CAR THEFTS- Don’t Give Your Car to a Thief

The Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office reminds you not to give your car to thieves by warming it up on a cold morning while you get ready for work. Doing this only invites a thief to take your car. In the colder months of each year many cars are stolen this way. The Sheriff’s Office suggests “If you start it, stay with it.”

Also, it is illegal to run an unattended car. For more information go to this link:

 http://apps.leg.wa.gov/rcw/default.aspx?cite=46.61.600.

GOLD CREEK/THE FALLS- Burglaries and Car Prowls

Gold Creek Neighborhood Watch reports several homes burglarized yesterday in Gold Creek. The word is that laptops, jewelry and ipads were taken.

Also, a burglary and a car prowl occurred this week in The Falls. This would be the second burglary and car prowl in The Falls since October 13.

Here is a listing of car prowls and burglaries in the Gold Creek/The Falls/Silver Firs area since October 15 as reported by CrimeMapping.com (www.crimemapping.com):

 

Date	Address		Crime	Time	Case #	Comment
10/29/2013		6300 BLK 149 ST SE	Burglary	2:27 PM	SO13183600	Gold Creek
10/28/2013		14300 BLK CASCADE DR SE	Vehicle Prowl	7:59 PM	SO13183187	The Falls
10/27/2013	6400 BLK 138 PL SE		Burglary	4:00 PM	SO13182455	The Falls
10/23/2013	6500 BLK 152 ST SE		Vehicle Theft	6:25 PM	SO13180329	Gold Creek
10/23/2013	5900 BLK 143 ST SE		Vehicle Prowl	10:05 AM	SO13179932	Silver Firs
10/20/2013	5000 BLK 146 PL SE		Vehicle Prowl	10:47 AM	SO13178290	Silver Firs

Note: Since mid-September, our area has been active as far as burglaries, car prowls and car thefts. This might be a good time to review our habits to ensure that we are locking doors in our houses and cars. Also be sure that we are not leaving anything in view in our parked vehicles.

 Here are three tip sheets from the Sheriff’s Office that can help:

Auto Theft:

http://sheriff.snoco.org/Documents/Auto%20Theft.pdf

Burglary Prevention:

http://sheriff.snoco.org/Documents/Residential%20Burglary.pdf

Car Prowl Prevention:

http://sheriff.snoco.org/Documents/Vehicle%20Prowl.pdf

 

 

FRAUD WATCH NETWORK- A New Way to Stay Ahead of Fraudsters

Yesterday, October 23, AARP of Washington launched a new service called “Fraud Watch Network” for members and the general public at the Museum of Flight in Seattle.

With the Fraud Watch Network, anyone can sign up online for alerts on the latest frauds going around in Washington State and the nation. The idea is to make fraud watch users aware of frauds and scams so that they can protect themselves and so that users can pass the word to their families, friends and neighbors. The key to this strategy is to make as many people as possible aware of the latest frauds to take away the opportunity for fraudsters to victimize the public.

To sign up for Fraud Watch Network, call 1-800-646-2283. The Fraud Watch Network should go online next week.

Here is some information about fraud prevention tips and common frauds and scams:

Fraud prevention tips-

http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/money/scams_fraud/2013-10/Watchdog-Alert-Prevention-Tips.pdf

Frauds and Scams-

http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/money/scams_fraud/2013-10/Watchdog-Alert-a-Guide-to-Common-Scams-and-How-to-Protect-Yourself-AARP.pdf

More information about the Fraud Watch Network:

http://www.aarp.org/content/dam/aarp/money/scams_fraud/2013-10/Watchdog-Alert-a-Guide-to-Common-Scams-and-How-to-Protect-Yourself-AARP.pdf

KOMO News:

http://www.komonews.com/news/consumer/AARP-Attorney-General-launch-Fraud-Watch-Network-229031641.html

AARP:

http://states.aarp.org/attorney-general-king-county-sheriff-and-aarp-join-hundreds-of-local-seniors-to-launch-statewide-fight-against-fraud/

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS- Prescription Take-Back Day

Over the last few years law enforcement agencies have been encouraging homeowners to bring in unused or unwanted prescription drugs.

Local law enforcement agencies will be participating in a National Prescription Take-Back Day this Saturday, October 26. See the list below for the location of sites that will be participating in Saturday’s event.

All sites will accept unwanted vitamins, pet medications, over-the-counter medications, inhalers, and unopened EpiPens as well as controlled substances such as painkillers.

For more information about why it’s important to properly dispose of medications, visit http://www.takebackyourmeds.org/.

