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Newsletter
Issue No. 8
protect your loved ones
In this edition
Larceny from Auto
February 2015
2
New Volunteer Coordinator 2
Not Too Early to Plan NNO 2
Scam Alert
3
Calling All Scouts
4
Introducing Captain Fuller 4
CPTED Tips
4
Upcoming Events
Valentine Special
Pet Adoption Event
Sat., Feb. 14, 2015
12 p.m. - 4 p.m.
$10 per cat or dog
Chesterfield Co. Animal Services
(804) 748-1683
Boy Scouts
Thu., Mar. 12, 2015
7 p.m.
2730 Hicks Road
N. Chesterfield, VA 23235
(RSVP required)
Girl Scouts
Thu., Mar. 19, 2015
7 p.m.
2730 Hicks Road
N. Chesterfield, VA 23235
(RSVP required)
Medication Take-Back
Wed., Mar. 25, 2015
11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
2730 Hicks Road
N. Chesterfield, VA 23235
(no sharps please)
Shred-It
Sat., May 23, 2015
10 a.m. - 1 p.m.
LC Bird High School
Click
to Print
Recently, there have been
incidents throughout the
country and within Chesterfield
County that indicate that guns
and children do not mix. These
incidents become media headlines
all too often, often because adults
forget that children are resourceful
when it comes to getting items
that would appear to be out of
reach.
Children are always trying to
imitate those around them and if
those around them are handling
guns (whether it is for hunting or
for personal safety) the children
want to handle them as well. The
police and sheriff ’s departments
work with organizations within
the county to educate adults
on the proper storage and
maintenance of guns but there are
still a large number of unsecured
weapons that are easily available to
children.
Statistically, approximately 38%
of Virginians keep firearms in or
around their homes; 1 in 6 are
unlocked and loaded. For this
reason, the Chesterfield County
Police Department offers free
trigger locks for handguns to
any Chesterfield County resident
wishing to prevent a tragic
accident from occurring.
The Chesterfield County Sheriff ’s
Office offers gun/hunter safety
courses, as well, to teach the
proper handling of guns. Since
1992, the Sheriff ’s office has
certified 6,629 students through
more than 831 hours of training.
Below is a list of safety tips from
the Virginia Department of Health
for assisting in keeping children
out of harms way.
stored separately.
3. ASK if there are shotguns and
rifles in the home, too.
• Invite the children to play at
your home if you have doubts
about the safety of someone
else’s home.
• Talk with your children about
the risk of firearm injury in
places they may visit or play.
• Teach your child that if they find
a firearm, leave it alone and let
an adult know right away.
• Instruct your child to leave
the room and tell an adult
immediately if another child
shows him or her a weapon.
• Store firearms unloaded and
locked with a firearm safe,
locked box, trigger or chamber
lock.
• Store and LOCK ammunition
in a separate place from your
firearms.
• Before you send your child
to someone’s house (even a
relative):
1. ASK if firearms in the home
are stored unloaded and
locked.
2. ASK if the ammunition is
While many in the community
work to educate children on gun
safety through the schools and
law enforcement agencies, it is
ultimately the responsibility of gun
owners to properly secure their
guns so they don’t pose a threat to
anyone in the community. If you
have any questions or concerns
about gun safety, or would like
to receive a free trigger lock for
your handgun, please contact the
Community Services Division at
318-8699.
Chesterfield County Police Department Crime Prevention Newsletter - February, 2015
Page 2
Larceny from auto
It’s a beautiful spring day, the sun is shining and the birds are
singing. What a great day to go for a jog at lunch. You walk to
your car, unlock the door and pull out a change of clothes from
the back seat. You walk back to your office, change your clothes
and go for a run. What could be better? Upon returning to your
office you receive a call from your credit card company. Since you
left your vehicle, approximately 90 minutes ago, someone has
stolen your credit card, visited two stores and made purchases in
the amount of $4,800. You go back to your vehicle and see your
wallet is still in the console. However, when you enter the vehicle
you find you left it unlocked. Upon checking your wallet, there
are three credit cards missing. Had the credit card company not
called so quickly, there is no way to know how much more the
suspect would have charged.
This story is an actual account of an incident
that took place in Chesterfield County. It
is just one example of how much damage
can be done to your bank account and
credit card history within a short amount of
time. While there is nothing you can do if
someone is determined to enter your vehicle
when locked, leaving your vehicle unsecured
is like putting a bull’s-eye on it and inviting
people to enter.
