Sector 213 Newsletter D e c e m b e r 2 0 1 5 Richmond Police Department S a f e t y T i p s w h i l e d r i v i n g, s h o p p i n g a n d a t h o m e d u r i n g t h i s h o l i d a y s e a s o n. I n s i d e t h i s i s s u e : Holiday Safety Tips 1/2 Holiday Fire Safety Tips 3/4 Property Crime Information 5 Holiday Drinking and Driving 6/7 Make some time to double check your home security, and keep all valuables out of sight. Sign up for Nextdoor. 7 S p e c i a l p o i n t s o f i n t e r e s t : During the holidays, watch out for your neighbors. Enjoy time with family and friends, but do not drink and drive. If you see something suspicious, say something. For non-emergencies call: 646-5100 1
Holiday Safety Tips Do not buy more than you can carry. Plan ahead by taking a friend with you or ask a store employee to help you carry your packages to the car. Consider alternate options to pay for your merchandise, such as one-time or multi-use disposable credit cards or money orders, at online stores and auction sites. Walking to and From Your Car: Deter pickpockets. Carry your purse close to your body or your wallet inside a coat or front trouser pocket. Have your keys in hand when approaching your vehicle. Check the back seat and around the car before getting in. Do not leave packages visible in your car windows. Lock them in the trunk or, if possible, take them directly home. If you believe someone is following you, cross the street, switch directions, walk into a store or restaurant. If you are really scared, yell. Don't be embarrassed. Your safety is more important. Stay alert and be aware of your surroundings. Park in a well-lit area and shop with a friend. Avoid carrying large amounts of cash. We all have a part in making our community safe: Recognize, Remember, Report. 2
Use a Smoke Alarm, Have a Plan Working smoke alarms cut the risk of dying from a fire in half. Although only 1 in 5 home fires occur between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., 50 percent of fire fatalities occur during this period. Smoke alarms help to wake up potential victims in time to escape from a fire. From 2007-2011, 60 percent of fire fatalities occurred in homes that either had no smoke alarm or no working alarm. A common cause of smoke alarm failure is an issue with the batteries, such as when the batteries are dead, disconnected, or missing. Survey results taken by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reveal that most Americans either do not have a fire escape plan or have not practiced it. Despite what some may believe, the time to escape from a fire before it becomes lifethreatening is often less than six minutes. The only way to know whether an escape plan can be executed in the time available is by practicing it. Two out of every five home fires start in the kitchen, and cooking-related fires accounted for 400 deaths and 5,080 injuries, along with $853 million in damage, from 2007 to 2011. Heating equipment is the second leading cause of home fires, fire deaths, and fire injuries in the United States. Space heaters accounted for 33 percent of heater-caused fires and more than 80 percent of home heating deaths. One of the leading causes of cooking and heating-related fires was a failure to clean the equipment. Old build-up on equipment can cause ignition and spread of fire. See more at: http://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/safety-tip-sheets 3
Holiday, candle and Christmas tree fire safety Facts about home holiday fires One of every three home Christmas tree fires is caused by electrical problems. Although Christmas tree fires are not common, when they do occur, they are more likely to be serious. On average, one of every 40 reported home structure Christmas tree fires results in a death compared to an average of one death per 142 total reported home structure fires. A heat source too close to the tree causes roughly one in every six of Christmas tree fires. More than half (56 percent) of home candle fires occur when something that can catch on fire is too close to the candle. December is the peak time of year for home candle fires. In December, 11 percent of home candle fires began with decorations compared to 4 percent the rest of the year. Source: National Fire Protection Association 4
Property Crimes In Sector 213, as with the other Sectors, there has been an increase throughout the city in Thefts From Motor Vehicles. We know that thefts from motor vehicles are easily preventable. I need your help!!! I am having a difficult time getting people to take valuables out of their cars and to lock their doors. As you know, this type of crime increases during the holiday season. I m asking that we all work together to make an impact on this type of crime. To assist us in preventing this type of offense and making our community a safer place, we are encouraging everyone to practice simple preventative measures when parking and leaving a vehicle in the streets or other parking locations. SIMPLE TIPS TO HELP DETER THEFTS FROM MOTOR VEHICLES DO NOT Leave your vehicle unlocked when you are away from it, even for only a short period. Make sure all windows and doors are secured before leaving the vehicle. BE AWARE! 5
PROTECT YOUR VALUABLES. Do not leave your property (including ipods, GPS s, electronics or purses) in plain view inside your vehicle, even when it is locked. Take your valuables with you or secure them in the glove compartment, center console or in the trunk. LOCK ALL WINDOWS AND DOORS. When you are in your vehicle, whether driving or waiting, make sure all the windows and doors are locked. This will make it difficult for opportunistic thieves to open the doors while you are stopped at traffic lights or waiting in a parking area. ENGRAVE YOUR PROPERTY with your name or driver s license and make a list of the serial number/s of your property. DO NOT leave identification, important papers and credit cards in your vehicle. BE ON THE LOOKOUT for anyone who is acting suspiciously or looks out of place (ie. looking in windows or checking parked vehicles). Make a note of the person s appearance, clothing and call the police immediately. 2015 PRE-HOLIDAY DUI CAMPAIGN If you plan on celebrating with alcohol this holiday season, plan to have a sober driver. Even if you ve had just a little bit to drink, you can still get a DUI and be involved in a crash. Only drive when you are sober. Too many people wait until they ve been drinking to figure out their ride home. By then, it s too late to make a clear-headed decision. With the holidays coming up, there will be an increase in social events that involve alcohol. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows that this results in an increase in DUIs and fatal drunk-driving crashes around the holidays. 6
If you ve been drinking at all, you should not be behind the wheel. It will cost you possibly your life. Planning ahead is the key to avoiding a DUI or a deadly drunk driving crash. You make plans to attend parties, go to bars or sporting events, or gather with family and friends. So why not plan how to stay alive and out of jail? A sober driver is an essential part of any plan that includes drinking. Law enforcement actively looks for drunk drivers, especially around the holidays. So keep in mind that Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. Are you willing to risk a DUI or a fatal crash for the convenience of driving yourself home after drinking? The average DUI costs the offender about $10,000. For a lot less money, you could pay for a taxi. Richmond Police Department is encouraging all residence to sign up for Nextdoor. Become involved with your neighbor again. Nextdoor.com was created because they believe that the neighborhood is one of the most important and useful communities in a person's life. Neighbors everywhere use the Nextdoor platform to build stronger and safer neighborhoods around the world. R i c h m o n d P o l i c e D e p a r t m e n t S e c o n d P r e c i n c t 1 1 7 E. B e l t B o u l e v a r d R i c h m o n d, V A 2 3 2 2 4 P h o n e : 8 0 4-6 4 6-8 0 9 3 N o n - e m e r g e n c y p h o n e : 8 0 4-646- 5 1 0 0 E m e r g e n c y p h o n e : 9 1 1 Lieutenant Robert C. Marland Sector 213 Commander Office Phone: 804-646-8145 7