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Selected Reports from the 2006 Annual Report
Federal and State Funded Safety Programs
- Healthy Communities of LaPorte County /Safe Kids Council
- Healthy Communities of LaPorte County / Safe Kids Council holds monthly child
safety seat inspections, by appointment only, at Cannon's Automotive & Towing at
1302 Lincolnway in LaPorte. A schedule for upcoming child safety seat
inspection dates will be posted shortly. Properly fitted child safety
seats and booster seats are very important in helping children survive traffic
cases without serious or fatal injuries. Healthy Communities of LaPorte
County is working toward reducing all types of injury for the residents of
LaPorte County, not just traffic-related injuries.
- Click It Or Ticket
- Click It Or Ticket is a traffic safety program that is funded through a
grant from the Governor's Council on Impaired & Dangerous Driving. The
primary focus area of Click It Or Ticket is reducing traffic crash-related
injuries and death in Indiana by increasing seat belt and child restraint usage
rates. Four traffic enforcement blitzes are run each year through funding
from Click It Or Ticket. These blitzes consist of an aggressive public
information campaign followed by a two week enforcement period where officers to work overtime
strictly to enforce seat belt and child restraint laws as well as other traffic laws.
- Among
the strategies that officers use to enforce Indiana's passenger restraint laws
during Click It Or Ticket enforcement events are Seat Belt Enforcement
Zones. Seat Belt Enforcement
Zones consist of four or five officers working on foot in a clearly marked
location to enforce seat belt and passenger restraint laws. All vehicles
approaching the Seat Belt Enforcement Zone are observed for compliance with all
passenger and child restraint laws and all violators are ticketed. The use of Seat
Belt Enforcement Zones has become more common place because research has shown
that the face to face contact with police officers helps motorists remember to
buckle-up much more effectively than having officers in patrol cars out stopping
violators. In other words, all motorists benefit from the experience, even
those that are in full compliance with the law.
- DUI: Taskforce Indiana
- DUI: Taskforce Indiana is also funded through a grant from the
Governor's Council on Impaired & Dangerous Driving. The primary focus
area of DUI: Taskforce Indiana is reducing impaired driving related crashes,
injuries and deaths by reducing the number of impaired drivers on our the
highways, roads and city streets of Indiana.
- The LaPorte County DUI Taskforce consists of officers from three
different agencies: the LaPorte County Sheriff Department, LaPorte City Police
Department and Michigan City Police Department. On weekends when a DUI
Enforcement Event is being held, two extra officers from each participating
agency patrol the streets on Friday and Saturday looking specifically for
impaired drivers. These patrols concentrate on areas where impaired
driving accidents seem to be more concentrated.
Crime Prevention Tips
- Overview
- The single most important thing that you can do is to pay attention to what
is going on around you and to report any suspicious activity to the police.
You can also become involved in combating crime and other problems in the
community by participating in the LaPorte Neighborhood Watch Program. It seems like sometimes in society today,
we get too involved in our own lives and forget to watch out for the welfare of
other as well. Neighborhood Watch gives you an opportunity to get involved
in your community.
- Burglary Prevention
- Lock your home and other buildings whenever you leave for any time period
at all. Use top quality locks and deadbolts that have their striker
plates firmly screwed into the frame of the building, not just screwed into
the door frame.
- Make sure that all windows are closed and locked whenever you leave your
home.
- Do not advertise the fact that you are going to be gone on vacation or out
of town.
- If you are going to a family member's funeral, wedding or other event that
is publicized in the newspaper, ask a trusted friend or neighbor to watch
you house while you are gone. Burglars sometimes use obituaries and
public announcements to help them pick their victims on occasion.
- If you have a dog, and trust it to have the run of the house while you are
gone, that is a good idea too. Burglars hate dogs and the noise that
they make.
- Keep the area around your house well-lighted at night.
- Do not allow vegetation to grow up around the house until it covers
windows, sidewalks and doorways.
- If you can afford it, have a burglar alarm installed.
- Do not allow anyone that you do not know into your home for any reason.
- Do not give out any information regarding your schedule to anyone over the
telephone.
