DISTRACTED DRIVING- New Law to Take Affect

On July 23, a new state law will take affect that bans using a hand-held cell phone while you are driving. The ban also includes use while stopped at traffic or at a traffic light, typing messages or accessing the internet or information on the phone and watching videos or using cameras.

 You can use a hand-held device in your car in the following situations,

·         With a hands-free device such as Bluetooth.

·         You can operate the device with a single touch or swipe without holding it.

·         Parked or out-of-the-flow of traffic.

·         Starting your GPS or music before you start driving.

·         Contacting emergency services.

Violators can be given a ticket that costs $136 for the first offense and $234 for a second offense (within 5 years).

Washington Traffic Safety Commission:

http://wadrivetozero.com/distracted-driving/

Here are some ideas about devices that might make phone use in your car safer,

The Seattle Times:

http://www.seattletimes.com/business/three-devices-that-make-it-safer-to-use-your-phone-while-driving/

BURGLARY PREVENTION- What Burglars Look for in a House

Once in a house, burglars don’t want to hang around too long. What do they do when they are in your house? Most burglars who KGW TV surveyed last fall told the station:

•         The first place they go is the master bedroom. That's where they can find the jewelry, credit cards, guns and a safe or lock box.

•         Then its closets, safes and guns are often found in closets. If you do have a safe, make sure it is a large, heavy one easily and bolt it to the floor so that it cannot be carried away.

•         On the way out, they will look for common hiding places like the stove, freezer, toilet tank, book shelves.

For more on what burglars have to say, check out the video at this link,

KING TV/KGW TV:

http://www.king5.com/news/investigations/we-asked-86-burglars-how-they-broke-into-homes/344367382

BURGLARY PREVENTION- What Burglars Say

We often hear advice from police on what to do, and sometimes what not to do, to protect our property. But what do burglars say? Last fall, the TV station KGW, in Portland, broadcast prevention advice from 86 burglars.

Here are some of their recommendations:

·         Biggest mistakes by homeowners:

o  Closing the drapes when they leave the house. Open drapes indicate someone is home and allows someone from the street to see a burglar inside.

o  Not closing the bathroom window.

o  Locking a sliding glass door and placing a dowel in the track is fine, but not having a second small lock on the slider makes it vulnerable to a break-in.

·         Best targets:

o  Houses with 6 foot fences.

o  Houses that cannot be seen from the street because of overgrown vegetation or fencing.

o  Houses with the mail/newspapers accumulating.

o  No vehicle in the driveway.

o  Houses away from other houses with older window frames and cheap wooden doors.

·         What do they recommend that a homeowner can do to avoid being burglarized:

o  Make your house visible with good lighting and trimmed shrubbery and trees.

o  Know your neighbors and alert police when you see anything suspicious.

o  Leave a TV or radio on when you are gone.

o  Put up a camera and make it visible.

For more on what burglars have to say, check out the video at this link,

KING TV/KGW TV:

http://www.king5.com/news/investigations/we-asked-86-burglars-how-they-broke-into-homes/344367382

4TH OF JULY FIREWORKS- Call Non-Emergency Number for Fireworks Complaints

Here is a reminder, with July 4^th coming, to call your Non-Emergency number for complaints about fireworks. You should use one of the following numbers:

Southwest Snohomish County (SNOCOM)- (425) 775-3000

The rest of Snohomish County (SNOPAC)- (425) 407-3999

If someone has been injured due to fireworks, or there has been property damage due to fireworks call 911 immediately.

For more information about fireworks and calling 911/non-emergency number check out this article,

The Herald:

http://www.heraldnet.com/news/people-urged-to-know-the-rules-for-fourth-of-july/