 

Take-Back Locations:

City: Arlington

Time: 11am – 1pm
Location: Arlington Police Department
110 East Third Street
Arlington, WA 98223

City: Edmonds

Time: 9am – 1pm
Location: Edmonds Police Department
250 Fifth Avenue North
Edmonds, WA 98020
 
City: Everett
Time: 8am – noon
Location: Everett Police Department – North Precinct
3002 Wetmore Avenue
Everett, WA 98201

City: Granite Falls

Time: 10am – 2pm
Location: Granite Falls Police Department
205 South Granite Avenue
Granite Falls, WA 98252

City: Lake Stevens

Time: 9am – 1pm
Location: Bartell Drugs (hosted by Lake Stevens Police Department)
621 SR 9 NE
Lake Stevens, WA 98258

City: Lynnwood

Time: 8am – noon
Location: Lynnwood Police Department
19321 44th Avenue West
Lynnwood, WA 98036

City: Marysville

Time: 1pm – 3pm
Location: Marysville Police Department
1635 Grove Street
Marysville, WA 98270

City: Mill Creek

Time: 9am – 1pm
Location: Snohomish County Sheriff – South Precinct
15928 Mill Creek Blvd
Mill Creek, WA 98012

City: Mountlake Terrace

Time: 8am – noon
Location: Mountlake Terrace Police Department
5906 232nd Street SW
Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043

City: Snohomish

Time: 8am – noon
Location: Snohomish Police Department
230 Maple Avenue
Snohomish, WA 98290

City: Sultan

Time: 11am – 2pm
Location: Sultan Police Department
515 Main Street
Sultan, WA 98294

THE FALLS/SILVER FIRS/AUTUMN MEADOWS/PIONEER TRAILS/WILLOW CREEK- Car Prowls and Car Thefts

Since Thursday, September 26^th, several neighborhoods have experienced car prowls and car thefts overnight.

In Pioneer Trails, two vehicles were broken into in the vicinity of 122^nd Pl SE and 42^nd Dr. SE. during the evening/early morning hours of Thursday September 26^th. Both vehicles were in the owner’s driveway.

In Autumn Meadows, car prowlers broke into a vehicle parked on the street in the 123rd block of 45th Ave SE on the same night. One window was broken. Nothing was stolen.

In The Falls, a car prowl was broken into on Friday night, September 27/28, along Cascade Dr. SE. Nothing was taken since the car owner makes it a point not to have anything showing in the car. The car prowlers did rifle through the glove compartment.

Also, CrimeMapping.com (www.crimemapping.com ) reports the following car prowls in Silver Firs reported on since September 19:

Date	Address		Crime	Time	Case #	Comment
9/19/2013		5700 BLK 141 PL SE	Vehicle Prowl	2:42 PM	SO13165273	Silver Firs
9/28/2013		5500 BLK 152 ST SE	Vehicle Prowl	11:12 AM	SO13165158	Silver Firs
9/28/2013		15200 BLK 58 AV SE	Vehicle Prowl	7:04 AM	SO13157766	Silver Firs

CrimeMapping.com (www.crimemapping.com ) reports the following car thefts southeast of Willis Tucker Park in The Willows since September 24:

Date	Address		Crime	Time	Case #	Comment
9/27/2013		12600 BLK 46 DR SE	Vehicle Theft	6:03 AM	SO13164445	Willow Creek
9/27/2013		12500 BLK 48 DR SE	Vehicle Theft	2:07 AM	SO13164409	Willow Creek
9/24/2013		7600 BLK 153 ST SE	Vehicle Theft	6:13 PM	SO13162937	Willow Creek

Note: The 10 incidents of car prowls and car thefts may not hit the record books but they are disturbing for the victims. Even if nothing was taken, there was the potential for damage to vehicles as well as an unsettled feeling about security.

As in the above reported cases, car prowls usually occur at night when most of us are asleep. Night time darkness gives cover for car prowlers. Lighting your driveway allows passersby to potentially see car prowlers and give the impression of increased risk to the car prowlers. Security cameras placed to view your driveway also increase risk for car prowlers or car thieves.

The most important measure to prevent car theft or car prowls is to lock your car. Also, don’t have anything showing in your car. Even the most innocuous sack can spur a car prowler’s interest.

Has your neighborhood experienced car prowls or car thefts lately?

Here are two links to tip sheets from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office that talk about how you can prevent car thefts and car prowls. Pass them to your neighbors and friends.

 

Auto Theft:

http://sheriff.snoco.org/Documents/Auto%20Theft.pdf

 

Vehicle Prowl Prevention:

http://sheriff.snoco.org/Documents/Vehicle%20Prowl.pdf