Last Updated - 02 June 2008
Published by: Officer Al Ward
Patrol North Community Policing
3015 E. 21st, Wichita KS. 67214
Work: 688-9500 / Fax: 688-9326
E-mail: award@Wichita.gov
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Community Activity
Hello residents of 46 beat.
I want to break this section down into two sections, New News and Old News. There are some things that are new I need to pass along but there are some old things that are still relevant and I will leave them on the site for another month. Generally I will leave information the site for two months and then change it. If you have any questions, suggestions, or comments please feel free to contact me.
NEW BUSINESS!!!!
Morals Violations in Chisholm Creek Park II
We do listen
On May 8th Patrol North Community Policing and patrol officers conducted another special assignment in reards to immoral activities occurring in Chisholm Creek Park located at 3228 N. Oliver. This was a follow-up to the first special assignment conducted on April 22nd during which seven men were arrested for various lewd and lascivious activities performed in the park area.
Officers once again went into the park and with the aid of a decoy officer posing as someone utilizing the park we were able to arrest four more men who were soliciting sexual activity for immoral purposes. These men approached the decoy officer and either engaged in lewd and lascivious activity or solicited officers for immoral purposes. Again I was amazed as to the number of persons who had been arrested in the past for the same activity.
After speaking to the City Prosecutor it was decided that these persons would be banned from the Chisholm Creek Park for a year from the date of conviction. We would try and get it imposed as part of their probation. I don't believe any of the cases from our prior special operation have gone to court yet but when they do I pray we can get the judge to give strong instructions regarding their probation.
On May 8th we conducted another sting operation and this time four additional men were arrested for morals violations in the park. Again these charges ranged from soliciting for immoral purposes to sexual battery. These suspects will also be added to the list of persons who will be banned from the park if convicted.
Again I want to warn those who may engage in this type of activity in Chisholm or any other city park. I WILL BE WATCHING AND IF YOU ARE CAUGHT YOU WILL BE ARRESTED! And by the way, did you know that persons arrested for morals violations in the city have their pictures placed on our prostitution web site. If you don't want your picture posted don't conduct this type of activity in city parks.
For those who didn't know we have such a website, there is a link to the left where you click on the 46 beat website.
BURGLARIES, LARCENIES AND AUTO THEFTS ON THE RISE
If you check out the beat stats you will notice there has been an increase of residential burglaries on the beat. After reviewing the crime information about these cases I have found the trend. Most of these auto thefts, burglaries and larcenies have taken place at homes where the garage door has been left open. Vehicles have been stolen while left in the garage warming up, tools stolen from tool boxes left in plain site in the garage and other items stolen from vehicle left open in the garage.
I have asked on several occassions that you please close your garage doors when you are not in the garage or outside where you can watch what is going on. People have ignored this and thieves have taken advantage of our leaving the door open and have stolen many valuable things from us.
To combat this the beat team will now patrol the areas looking for garage door which have been left open. We will contact home owners regardless of the time of day or night and ask them to close their garage doors. I hope I don't have to wake you up at 2 AM and ask you to close your door but if I do then maybe we can decrease the number of thefts in our beat area.
Crime Prevention Tip of the Month
June 2008
Keeping Your Home Safer by Using Landscape and Lighting
Landscaping
Bushes, trees and shrubbery can conceal an intruder attempting entry into a window or door; or worse yet, waiting in hiding for the homeowner! A few alterations to the home’s landscaping can be enough to discourage intruders. To avoid being seen or caught, intruders look for property they can get enter and exit quickly. The ideal target is a home surrounded by large hedges or shrubs, which hamper visibility from the street and neighboring homes. Trim shrubbery and trees so doors and windows are visible to neighbors and from the street. Ground plants near sidewalks should be trimmed at a height of 2-4 feet. Ground plants that are under windows should be below the window sill. Trees should be trimmed so the lower branched are more than 6 feet off the ground. If the home has a second floor, prune trees so they can’t help a thief climb in second floor windows. Place trellises where they can’t be used as ladders to gain entry to upper floors. Plant spiny (thorny) plants along fences and under windows. Such plants will discourage the possible burglar. Protecting with spiny plants can be almost as effective as using barbed wire, and a lot more attractive. Another way to keep potential criminals away is to place large gauge gravel on the ground near windows. The noise caused by an intruder walking on it can be a psychological barrier. Do not place large rocks or other items near glass windows or doors. These could provide the burglar with his tools.
Lighting
It is a recognized fact that good lighting is a deterrent to crime. Effective lighting allows the homeowner see the pathway they take from their vehicle to the house. It permits them to see as they stop at the door to use their house keys. Effective lighting also forces the intruder to work in an area where he may be exposed and reported to the police.
Around the House- security lighting should be located high out of reach and vandal resistant to protect all sides of the home. The best possible location for exterior residential lighting is under the eaves of the house. Such lighting should ideally be controlled by photoelectric cells that will activate them during times of darkness.
Over Entry Doors- Each door should be equipped with a light that provides quality illumination in the vicinity of the door, including both sides of the door and porch.
Carports and Garages- Lighting in carports and garages is critical. For garages, an automatic garage door opener is the best choice. Almost every garage door opener made today has a light that comes on when the opener is activated, lighting the interior of the garage. In carports, it is recommended either to leave the light on, or have a light connected to a motion sensor or photoelectric cell.
