Crime Prevention

Crime Stoppers - To report a tip unanimously; pays cash reward (409) 724-TIPS or www.724tips.com

The Principals of Crime Prevention

• Crime Prevention is everybody's business, and is more than security
• Crime Prevention is linked with solving social problems and requires education
• Crime Prevention is cost effective
• Crime Prevention requires a central position in Law Enforcement
• Crime Prevention requires cooperation from all elements of the community
• Crime Prevention requires testing and improving
• Crime Prevention improves the quality of life for every community, its businesses, and its residents.

Benefits to Reducing Crime Include

• Greater freedom and security for every person at home and in the community
• Increased respect by all for the rights of all
• Revived sense of civic responsibility as a natural and expected part of membership in the community
• Healthier, more interdependent communities
• Increased individual and collective pride in self and community

Crime Prevention means working in partnership, rather than in isolation, and working with concerned citizens to address ways to prevent crime. It means communities and individual citizens learning how to protect themselves and working together to keep their businesses and neighborhoods crime and drug free. It means law enforcement working with communities, businesses, and service organizations to develop action plans based on information about crimes and other problems.

For more information on crime prevention, go to National Crime Prevention Council.

Prevention: Tips to Protect Yourself From Identity Theft

• Never give your credit card number or other personal information on the phone, through the mail, or over the Internet unless you have initiated the contact or you are sure you know who you are dealing with.  Personal information includes:  your social security number, driver license number or account numbers, date of birth, place of birth, home address, mother's maiden name or passwords.
• When you order new checks, consider removing extra information such as you social security number, driver license number, middle name and telephone number.
• Check your credit history and bank records frequently.  Look for signs of inaccurate or suspicious activity.
• Keep detailed and accurate records of your banking, check writing, credit card and ATM usage.
• Ensure that carbons on credit card receipts are destroyed.
• Completely destroy any items that may have personal information and identifiers, such as address, date of birth, social security number, driver license or identification card number, and account number(s), rather that discarding them in the trash.
• To minimize the amount of information subject to theft, do not carry extra credit cards, your social security card, birth certificate or passport in your wallet or purse, except when needed.
• If your cellular phone or ling distance calling card has been stolen or if you discover fraudulent charges in you bills, cancel the accounts and open new ones.