- Get acquainted with your neighbors and ask them to watch out for you and
offer to watch out for them.
- Do not keep a key to your home a "secret" location on the
outside of the home. Most burglars know where to look for keys that
are kept in "secret" locations.
- If you are going to be out pf town, consider using a timer to turn your
lights on and off at appropriate times.
- Make sure that if you are going to be out of town for an extended period
of time, you make arrangements to have someone mow your lawn or plow your
driveway. A lot of people that are gone also allow trusted neighbors
to park their cars in the driveway to make the house look lived in.
- Remove your garage door opener from your vehicle when you take it in for
service or leave it in anywhere that someone will have the keys to your
vehicle. If you lose your garage door opener, change your frequency
immediately.
- If you take your car in for service, give the garage only the
necessary keys for them to work on your vehicle.
- Do not display expensive items in a location that they can be seen from outside
your home. For example, do not place guns in a gun rack that is
visible from the street through the picture window of your living room.
- Keep valuables out of sight of even invited visitors to your home.
For example, if one of your children is having a birthday party, make sure
that your jewelry is put away somewhere out of sight so that one of the
guests does not come back at a later time and burglarize your house.
- Do not tell other people about what valuable items you have inside your
house. You never know who might be dishonest or who might be
eavesdropping on your conversation.
- If you do not get home from work until after dark in the winter time,
consider using a timer to turn on lights inside your house at dusk to make
the house look occupied. A lot of burglaries happen between the time
school gets out and the time that people get home from work at night.
- Use only persons, or children of persons, that you know and trust as
babysitters. Occasionally, teenaged babysitters will allow other
persons into the house and thefts will occur at that time, or burglaries
will occur at a later time.
- Child Solicitation and Other Internet Crime Prevention
- Lay down strict ground rules for your children's Internet use and enforce
them. Examples of some appropriate rules include:
- Prohibiting children from using the Internet when you are not home.
- Prohibiting children from using instant messaging, accessing chat
rooms and communicating with people that they, and you, do not know from
the "real" world.
- Educate your family as to the type of predators that use the Internet to
identify and locate victims and how the anonymity of the Internet allows
people to masquerade as someone that they are not. Use examples of
crimes committed in our own community as well as across the country.
- Use the content filtering features of your web browser or invest in a
commercial product with more robust filtering capabilities from a vendor
such as Symantec, McAfee or Web Scout.
- Make it your business to know your children's business.
- Check on them periodically while they are using the computer.
- Check their email and Deleted folders for suspicious messages.
- Check your web browser for suspicious web sites.
- Be very, very careful what information you allow your
children to post on Myspace and similar sites.
- Contact your local police department and/or your Internet Service Provider
for additional information or assistance if you have any
questions.
- Computer Crime Prevention
- Guard your computer account information very closely.
- Do not correspond with anyone over the Internet that you do not know.
- Do not give any personal information out over the Internet unless it is to
a trusted party that is running a secure site.
- Only do business over the Internet with well-established, trusted
companies that are running secure sites.
- Pay attention to news regarding operating system, email client and browser
security vulnerabilities and download all security patches as soon as
possible.
- Pay attention to news regarding virus threats and maker sure you keep your
anti-virus program updated.
- Use a personal firewall, and if you have children, apply a site content
filter either through your browser or your firewall.
- Do not leave your computer logged onto your account if it is going to be
unattended.
- Good web sites to monitor regarding computer security are
http://www.cert.org/
and SANS Institute - Network, Security,
Computer, Audit Information & Training.
- Fraud, Forgery and Identity Theft Prevention
- Do not have your Social Security Number printed on your checks, driver's
License or other documents unless it is absolutely necessary for you to do
so. Please note that law enforcement may have a legitimate need to
know your Social Security Number, but laws ensure that they keep the
information confidential.
- Do not give your Social Security Number, date of birth or any other
personal information out to anyone unless you are absolutely sure of who you
are dealing with and their legitimate need for the information.
- Keep your checkbook, credit cards, birth certificate, Social Security Card
and any other important documents in a safe location. Do not take
anything more with you in your wallet or purse than you need to conduct
business on that day.
