Leaving town for the holiday weekend?

Make sure your home is safe and secure when you return.
 

For the Labor Day Weekend, please remember...

During the hotter days this summer, people tend to open their windows more often. People also leave their garage doors open while working on the yard and completing household chores. Don’t forget to lock and secure your residence when you leave.

Leaving your windows open is an open invitation for a burglar to come into your residence.

• Here are a few examples of things that may help prevent you from becoming a victim:
• Do not post on social media that you're leaving for the weekend. A burglary might "Like" your personal property....
• If you decide to leave your windows open, get a stick and put it in the window frame preventing your window from opening all the way.
• Keep your bushes around your windows trimmed so there is no place for a burglar to hide while trying to enter your home.
• Post alarm signs in your front yard. Place a Beware of Dog sign on your gates.
• Make sure and keep your garage door shut and locked when you're not in it. If you're leaving town, see if your neighbor can keep an eye on your house.
• Have your lights set on timers, so it's perceived someone is home.
• If your residence looks like a hard target, the criminal will be more likely to pass your house and move on to an easier target.
• Make sure your outdoor breaker box is locked and secure.
• Remember, prevention is the best way to combat crime.

11 Facts About Teens and Drug Use.

As school is back in session, it is important for parents to be aware about drugs. 
 

1. More teens die from prescription drugs than heroin/cocaine combined.
2. In 2013, more high school seniors regularly used marijuana than cigarettes as 22.7% smoked pot in the last month, compared to 16.3% who smoked cigarettes. 
3. 60% of seniors don't see regular marijuana use as harmful, but THC (the active ingrediant in the drug that causes addiction) is nearly 5 times stronger than it was 20 years ago.
4. 1/3 of teenagers who live in states with medical marijuana laws get their pot from other people's prescriptions.
5. The United States represents 5% of the world's population and 75% of prescription drugs taken. 60% of teens who abuse prescription drugs get them free from friends and relatives.
6. Adderall use (often prescribed to treat ADHD) has increased among high school seniors from 5.4% in 2009 to 7.5% this year.
7. 54% of high school seniors do not think regular steroid use is harmful, the lowest number since 1980, when the National Institute on Drug Abuse started asking about perception on steroids.
8. By the 8th grade, 28% of adolescents have consumed alcohol, 15% have smoked cigarettes, and 16.5% have used marijuana.
9. Teens who consistently learn about the risks of drugs from their parents are up to 50% less likely to use drugs than those who dont.
10. 6.5 % of high school seniors smoke pot daily, up from 5.1% five years ago. Meanwhile, less than 20% of 12th graders think occasional use is harmful, while less than 40% see regular use as harmful to try crack or cocaine once or twice and 40% believe it's not harmful to use heroin once or twice.

Sources
1 Toto, Ross. "Prescription Drug Abuse Kills. "Live Science. 
2 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "Sixty percent of 12th graders do not view regular marijuana use as harmful. "U.S. National Library of Medicine.
3 Hellerman, Caleb. "Is super weed, superbad?." CNN.
copied from WikiHow

Every 44 seconds, a vehicle is stolen somewhere in the U.S.

Every 44 seconds, a vehicle is stolen somewhere in the U.S., and according to the most recent numbers from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), California ranks first in auto theft figures. Most car thefts are crimes of opportunity:

• More than 33% of all vehicle thefts occur near the car owner’s residence
• Almost 20% of thefts happen in parking lots

Here are things you can do to help protect your car from theft:

1. Don’t leave your car unlocked, even in front of your own home.

2. Never leave your car running while it is unattended.

3. Do not hide a spare key with your vehicle. Thieves know exactly where to look for that extra key.

4. Never leave your windows open.  Even during the hot summer days, don’t leave your windows open or slightly cracked when you are not in the vehicle.

5. Park in well-lit, public areas
Avoid parking in areas that are poorly lit or in areas that are hidden from public view.

6. Don’t leave valuables in your car. Leaving valuables in plain view is a sure way to attract a thief to your car. Store valuables in your trunk or under the seats, to keep it hidden from prying eyes.

CELLPHONES more popular than cash to crooks

Last week, in LAPD'd Mission Area, 12 cell phones were stolen in different crimes.  Turns out, the cell phones were stolen more often than cash: 3 in robberies; 2 in shoplifts; 4 in car burglaries; and 3 in home burglaries.

So what makes your cell phone more popular than money?

In our cash-less society, how many people walking down the street have $100, $200, or $500 cash on their person?  But walking down the street with a iPhone on one's hip or in hand, is like flashing $100 bills to some crooks.

Cell phones, like the iPhone, are high in demand, can be resold at near market value, and even sold off for $100 or more at kiosks in malls.

So forewarned is forearmed.  Be smart in how you flash your cell phone in public.  Don't walk down the street with earbuds, holding your phone.  You are a vulnerable victim, just like a person flashing $100 bills.

You're more apt to have a phone snatched out of your hand while walking alone, than if you are walking with a partner or in a group.  So when walking alone, keep the phone put away.

Drivers, remove cell phones and related cables from sight in your car and you home.  Burglars look for those and other popular electronic items first.

Businesses, lock up your merchandise and employees' purses and be aware of distraction tactics by crooks who come into your store in teams.

Restaurants, teach your servers to remind patrons not to leave cell phones sitting on the table or bar.
Many crimes are impulsive acts, so sometimes, out of sight can be out of mind.  Keeping your cell phone under wraps, especially in public, can safeguard you against being a victim.

by Lt. Paul Vernon