SCAM ALERT- Jury Duty Scam is Back

The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office has issued an alert, warning citizens about callers claiming to be from the Sheriff’s Office telling potential victims that they owe a fine because they “failed to show for jury duty” or “have active warrants." 

The scammers demand payment by money packs. The victim is supposed to purchase the money pack then call the suspect with the account number in order to pay off the fine.

The Sheriff’s Office reminds everyone that they nor the court will ever call you to demand money over the phone.

If you receive a call from someone demanding that you pay for alleged fines by gift cards HANG UP. This is a scam!

Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office:

https://www.facebook.com/SnoCoSheriff/photos/a.318645198209560/2458731117534280/?type=3&eid=ARD3Ol-IuZCErgpq-Z6KDs0BwPHtpd2k07b6cpT108o0jDWk2PUGOJ-iIcdfAOeF3NsW3nX_c-vULmpA&__tn__=EHH-R

CAR PROWLS- Poll Shows Most People Lock Their Doors But...

Police seem to constantly remind drivers to lock their doors and to store anything in their car trunks to prevent car prowlers from breaking in and stealing valuables and the not so valuables. It also seems like car prowls are not getting any better.

PEMCO Insurance, in a recent survey, asked consumers about their attitudes towards car prowls and what actions they take to protect themselves from car prowls.

A little more than half, 55%, of people in Washington State are either extremely concern (9%), very concerned (12%), or somewhat concerned, (34%) about car prowls in their neighborhoods. That leaves 44% who are not very concerned (33%) or not at all concerned (11%).

PEMCO then asked what people do to prevent car prowls. 86% of Washingtonians said that they lock their vehicle doors. 73% said that they remove valuables or place them out of sight. 47% said that they use an electronic alarm system. This is good news in that it shows that most people follow the recommendations that police have been making to lock their doors and remove valuables when they park their vehicles.

Criminals are opportunists and car prowls keep happening. While 73% of people say they hide valuables, that means that 27% do not. While this may be an oversimplification, if you think of the parking lot at a shopping center with 27% of the vehicles with stuff visible in them, then you can conclude that that parking lot is good pickings for a car prowler. No wonder we keep hearing about car prowls.

If you are among the few who do not lock your vehicle or hide valuables, get in the habit of taking away opportunity for car prowlers by locking your vehicle and hiding valuables.

PEMCO Insurance:

https://pemco.com/poll/concern-about-car-prowlers

Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office:

https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/445/Vehicle-Prowl-PDF

OPIOID CRISIS- Overdose Deaths from Fentanyl are Up

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released data showing a 70% increase in overdose deaths attributed to fentanyl during the first six months of this year in Washington State.

Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is used by doctors to treat severe pain. Often applied as a patch to the skin, fentanyl is 30 to 50 times more powerful than heroin. A dose as small as 0.25 mg can kill.

In Snohomish County, in 2017, 23 people died from a fentanyl overdose. In 2018, preliminary figures show 34 people died from a fentanyl overdose, a 48% increase. In Washington State, in the first six months of 2018, 81 people died from fentanyl overdoses while during the same period in 2017 48 people died from fentanyl overdoses. That represents a 70% increase in fentanyl overdose deaths.

The Washington State Department of Health says that the overdoses are the result of taking illicit drugs. Illicit fentanyl has been found in counterfeit pills that look like prescription opioids. It has also been found in powders, colored white and other colors, that could be included in other illicit drugs such as heroin. The fact that this powerful drug could be included in other street drugs without the knowledge of the user shows how risky taking illicit drugs has become.

The Washington State Department of Health wants drug users to know this information so that they can take precautions. If you have someone in your family or a friend who uses heroin or illegal opioids, please pass this information to them. The Department of Health recommends,

·         Seek treatment. Health professionals have been recommending medication-assisted treatment options for those addicted to opioids. Opioid users can seek treatment from the Washington Recovery Help Line at (866) 789-1511 or online at http://www.warecoveryhelpline.org/.

·         Carry naloxone. For information on where you can find naloxone, go to http://stopoverdose.org/section/find-naloxone-near-you/.