- If you lose, your checkbook, credit cards, ATM card or any identification,
report the incident immediately to the credit card company, your bank and/or
the police.
- If you are the victim of lost or stolen credit cards, checkbook or other
documents, have a credit check run on yourself to make sure that nobody else
is taking advantage of your good credit.
- Never, ever pre-sign your checks. Do not leave any blank spaces on
your checks in the spaces where the amount is written that would allow
anyone to write in a larger amount.
- When making purchases from a private party or someone that you are not
sure is completely reputable, pay with cash so that they do not have access
to your check or credit card information.
- When buying over the Internet, buy only from reputable that you are sure
have adequate data security measures in place.
- Never give any one your computer account username or password since
doing so allows the person to impersonate you and possibly commit a major
crime that you could in turn be suspected of committing.
- Home Improvement Fraud
- Deal only with local firms that you are familiar with and that have a good
reputation in the community.
- Get written estimates for any work that is done on your home.
- Ask for a list of references and check them carefully.
- Sometimes a good contractor can be found by talking to a
neighbor that is having work done on his/her house and then following up to
see he/she was satisfied with the work done. This lets you get a
little bit of an opportunity to see the contractor's crew in action and see
how they work and act on the job site.
- Look over any contract very closely before you sign it and if you have any
questions, consult an attorney.
- Consider any requirement that you pay money upfront before work begins
very carefully.
- Never, ever pay the complete amount for the job before all of the work is
completed.
- Remember, you usually get what you pay for. The lowest price is not
always the best deal.
- Trust your gut instinct. If you are not comfortable with a
contractor, do not have him/her do the work for you.
- Motor Vehicle Theft Prevention
- Do not, under any circumstances leave your vehicle running and unattended.
- Make sure that your vehicle is locked at all times and all windows are
left completely rolled up.
- If you have a vehicle theft alarm or other anti-theft device, use it
religiously.
- If you have a garage, keep your vehicle in it whenever possible.
- Keep track of all your keys. If you lose a set of keys, seriously
consider having new locks put in your vehicle to prevent someone from using
your lost set of keys to steal your vehicle.
- Photocopy your registration and keep it in a location outside of your
vehicle so that if your vehicle is stolen, you have the necessary
information to give the police such as the vehicle make, year, model,
Vehicle Identification Number and tag number.
- Never, ever keep a signed or open title to a vehicle inside the
vehicle. Make sure that you properly title your vehicles as soon as
possible after purchasing them .
- Do not keep titles, bills of sale or other documents regarding the
purchase of the vehicle inside the vehicle except as required by law.
The law requires you keep such documentation in the vehicle if you using
a temporary tag or using the tag from a vehicle that you sold or
traded in during the first 31 days after the purchase of your vehicle.
- Theft Prevention
- Keep all valuable equipment such as bicycles, lawn mowers, snow blowers
and air compressors locked in a secure building when they are not in use.
- Do not allow anyone into your home or garage unless you know them.
- Always keep your vehicle locked.
- Keep all packages, purses, cassettes and compact discs out of view inside
your vehicle. Use the trunk or luggage compartment whenever
possible.
- Do not leave cellular phones and other items in your vehicle for an
extended period of time. You may forget that the items are there and
therefore not notice if they are stolen.
- Do not leave valuables in your vehicle when you take it in for service or
park it in a parking lot that retains your keys.
- Women should keep their purses or their persons and should not leave them
in shopping carts. Better yet, if you can get by without a purse and
just use a wallet or
fanny pack, your belongings are then always on your person.
- Keep accurate, up to date records of the brand, model, serial number and
value of all of your more expensive possessions such as televisions,
stereos, firearms, computers and video cassette recorders. If you keep
good records, it is much easier for the police to identify your property if
it is recovered.
- If you own any expensive jewelry, you should have it appraised and keep
the appraisal information in a safe place. Also keep accurate and
complete records regarding the size and quality of any precious stones as
well as the type of setting that they are in. Some people find that it
is also helpful to take photographs of their jewelry for documentation
purposes.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Here is a brief list of questions that we as police officers are
commonly asked.
