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Home Burglary Prevention Tips
- Make your home look occupied.
- Lock all doors and windows.
- Place lights on timers both inside and outside.
- If you are leaving for just a short while, leave your lights, TV, or radio on.
- If you have an alarm, use it, if you use it make sure it is monitored.
- If your alarm goes off while you are away from your home, the alarm company will call the police in your absence.
- Going out, or on a trip?
- If you have multiple drivers, always leave a car in the driveway.
- DO NOT leave spare keys in your vehicle.
- Use timers so that lights, radio, TV go on and off throughout the house to indicate someone is home.
- For longer trips be sure to stop mail and newspaper delivery or have a neighbor collect them daily.
- If you are expecting a package, ask a trusting neighbor to be on the lookout and retrieve it for you.
- Turn on those porch lights, make your house look “lived in.”
- Contact SRPD for a Vacation House Check!
- Safeguard Your Valuables
- Mark your valuables with your driver’s license number, it can aid in the recovery of stolen property and makes the item less attractive to thieves.
- Be a good neighbor.
- Being a good neighbor is the best way to deter crime. Law enforcement can’t be everywhere at once, but you and your neighbors can. You know what’s really going on in your neighborhood.
See Something, Say Something. Don’t try to stop a criminal yourself, it can be dangerous. Instead, if you spot something suspicious, call 9-1-1 immediately.
Neighbors working together along with law enforcement make one of the best crime fighting teams around!
TO PREVENT THEFT FROM RESIDENTIAL MAILBOXES/COLLECTION BOXES
- DO NOT leave outgoing mail in your unlocked mailbox with the flag up. (That is a RED FLAG that something is in your box to collect and a sign to criminals that there is something to take.)
- DO deposit mail in a blue collection box or inside at your local post office. Use a
collection box that is NOT FULL!
- DO NOT send cash or coins through the mail. Always send a check or money order instead.
- DO purchase a locking mailbox or locking insert for your existing mail box to convert it to a lockable type.
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BICYCLE SECURITY
Bicycles are an easy target for criminals. Be sure to lock your bicycle to a secure object at all times. Make sure your bicycle is registered with the City of San Ramon for easier identification in the event your bicycle is stolen and/ or found. An OAN (Owner Applied Number or City of San Ramon Registration number) is best when etched somewhere on the bicycle frame, as those numbers are easier to trace back to you and to return a stolen/found bicycle to its owner. (NOTE: Engravers are available for loan through Crime Prevention Division—Operation ID)
ALWAYS REMEMBER TO WEAR YOUR HELMET! |
OPERATION IDENTIFICATION
The San Ramon Police Department loans out engravers at no cost to San Ramon residents and business owners. This is part of Operation Identification, which makes the recovery of stolen property possible. This process is simple; it requires that you engrave a special name, code or business name on each item of value within your home or business. This way if the stolen property was recovered, it could be returned to the owner.
Many times officers stop and make contact with subjects that have what appears to be “stolen” or unaccountable property in their possession. Often times officers are unable to determine who the real owner is, due to not reporting the serial number at the time of the report, to have the item entered into the system as stolen. With the OAN number this will allow the property to be entered into the system which will reunite a stolen item with a victim.
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PERSONAL SAFETY
At Home:
- Have good locks, and USE THEM, even in the middle of the day. Keep the garage door locked. DO NOT give anyone the chance to sneak in unannounced.
- DO NOT let strangers in. If there is an emergency and someone needs to use the phone, call for them.
- Keep any and all firearms locked up and secured.
- DO NOT give out personal information over the phone to people you do not know.
In Your Car:
- Always remember to bring your charged cell phone.
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SCAM ALERTS
The San Ramon PD has recently investigated several cases involving a scam, theft of money using fraud and deceit. Citizens should be aware of the scam to protect themselves from falling victim to this type of scheme. The scam involves a suspect who calls and either identifies himself as a grandson or a friend of the grandson who is desperate and/or injured and needs money wired immediately via Western Union to a location in Europe, where the suspect claims that the “grandson” is traveling. The suspect may possess some personal information about the “grandson” that may provide a sense of validity to the claim; this information may come from a social network website, such as Facebook. Several of our citizens have fallen victim to this cruel deception and have sent (and lost) thousands of dollars to the criminal suspect.
The target of this type of scam is frequently senior citizens. It is almost impossible to identify and hold any criminal suspect responsible for this type of crime. The best protection from this, and similar, scams is to be aware that there are people “out there” who are committing these crimes and will prey upon innocent victims. If you experience a call that is similar and targets you for a wire transfer of funds, before taking any action, stop and think. Place a call to the relative, “grandson,” or someone who is closely associated with the relative to attempt to verify the situation; is the relative actually traveling? Could the relative be in the country/city that the caller claims they are in? Is there anyone close to the relative that can call, text, or e-mail the relative? Can you get information from the caller that would allow you to verify the validity of the claim from a third party, such as the name of the hospital, hotel, or even jail (depending on the caller’s story) where the relative is supposed to be located?
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If you have any questions, please contact the San Ramon Police Department (925) 973-2700.