Motion Lighting- Motion detection lighting is strongly encouraged, particularly in areas where lighting may be considered intrusive to neighbors. Costing less than $50.00, such units are often direct replacements for existing fixtures and can be selectively aimed to detect motion of an approaching intruder and cause the light to activate.
Crime Prevention Tip of the Month Brought to you by the Wichita Police Department Crime Prevention Unit
Call 268-4101 or go online to www.wichita.gov
OLD BUSINESS!!!!
Car Windows Shot Out
During the last couple of months, 46 beat has experienced a rash of car windows being broken out by either a high powered BB/Pellet Riffle or a high powered sling shot. Individuals have been going throughout the neighborhood and shooting rear and side windows. There has been a great deal of damage to vehicles and pocket books. So far officers nor detectives have a real suspects in the cases but we are following up on several leads that look very promising. I hope to report to you soon that we have caught those responsible. For now may I suggest parking your vehicles in your driveway instead of on the street. The reason is most of the windows shot out were on vehicles parked on the street in front of the home.
If you have any information on any crime please contact police either thru crime stoppers, 911 or myself. If the crime is in progress please call 911 and be an excellent witness.
What Happened To The News!!!
Starting around Dec. 24th of last year thru Feb.1st of this year the city has experienced approx. 23 newspaper stand thefts. We have been able to get two descriptions of persons possibly involved and we are asking for your help.
The first description is of a 25 year old white male who is driving a small red pick up truck which looks like a Ford Ranger. He uses bolt cutters, cuts the cable, throws the whole stand in the rear of the truck, and then drives off. The second description is of again a 25 year old white male who is working with a white female of approx. the same age. She is approx 5'4" in height and has long hair. They are driving a black or maroon Chevy Tahoe with side by side rear doors and not the lift gate. They also carry bolt cutters and are cutting the cable and stealing the whole stand.
If you have any information please contact police investigations at 316-268-4407.
Neighborhood Watch
There is a big push by the city to establish neighborhood watches in as many neighborhoods as possible. I have been tasked with finding neighborhoods that would like to establish a watch and helping them get started. If you would like to get a neighborhood watch started in your block or you would like to know what a neighborhood watch is, please feel free to contact me and we will work together to get it going. We have all of the material you need to get started, we will even give the presentation to your neighbors, provide invitations and other materials needed, monitor your progress and provide follow-up assistance if needed. Basically all you have to do is express an interest and we will come and help you do the rest. If you have an interest contact me via e-mail or phone at 688-9500.
I have had this on our site for months now but it keeps happening everyday!! Please Read and take the appropriate action to protect you and your loved ones.
Identity Theft
You can view a report complied by The Federal Trade Commission online at:
http://www.consumer.gov/idtheft
Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America. It effects each and every one of us whether directly, we are the victims of identity theft, or indirectly through higher prices companies have to charge to regain loss profit. While we probably can't prevent identity theft entirely, you can minimize your risk by managing your personal information wisely, cautiously and with an awareness of the issue. You can help guard against identity theft:
-
Before you reveal any personally identifying information, find out how it will be used and whether it will be shared with others. Ask if you have a choice about the use of your information: can you choose to have it kept confidential?
-
Pay attention to billing cycles. Follow up with creditors if your bills don't arrive on time.
-
Guard your mail from theft. Deposit outgoing mail in post office collection boxes or at your local post office. Promptly remove mail from your mailbox after it has been delivered. If you plan on being away from home and can't pick up your mail, call the U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-275-8777 to request a vacation hold.
-
Put passwords on your credit card, bank and phone accounts. Avoid using easily available information like you mother's maiden name, your birth date, the last four digits of you SSN or your phone number, or a series of consecutive numbers.
-
Minimize the identification information and the number of cards you carry to what you'll actually need.
-
Don't give out personal information on the phone, through the mail or over the Internet unless you have initiated the contact or know whom you're dealing with.
-
Keep items with personal information in a safe place.
-
Be cautious about where you leave personal information in your home, especially if you have roommates, employ outside help or are having service work done in your home.
-
Find out who has access to you personal information at work and verify that the records are kept in a secure location.
-
Give you SSN only when absolutely necessary. Ask to use other types of identifiers when possible.
-
Don't carry your SSN card; leave it in a secure place.
-
Order a copy of your credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus every year.
You can order them together at www.AnnualCreditReport.com or by calling 1-877-322-8228.
Helpful Numbers to Remember
Wichita Police Department Community Affairs - 268-4101
Triad Council Mental Health Association - 685-1821 ext. 297
Emergency Reporting – 911
D. A. 18TH Judicial District Consumer Fraud Division - 383-7921
Kansas Attorney General’s Office Consumer Protection - 1-800-432-2310
Other Helpful Numbers
-
Office of Central Inspection (OCI): 268-4477
-
Animal Control: 268-8473
-
Environmental Health: 268-8531
-
COMCARE of Sedgwick County Crisis Line: 660-7525
Feel free to visit the satellite office located in the Atwater Neighborhood City Hall at 2755 E. 19th St. North.
Officer Ward can be reached at these Numbers: · Patrol North: 688-9500 · Atwater Neighborhood City Hall: 303-8019 or 303-8016