- What should I do if I think that there is a
house in my neighborhood where drugs are being sold? Please contact the LaPorte
City Police Department and report your suspicions.
Information that you will be asked includes days and time frames
where the activity is most prevalent; the description and/or
names of any residents of the house and the descriptions of any
vehicles that they drive. It is not absolutely necessary
for you to identify yourself, but it will be helpful if you do
so that narcotics investigators can contact you with any
additional questions that that they have. Police officers
do not give any information regarding people reporting drug
violations to the suspects or include that information in any of
their paperwork.
- What do I do if I am involved in a traffic accident? Remain
at the scene and either use a cell phone to call the police or
ask someone to call the police. It also helps us if you
can advise whether or not anyone was injured or whether any
hazardous conditions such as power lines down or fire exist.
The more information we have, the better job we can do of
ensuring that all emergency equipment needed is dispatched
immediately.
- What do I do if I witness a traffic accident? Remain at the
scene and the investigating officer will interview you when
he/she arrives.
- What do I do if I am the victim of, or witness to a hit and run accident?.
Again, stay the scene and try very hard to get a plate number,
vehicle description and driver description for the hit and run
vehicle. The plate number is the most important aspect of
the description. We do not advise that you chase a hit and
run vehicle, especially if your own vehicle is damaged.
- What should I do if I witness a crime in progress? Notify
the police immediately. Try to be as good of witness as
possible by noting any vehicle descriptions and plate numbers,
suspects' descriptions and actions and descriptions of victims.
If the victims or suspects leave the scene before the police
arrive, note their direction) of travel.
- What should I do if am the victim of a crime? Report the
crime by calling 911 or your local law enforcement jurisdiction.
A Uniform Division officer will do the initial investigation and
Case Report, unless it the crime is a serious felony, in which
case a detective will be called to the scene. Your case
will be assigned to a detective and you may be called to give a
statement regarding the case. We recommend that after a
few days you contact the Detective Bureau to see how the
investigation is going and if they need any additional
information from you. You should also realize that some
cases are never solved because there is no physical evidence or
witnesses available that would allow police to develop a
suspect.
- How do I obtain a restraining or protective order? A restraining order is normally issued as part of divorce proceedings. A
protective order must be applied for at the LaPorte County Circuit Court Clerk's
Office on the first floor of the LaPorte County Court House. There is a
filing fee of $105.00 for protective orders, but that fee may be waived in
certain instances. If you feel that you might qualify to have your filling
fee waived, you must obtain an application for the waiver of filing fees at the time you pickup the
application for your protective order.
- I have been the victim of domestic violence and I need to talk to someone
to find out what my options are. Is there anyone other than a police
officer that I can talk to? Yes, Gail Bos, a Victim Advocate for the LaPorte County Prosecuting
Attorney's Office works at the LaPorte City Police station and may be contacted
at (219) 362-9446. Gail is specially trained to counsel victims of crimes
as far as their legal options as well as their options for getting other forms
of help or assistance.
- What should I do if I am stopped by the police for a traffic violation? Pull to the right shoulder of the road, place your vehicle in Park and
turn off the ignition. Remain in your vehicle with your hands on the
steering wheel while the officer approaches unless the officer directs you to do
otherwise. Tell your passengers to remain still with their hands in plain
view. Do not reach for the glove compartment or reach around inside the
vehicle or on your person to retrieve your driver's license and registration
until you are directed to do so by the officer. Do not reach around inside
the vehicle at any time during. Do not exit your vehicle at any time
during the stop unless you are directed to do so by the officer.
- I received a traffic citation. What are my options as far taking
care of the citation? The officer wrote a court date and time at the bottom of the ticket.
You may appear at the Traffic Violations Bureau of LaPorte County Superior Court
III any time before that date and pay your fine. You may appear on that
date enter a plea of not guilty or call the Traffic Violations Bureau at
(219) 326-6808 Extension 243 any time before the court date and enter of plea of
not guilty if you would like to go trial for the violation. If you
citation was not issued in reference to a traffic accident, no criminal charges
were filed against you regarding the violation and you have not been charged
with a criminal or traffic violation in the last two years, you may contact the
LaPorte County Prosecuting Attorney's Office at (219) 362-6808 Extension 372 or
by email at
mailto:lpcoidp@hotmail.com
in reference to their Infraction Deferral Program.