·         If you witness an overdose, call 911, give naloxone and do rescue breathing. Fentanyl may require multiple doses of naloxone to restore breathing. The law (RCW 69.50.315) says neither the victim nor persons assisting with an overdose will be prosecuted for drug possession.

·         Never use drugs alone.

·         Be careful about using too fast. Fentanyl is fast-acting and deadly. Many experienced opioid users have overdosed or died by using too much, too quickly.

Washington State Department of Health:

https://www.doh.wa.gov/Newsroom/2018NewsReleases/18166OpioidOverdoseFentanylNewsRelease

The Seattle Times:

https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/health/overdose-deaths-from-powerful-narcotic-fentanyl-on-the-rise-in-washington/

PACKAGE THEFT- Do We Really Care?

During the holiday season, local police departments and sheriff’s offices send out reminders on social media about how to protect yourself from package theft. You may be tired of the warnings if you pay attention much to the news and social media. However, a question comes to mind, how many people do something to protect themselves from package theft?

PEMCO Insurance has commissioned a poll of Northwesterners in Washington and Oregon about issues of concern in the Northwest. One of the subjects included package theft.

PEMCO asked where people have their packages delivered to. 86% of Washingtonians said that they have their packages delivered to their homes. 10% said that they have packages delivered to their work or some other place.

Next, PEMCO asked if people thought that package theft was a problem.

48% of Washingtonians agreed that package theft happens often (9%), happens sometimes (10%), or happens rarely (29%). 49% of Washingtonians say that package theft never happens!

Finally, PEMCO ask what people do to guard against package theft. 27% of Washingtonians do nothing to guard against package theft! Others did something to protect their packages including,

·         Making sure someone is home to receive packages (39%)

·         Installed security technology (19%)

·         Allocated a space or container for packages that is hidden (16%)

·         Had packages shipped to a location other than home such as work or a neighbor’s house (15%)

·         Signed up for a safe delivery service such as Amazon Key (11%)

·         Did some other action (7%)

(Note: The percentages add up to more than 100%. While not addressed in the write up that I saw, the survey probably allowed respondents to chose more than one answer to this question.)

Almost half of Washingtonians think that package theft is a problem, possibly because they or their neighbors have had packages stolen from their front porches. But, according to the survey, half of Washingtonians do not believe that package theft occurs. The writeup of the survey that I saw did not have an explanation as to why so many people did not believe that package theft occurs.

While just over a quarter of respondents say they do not do anything to prevent package theft, over 70% say that they take some action. PEMCO’s take on the survey results were summarized by its spokesperson, Derek Wing, "And while some folks have taken steps to thwart would-be 'porch pirates,' these results suggest many of us could do more to protect our deliveries."

PEMCO:

https://pemco.com/poll/package-theft

SNOHOMISH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE- Remember to Slow Down and Move Left for Emergency Vehicles on the Side of the Road

The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office is reminding all drivers to slow down and if possible, move to the left when they come upon an emergency vehicle, construction sites, tow trucks, or broken-down vehicles on the side of the road.

On Saturday, a Sheriff’s vehicle, with the deputy (Deputy McCullar) and his canine partner (Luuk) inside, was struck by a vehicle that strayed over the fog line and estimated as going about 60 miles per hour. Neither occupant of the patrol car was seriously injured. The patrol car sustained substantial damage.

Deputy McCullar was conducting a traffic stop on the shoulder of southbound I-5 just north of SR-526 (Boeing Freeway) and was accessing data on his laptop in the patrol car at the time of the crash.

Substantial damage did occur to a total of 5 vehicles as a result of this crash. And as with the occupants of the patrol car, no major injuries were reported.

As deputies will tell you, there is no such thing as a “routine traffic stop” and this crash is a prime example of how dangerous a deputy’s work can be.

You can help deputies, fire fighters, and other emergency and construction workers to work more safely alongside a road or highway by slowing down and if possible, move away from the accident, pulled over vehicles or maintenance personnel.

For the law, check out this link,

Washington State RCW 46.61.212:

http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?Cite=46.61.212

Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office:

https://www.facebook.com/SnoCoSheriff/