Some preventative measures you can take,
along with locking your vehicle, are to make
sure that all windows are secured and no
items are left out in plain view. If items
are left in the bed of a truck, they are also
more readily accessible and, if not secured,
may disappear in a hurry. Realize that if
something is valuable to you (e.g. money,
electronics, medications, tools, etc.), it is
likely valuable to others.
Statistically speaking, over 57% of larceny
from automobiles occurs at home. Of those
entered, over 50% are unsecured in some
manner (doors unlocked, windows down,
sunroof open, etc.). Think of the impact that
securing your vehicle could have on those
numbers. You are the first line of defense in
securing your vehicle and belongings. It is
also important to call the police and report
any suspicious behavior including people
looking into vehicles or checking handles of
car doors.
These are just some of the ways that you
can partner with the police department to
deter criminal activity. If you would like for
an officer to speak with residents in your
neighborhood about this or other crime
prevention activities, contact the Community
Services Division at 318-8699.
introducing our new Volunteer Coordinator
We would like to say welcome to Reta DunnMills, our new Chesterfield Police Department
Volunteer Coordinator.
Education, a Bachelor’s of Science in Operations
Research and a master's degree in Business
Analytics and Decision Science.
Reta has vast work experience in both the
public and private sectors. She is a graduate
of Virginia Commonwealth University and
holds a Bachelor's of Science in Mathematical
If you or someone you know is interested in being
a volunteer with the Chesterfield County Police
Department, please contact us at PD_Volunteer@
chesterfield.gov
P l a n n i n g f o r N at i o n a l n i g h t o u t
It is never too early to start planning for
National Night Out 2015. Winter is a great
time to talk with your neighbors and come
up with some new ideas for this year’s event.
Block parties are always enjoyable, but
themes can sometimes add a little more fun
to your festivities. Some fresh ideas include
inviting neighbors to dress as their favorite
superhero, having a recipe exchange or
sponsoring a luau (complete with grass skirts
and Hawaiian leis).
Another way to encourage participation in
your event is to work with the businesses
around your community and partner for
prizes or giveaways for your event. These
partnerships are beneficial to both your
community and the business and help keep
the cost of your party low but the fun level
high.
Whatever you decide to do this year at your
event, remember National Night Out is about
coming together as a community and taking
a stand against crime.
Our success in National Night Out would
not be possible without the dedication
and involvement of Chesterfield County’s
residents.
Chesterfield County Police Department Crime Prevention Newsletter - February, 2015
Page 3
Scam
alert
DON’T LET THEM
CON Y O U
During the month of January, Chesterfield
County Police received several reports of
residents being defrauded of money by
unknown suspects asking that bills or fines
be paid with prepaid money cards.
In one incident, unknown suspects called the
adult female victim and claimed to work for
the Internal Revenue Service. The suspects
claimed she owed several thousand dollars
to the IRS and would be arrested if she did
not pay. The suspects directed the victim to
purchase multiple prepaid money cards to
pay off the amount she allegedly owed. The
victim sent the suspects several thousand
dollars. After doing so, she determined that
the calls were a scam, and she alerted police.
In a separate incident, an unknown suspect
called the adult male victim and claimed
to work for Dominion Virginia Power.
The suspect claimed the victim’s account
was overdue and a payment must be made
immediately or the victim’s power would be
shut off. The suspect instructed the victim
to send the payment using a prepaid money
card. The victim sent the suspect several
hundred dollars. The victim later called
Dominion Virginia Power and learned that
the earlier call had been a scam.
Remember that utility companies and
government agencies will not ask that fines
or bills get paid in this manner. If you receive
a call of this nature, do not send the caller
money or call any numbers provided by the
caller. Instead, try to capture the number they
are calling from and call police. Here are a
few more helpful tips to keep you and your
money safe:
•
Do not answer phone calls from
unknown callers.
•
Never give out your personal or financial
information over the phone or online to
someone who contacts you.
•
If someone does call identifying
themselves as a representative, politely
ask for a reference number and call the
company using the phone number on
your paper bill or on the company’s
official website. Do NOT call them back
at the phone number the caller provides.
Any additional information you gather,
such as employee number, is helpful in
verification.
