Full Notification

In observance of crime prevention month, which is hosted by the National Crime Prevention Council each October, I would like to provide the following reminders to our citizens:

1. Most of the instances of thefts from automobiles that we work are the result of unlocked vehicles - many times there is evidence that the suspect(s) are simply walking through an area looking for unlocked, easy targets. As low as our crime rates are, we cannot stress enough how important it is to keep your doors locked and your valuables out of sight. This is also especially true if you keep a garage door opener in your vehicle(s) parked in the driveway. In this case, an unlocked car is an unlocked house.

2. We have also worked burglaries recently where the homeowners did not lock their doors when leaving, which provided the criminals with easy access.

3. Reports of suspicious activity from our citizens can prove to be of major consequence to us, so please don't hesitate to call 911 or 770-461-HELP (4357) if you witness any suspicious persons, vehicles, or activities. One citizen call recently resulted in the arrest of two potential burglars who had documented plans to "hit" homes under construction from all over the Metro Atlanta area.

Citizens often decide not to call suspicious activity in because they are not sure if it is a matter of concern or not and they often think they are wasting our time if it turns up to be nothing. We would rather respond to a suspicious activty call that turns out to be nothing than respond to the aftermath of an actual crime, so please never hesitate to call it in.

4. We, like many agencies across the country, are seeing more and more cases of fraud. These are crimes that cannot be prevented by normal police practices. Instead, we can only offer public education and warnings to our citizens to use vigilance when conducting business online and to keep your financial documents secure. Fraud cases are very difficult to "solve" and few of these cases end in an arrest.

5. We continue to offer a free house watch service to our citizens. Our officers will perform physical checks of your residence while you are on vacation. You may sign up in person at our office or on our website.

6. The TPD would be happy to assist you in starting a neighborhood watch group in your area. This is a great way to prevent crime, build relationships with our officers, and get to know your neighbors better. Please contact us if you are interested in such a program.

As always, the Tyrone Police Department is open to your comments, questions,and concerns and we firmly believe that we cannot be successful in our mission without a relationship with you. It's a bit cliche, but this is your police department and we are ready to serve you in any way that we can, so don't hesitate to call on us.

Finally, Nixle was awared the "Most Innovative Product Award" for 2009 by the International Association of Chiefs of Police last week at their annual conference in Denver, Colorado. We are proud to offer this service to our citizens and we hope that you have found it to be helpful and informative. Please help us out by telling your friends and neighbors in Tyrone about it and inviting them to join.

Have a great week!