pretend to be financial institutions or companies and send spam or pop-up messages to get you to reveal your personal information. 4. Changing Your Address. They divert your billing statements to another location by completing a change of address form. 5. Old-Fashioned Stealing. They steal wallets and purses; mail, including bank and credit card statements; pre-approved credit offers; and new checks or tax information. They steal personnel records, or bribe employees who have access. 6. Pretexting. They use false pretenses to obtain your personal information from financial institutions, telephone companies, and other sources.
What we see in Sandy Springs is a little of everything but a lot of number 5: Good old-fashion stealing!
Here’s the scenario: Shopper goes to the grocery store and leaves the purse open in the “steal-me” position of the shopping cart.
The perp or perps walk by and many times one will distract and the other will take the wallet. Within one hour, the card is used now days first for gas and then for life’s critical necessities such as iPods or other electronic goodies. By the time you find it and call that number to report it stolen, it has already been used in most cases.
This is probably the most direct affect a thief will have on you while you’re on vacation.
The other categories are things that you should do as a rule to put you in that smaller percentile of would-be victims.
With credit cards, when they are compromised, you have the option of informing the credit card company that you are disputing the charge. With debit and check cards they can wipe out your account. I would stay with the credit cards simply for that option in case something happens.
The Bottom Line: Just pay attention to what you’re doing. All you can do is lower the percentages in your favor. Your card number is out there and the fact is someone could use it. Your goal is to lower the opportunity.
Now, what about those of you left behind? Keep in mind that most burglars will hit during the day.
If, however, they know someone is gone, they would prefer to hit at night so for you neighbors left behind, keep a good eye and call the police if you see anything at all suspicious. For instance during the day, if a car is in the driveway that shouldn’t be there, call. At night, same scenario and listen for the dogs. You would be surprised how many arrests we make just checking out suspicious circumstances.
At Home: Don’t forget to tidy up at home before you leave. Ask your neighbors, the ones you like and trust, not the guy you found out was on the sex-offender list or the ones that wear black robes and paint their fingernails all the time—no, not those.
Have the mail picked up by a neighbor, not the post office. Why advertise? Have the paper picked up. I would get the motion sensors for the outside floods. They’re cheap and you can get them at the hardware store.
Get timers on the inside lights. None of this stuff is hard to install. Don’t use that as an excuse. Many cities have house check forms so the cops will drive by when you’re gone. Check and see. Have your neighbors (again, not the ones listed above) park a car in the driveway occasionally to give it that lived-in look.
Make sure the alarm is on and the deer cameras are set. Deer cameras? Why not? Someone breaks the motion area and you get a picture of that person or thing.
There are a lot more things you can do but do what you can and then go and enjoy the vacation—and, get some SPF-30 lobster boy!
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