•
When the caller tries to persuade you to
stay on the line, remain politely firm and
ask for a reference number. If he/she
refuses, hang up.
•
Do not send money cards. No reputable
business will request payment with
money cards. Professional criminals
use money cards because they are not
traceable.
•
Shred financial documents, credit card
receipts and paperwork with personal
information before discarding them.
•
Protect your Social Security number.
Remove it from checks, your driver’s
license and other forms of identification.
Never carry your Social Security card
with you.
•
Store financial records and personal
information in a secure place (safe
deposit box or high-security home safe
that is anchored to the floor).
•
Make sure you have a secure web
browser. Do not use passwords that are
obvious (such as a birthday, mother’s
maiden name or last four digits of
a Social Security number). Install a
firewall, anti-spyware and anti-virus
protection to protect your computer, and
keep those protective programs up-todate.
•
Delete all personal information from
your computer before disposing of it.
•
Check your credit report annually. Visit
www.annualcreditreport.com or call
1-877-322-8228 to order your free credit
reports each year.
•
If you fall victim to one of these
professional criminals, please do not
hesitate to notify the police.
•
For more information from the IRS on
how to avoid such scams, visit http://
www.irs.gov/uac/Tax-Scams-ConsumerAlerts
•
To report phone frauds, contact the
Federal Trade Commission at 1-877382-4357 or wwwIC3.gov
Page 4
Chesterfield County Police Department Crime Prevention Newsletter - February, 2015
calling all scouts
The Community Services Division currently offers programs for
both Boy and Girl Scout troops who are working toward their
badges. We are excited to help you “Make every day a better day”
and “Build the adventure that is awaiting you!”
Community Services is currently accepting reservations for a Boy
Scout program scheduled March 12 at 7 p.m. and a Girl Scout
program scheduled March 19 at 7 p.m. All meetings will be held
at the Community Services Office located at 2730 Hicks Road, N.
Chesterfield.
Please call (804) 318-8699 to schedule your group, as space for
these events is limited.
welcome to the team!
Another new addition to the Community Services Division is Capt. David Fuller. Capt. Fuller is
a product of Chesterfield County, where he graduated from Meadowbrook High School prior to
attending Virginia Tech (Go HOKIE's!). He began his career with the police department in 1982
and has held many positions within the department, including patrol officer, marine patrol, SWAT
team, training officer, and Special Investigation Division Detective. From there, Capt. Fuller
moved up to patrol sergeant, Special Investigation Division sergeant, patrol lieutenant, and Special
Operations lieutenant.
Capt. Fuller has spent his career working with the residents of Chesterfield County and brings
with him a wealth of experience. He is eager to work with the residents in his newest capacity as
captain and welcomes your input on ways the department can better serve the community through
crime prevention. Please join us in welcoming him to our team.
cpted tips
m u lt i - p u r p os e
l a n dsc a p i n g
Most would agree that the
primary purpose of landscaping
is to beautify properties.
However, landscaping serves
other purposes as well: it
softens architectural designs, it
screens unsightly uses, it directs
movement and it controls access.
From a crime-prevention
perspective, plantings serve
multiple important functions.
Plantings create a transition
or "psychological threshold"
between public and semi-private
space. For example, a low hedge
can define the border between
"mine and yours" or "us and
them."
Landscape plantings can guide
movement, as well. Border
plants such as Lirope and ivy
can indicate the appropriate
pathway to access a home's front
Emergency
Non-Emergency
NW Coordinator
Crime Prevention Program
Volunteer Coordinator
911
748-1251
318-8549
318-8669
318-8995
door, thereby making a visitor
not following this path more
recognizable (by deviating from
the designated route).
Finally, defensive plantings can
keep individuals from areas
they are not wanted. Shrubs
with long prickly spikes, such
as Winterberry and Firethorn,
can be placed beneath windows
or along fences to discourage
intruders.
It's important to understand
that landscaping is a natural
crime prevention strategy. That
is, it serves a security function
without appearing to do so. The
security results from the types of
plantings and their locations.
Spring is right around the corner.
Keep security in mind when
adding new landscaping!
Business Security Assessment
Home Security Assessment
Multi-Family Housing Coordinator
School Resource Officer Program
Child Safety Office
Providing a FIRST CHOICE community through excellence in public service
706-2662
318-8693
318-8694
706-2809
318-8698