- Sometimes I see a squad car pass me with its red lights and siren going as
if it is on an emergency run and then of all sudden the officer turns his/her
red lights and siren off and slows down to normal speed. Was this officer
on a legitimate emergency run? If so, why did he/she suddenly terminate
the emergency run? The officer was on an emergency run and was most likely advised to slow
down or terminate his/her response by radio. The LaPorte City Police
Department has strict regulations governing when an officer is allowed to use
his/her red lights and siren and drive faster than the normal flow of
traffic. What happens many times is that an officer is dispatched on an
emergency run and other officers arrive first and advise that other officers can
slow down or terminate their response altogether. This is done to protect
the safety of the motoring public.
- What type of calls would an officer normally use his/her red lights and
siren to respond to? Calls that are life threatening in nature such as personal injury traffic
accidents, medical emergencies, fires, serious felony crimes in progress, calls
where deadly weapons are involved and incidents where other officers are
requesting emergency assistance.
- Why do I sometimes see a squad car pass me at a
speed that is faster than the speed limit without its red lights and siren on? The officer driving that squad is most likely
responding to a call that requires an expedited response o0r a response where it
is important that the officer approach without his red lights being seen or
siren being heard. Officers responding to calls in such situations are required
to drive with sue regard for the safety of the motoring public. The public needs
to remember that there are different scenarios that require different levels of
response; it is not just a matter of a full emergency response or a complete
non-emergency response.
- Does the LaPorte City Police Department have a policy that governs vehicle
pursuits? We have a very strict policy that governs vehicle pursuits and
weighs the benefits of apprehending offenders against our top
concern, which is protecting public safety. All of our
squads are also equipped with tire deflation devices that can be
used to stop an offender's vehicle. These devices have
proven valuable in protecting lives on at least two occasions so
far involving pursuits that were initiated by other law
enforcement agencies.
- Why do I see several squad cars sitting in the parking lot at the police
station all of the time? First of all, the LaPorte City Police Department
maintains several extra squad cars in case one of the officer's
assigned squad car is out of commission due to mechanical
problems or other reasons. Officers are also required to
bring their squad cars on station when they go on vacations away
from home unless they have a secure location to store their
squad at home. Also, the LaPorte City Police Department
holds training classes and other meetings that officers might be
attending that would make it appear that there are more squad
cars on station than are absolutely necessary.
- What should I do if I have problem with a stray animal in my neighborhood? You may call the LaPorte City Police Department and report the
problem. Our Animal Control Officer works 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM Monday
through Friday, but we will respond any time of the day or night if the animal
is aggressive or dangerous or is disturbing the peace. It will be very
helpful if you can tell us where the animal's owner lives so that we can speak
with them concerning the problem and/or take enforcement action if needed.
- What should I do if I get bit by a stray animal? Seek
medical attention immediately if the injury is serious in
nature. If you are treated by a doctor they are required
by law to report the bite. Call the police department as
soon as possible to report the bite. Please try and give
the investigating officer as much information as you can,
including the animal's description and the name and address of
the owner if it is known.
- I have an animal that I can no longer keep because it is causing problems
in the home. Will the LaPorte City Police Department pick it up and take
it to the LaPorte County Animal Shelter? No, your animals are your own responsibility to care for. You might
call the LaPorte County Animal Shelter and see what they suggest that you
do. Another possible option is to contact your veterinarian and see he/she
can assist in finding a home for your pet.
- I am having problems with wild animals, is there anything that the LaPorte
City Police Department can do to help me? No, the La Porte Police Department is
not trained or equipped to handle wild animals. Your best bet would be to call a person that specializes in wild animal
rescue and/or relocation. The LaPorte City Police Department has the
telephone numbers of several such individuals and we might also be able to
assist you, depending on the situation. If the animals that you are having
problems with are mice, bees, snakes or something of that nature, then you should
probably call an exterminator.
12/30/2007 |
