THE SHIELD PROGRAM HANOVER CRIME TREND AWARENESS MISSION STATEMENT EVENT CALENDAR. Volume 3 / Issue 2 Monthly Newsletter July 14, 2018

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1 Volume 3 / Issue 2 Monthly Newsletter July 14, 2018 MISSION STATEMENT Through community and multiagency partnerships: receive, analyze, and develop meaningful intelligence to counter crime and extremism through predictive and strategic policing strategies that quickly translate into action. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NYPD SHIELD AND THE NATIONAL SHIELD NETWORK. EVENT CALENDAR THE SHIELD PROGRAM The SHIELD program establishes a platform connected to a national network to keep you informed as to what is occurring in our community and abroad. The program is designed with an understanding that crime and terrorism events throughout the region, state, nation and even the world, can have an impact on our Hanover community. The SHIELD program provides community members and organizations with information on emerging local and regional crime trends as well as evolving terrorist threats that may impact Hanover County. SHIELD is the central destination for community organizations to obtain information and engage Sheriff s Office resources. HANOVER CRIME TREND AWARENESS Connecting Communities Across The Globe During the month of June 2018, the majority of Sheriff s Office requests for service have been in Zone 20 and Zone 30, which encompasses much of the downtown Mechanicsville area and areas near Rutland and Atlee Station Road as identified in Figure 1. Red indicates high activity areas and blue indicates low activity areas. Compared to May 2018, June follows the same pattern and concentration of incidences. Figure 1: Shows all the incidents from June 2018 in a heat map.

2 High Activity Areas (Zone 20 and 30) In the month of June, Spring Meadow and High Point Farms (highlighted in Red) and Pebble Creek, Kings Charter, and Bell Creek Park (highlighted in Orange) were our most active neighborhoods. Activity in Spring Meadow has increased compared to May. Most of the incidents consisted of assistance needed, 911 hang-ups and suspicious activity. High Point Farms activity has increased from the previous month. Most of the incidents consisted of suspicious activity, attempts to locate, alarms, and domestic disputes. Pebble Creek activity had an increase of 25%. Most of the incidents consisted of 911 hang ups, alarms, and attempts to locate. Kings Charter activity increased by 57% and mostly consisted of assistance needed, alarms, larcenies, and trespassing. Bell Creek Park activity increased by 23% and mostly consisted of 911 hang ups and alarms. Figure 2: Shows 4 of the 5 most active subdivision/apartments and the surrounding areas. The Pines activity had a decrease of 117% compared to May. Most activity consisted of domestic disputes and trespassing. Figure 3: Shows the 5 th most active subdivision

3 CRIME PREVENTION TIPS (Gas Station Skimmers) Recently it has come to our attention that nationally, as well as locally, the frequencies of skimmers being placed on gas pumps has increased. Skimmers have been placed on ATM machines for many years, but the gas pump skimmer has not been as well publicized. It has become more prevalent over the past few years to victimize consumers through the use of technology. Below is some information that should be useful in protecting yourself from becoming a victim of credit card fraud or identity theft. Like the ATM skimmers, the gas station skimmers are external devices that thieves attach over a real credit card slot at a gas station pump. As customers swipe their cards, the device saves and stores card information immediately. If a credit card slot looks different from the other card readers at the station, it might be a setup for a credit card skimming fraud. Skimming devices are meant to be placed temporarily for a matter of hours or just a day. For that reason, they are attached using only double-sided tape, so thieves can easily remove them. Before sliding a credit card through the machine, tug on the reader to ensure it is securely attached; skimmers will easily pop off with little effort. Contact the Hanover County Sheriff s Office ( ) to file a report if you find a credit card skimmer; this is a necessary step so that the device can be removed and an investigation can be initiated. Another way criminals have started obtaining credit card information has been through installing devices on the interior of the gas pumps by accessing it through the front panel. Once the device is installed, it collects the card information when it is swiped at the external card reader. Before swiping your card you should check the gas pump s edges, especially the hatch surrounding the credit card unit. If it looks battered, as if someone tried to pry it open, or if the lock itself is broken, it might be compromised. Some gas stations, like Shell stations, apply a tamper-proof seal across the opening of the credit card door. When a door is broken into, the sticker is lifted revealing the words VOID on the sticker (see below).

4 Before using a gas pump, find out whether the pump has a tamper-evident sticker. If it has one that is placed on the unit correctly across the opening of the door and it reads VOID, move on to the next pump or station and inform the clerk of the voided sticker as well as contact the Hanover County Sheriff s Office ( ) to file a report so that the device can be removed and an investigation can be initiated. If you have a choice of pumps, choose the pump closest to the cashier. Criminals are less likely to apply credit card skimmers or other criminal tools so close to the attendant. Of course, you should still be wary of credit card skimmers and tamper-evident stickers even if you do get a pump close to the cashier. While credit cards lend convenience, if a situation just doesn t feel right, go with your instincts and just use cash. It saves the hassle of disputing a credit card charge in the future and eliminates the chance of putting yourself at risk of long-term credit damage. If cash isn t a possibility, cardholders also have the option of handling the transaction with the clerk. TERRORISM Terrorism Inspired Incidents The FBI has announced the arrest of Demetrius Pitts, also known as Raheem Rafeeq, for planning a terror style in downtown Cleveland, OH on the 4th of July. Pitts told an undercover agent he wanted to hit them to the core. Pitts talked about hitting targets such as St. John s Cathedral or giving remote control cars filled with explosives to the children of military members. Pitts was observed doing reconnaissance on where to park a van packed with explosives along the 4th of July parade route. During his final undercover meeting prior to his arrest, Pitts declared his allegiance to al-qaida Aaron Daniels, also known as Harun Muhammad or Abu Yusef has been sentenced to 80 months in federal custody for attempting to provide material support to ISIS. Daniels, from Columbus, OH, was found guilty of being an ISIS recruiter and sending funds to ISIS in order to show his worth. In addition to his incarceration, the Court has ordered that he be placed under supervision for the rest of his life. SOURCE: Guardian SHIELD Newsletter, Anne Arundel SHIELD Program, July 13, 2018.

5 REPORTING Should you have any information about any crime or suspicious activity, please contact the Sheriff s Office. In the case of an emergency, please dial 911. For non-emergency events in progress, please dial (804) Other non-emergency information can be shared at SHIELD@hanovercounty.gov.