NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH UPDATE – AUGUST 2009

By Linda Marie, Neighborhood Watch Captain

Intentional Vehicle Accidents after Leaving ATM’s, Insurance Sales Fraud

In June a meeting was held by the City of Westminster Police Department to inform the community of criminal activity and how it can be diverted. Speakers: Police Chief Andy Hall, Senator Lou Correa, State Agent Lee Shimmin with the California Department of Insurance, Detective and Police Officer Michael Nguyen with Neighborhood Watch. Chief Hall stated; the City has increased its training of officers at every level including the ability to use their gut instinct that has come so naturally to women and recommended a book called “The Gift of Fear”. This perceptive ability has kept his officers out of harms way and allowed them to make logical decisions when handling domestic calls and aggressive criminals. Crimes are increasing due to the desperation for money. Robberies at banks and ATM’s associated with credit card skimmer stealing bank account numbers, along with gas station product sales to lure you into giving them your credit card for quick fraud sales and identity theft, stolen mail for personal information. Intentional vehicle accidents after victims leave the ATM or bank with the intent of distracting the victim out of the vehicle so another criminal can steal the wallet or purse by opening the passenger door, knowing the victim has pulled cash. Victim types: Elderly senior citizens, naïve looking young adults and Asian non-English speaking and especially females.

Detective Nguyen stated; the Neighborhood Watch program has brought interested and involved people as the best source for crime prevention. One of the concerns affecting our community is the lack of victims reporting incidents, theft and robbery, along with the failure of witnesses to report suspicious activity, allowing career crimminals to repeat crimes against the same victims. Vehicle burglary has been a problem as people leave items of interest in full view for the criminals; purses, wallets, cell phones and chargers, tracking devices and money left on dashboards, iPods, CD’s, laptop computers and newly purchased items on car seats. All these items need to be hidden out of sight and placed in the trunk. Also, home burglaries by way of open and unsecured sliding glass doors and windows.

State Agent Shimmin, said there has been an increase in fires, burglary, also insurance fraud and embezzlement involving contractors. When doing business with agents-brokers and contractors all references need to be confirmed. When there is a push to rush an agreement, reconsider and stop any further business. All agents and brokers must be licensed and listed with the California Department of Insurance. All personal property within your home and vehicle is your responsibility to insure not the homeowners association. If you have, any questions or concerns call, Consumer Hotline (800) 927-HELP, Mon-Friday. There are free publications available and you can check the status of an agent or brokers license at Website: www.insurance.ca.gov

There has been a continual report of illegal contractors taking the money before completing jobs. All contractors must carry, insurance, bonding and a California Contractors License, to do residential or commercial work in the City of Westminster and they must be registered with the City for your protection from fraud (a dishonest and willful act of obtaining money or value under false pretenses). You can reference details at the Contractors State License Board on their Website: http://www.cslb.ca.gov/

Within the month of June and July, a resident reported items taken out of two vehicles while parked in the garage with the garage door left open and unattended for a short time. Items reported stolen, cell phones, two purses, wallets, cash, credit cards, car keys and jewelry $3,500 took off and put in small bag in purse and items taken out of glove box. Three other residents claimed items stolen out of their garages, but this information was not reported to anyone within the community to alert other residents and neighbors. In June, a two-year resident reported a burglary at the homeowners meeting by way of an unsecured bedroom window, no one knew the resident until they came to a meeting complaining with limited details.

Neighborhood Watch Updates and newsletters from the City of Westminster Police Department are mailed monthly to all the residents/owners on how to protect and secure their property along with warnings about current criminal activity in the community. To our knowledge, none of these residents attended the Neighborhood Watch meetings and assumed they were safe letting their guard down making them a target for a repeated crime. Sharing details about a crime within the city is important or these crimes will continue. Many of the residents have chosen to disassociate themselves from neighbors making our community a prime target. These are future victims because none of the resident’s homeowners, board of directors or Neighborhood Watch Captain knows who they are or where they live within the community.

Neighborhood Watch e-mails are sent to residents with alerts to any crime or suspicious activity-taking place or reported by residents and the police department.

Thursday, June 10th, 2010 - 4:06 PM
Category: Life/Living/People.

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