THE TOLEDO POLICE INFORMER

To ledo Po l i ce

Depa rtment

HOW DOES BLOCK WATCH WORK?

Report suspicious persons and activities to the Toledo Police Department.

Attend regularly scheduled block watch meetings.

Network information with other block watch members.

Know the habits and activi-ties of neighbors so you can notice out-of-the-ordinary incidents and report them to the proper authorities.

Inside this issue:

Severe weather tips 2

Bulky Trash Pick-up

Playing Ball in Street

Illegal Dumping

3

Burglary Prevention

Jogging Safety

Motorcycle Safety

4

Home Inventory

Credit Card Inventory

5

What’s Happening?

Safe-T-City Program

Police Class Graduates

Police Museum

6

Volume 2, Issue 1 Spring 2011

Spring is a time for new beginnings. The warming temperatures bring budding trees, blossoming flowers,

and bright green grass. It is truly a beautiful time of year. Unfortunately, spring also

brings an increased risk of severe weather as well as an increase in crime. The focus

of this edition of the “Informer” is to provide a renewed look at how you can be bet-

ter prepared to combat crime, promote personal safety, and to protect your prop-

erty when conditions are right for a “perfect storm”. It is hoped that this issue will

provide citizenry with fresh information, allowing them to “spring into action” when it comes to crime pre-

vention, safety, and preparedness.

How to Start a Block Watch To start a block watch you can do the following:

• Organize a group of neighbors who are inter-ested in making their neighborhood safer.

• Contact the Toledo Police Department and let them know you wish to start a Neighborhood Block Watch.

• Develop a flyer for resi-dents in your area advising them when and where a meeting will be conducted.

For more information about the Toledo Police Neighborhood Block Watch please contact Of-ficer Slay of the Central District Station at (419) 936-3850 or Officer Mohr of the Scott Park District Station at (419) 936-3811. You may also visit the depa r tmen t webs i t e a t www.toledopolice.com.

It can easily be said that com-

munity involvement is impera-

tive to crime prevention. Police

need the assistance of citizens

if crime rates are to be reduced.

One of the most effective ways

to reduce crime in your

neighborhood is to be part of a

neighborhood block watch

program.

What is Block Watch? The

Toledo Neighborhood Block

Watch Program is a community

partnership involving neighbor-

hood volunteers, law enforce-

ment, and other community ser-

vices. The program serves to

make neighborhoods safer and

more wholesome. The effective-

ness of the program can be at-

tributed to the partnership

formed among citizens, city ser-

vices, and other community or-

ganizations.

History of Block Watch The

Toledo Neighborhood Block

Watch was organized in 1982

in an effort to encourage citizen

involvement in combating crime.

Currently, there are over 150

active block watches in the city.

Success of Program The success

of the Toledo Neighborhood

Block Watch program increases

with the number of active par-

ticipants. The Toledo Police De-

partment needs your assistance.

The program’s success is based

on the commitment of the public

and the Toledo Police Depart-

ment to work together to ob-

serve, report and dissuade crime

in their communities.

Goals of Block Watch

• To assist in coordinating the

efforts of members repre-

senting law enforcement,

local government, and citi-

zens into a cohesive effec-

tive force.

• To serve as a catalyst to

challenge neighborhood

residents to accept their

share of the responsibility

for the overall quality of

life in their respective

neighborhoods.

• To work in partnership with

the community to identify

and address concerns af-

fecting the integrity and

we l l - be i ng o f t he i r

neighborhoods.

NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCKWATCH

WEATHER THE “PERFECT STORM” AS IT

RELATES TO CRIME, PERSONAL SAFETY

AND PREPAREDNESS

Toledo Police Informer Page 2

LIGHTENING SAFETY

RULES

Postpone outdoor activities if thunderstorms

are imminent. This is your best way to avoid

being caught in a dangerous situation.

Move to a sturdy building or car. Do not take

shelter in small sheds, under isolated trees,

or in convertible automobiles. Stay away

from tall objects such as towers, fences,

telephone poles, and power lines.

If lightening is occurring and a sturdy shelter

is not available, get inside a hard top auto-

mobile and keep the windows up. Avoid

touching any metal.

Utility lines and metal piles can conduct

electricity. Unplug appliances not necessary

for obtaining weather information. Avoid

using the telephone or any electrical appli-

ances. Use phones only in an emergency.

Don’t take a shower or bath during a thunder-

storm.

Turn off air conditioners. Power surges can

cause serious damage.

IF CAUGHT OUTDOORS

IN A LIGHTENING

STORM & NO SHELTER

NEARBY

Find a low spot away from trees, fences, and

poles. Make sure the place you pick is not

subject to flooding.

If you are in the woods, take shelter under

shorter trees.

If you feel your skin tingle or your hair stand

on end, squat low to the ground on the balls

of your feet. Place your hands over your ears

and your head between your knees. Make

yourself the smallest target possible and

minimize your contact with the ground. DO

NOT lie down.

If you are boating or swimming, get to land

and find shelter immediately.

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce

National Weather Service

Did you know? According to the National Weather Service, even with advance warning, tornadoes and severe thunderstorms are responsible for the death and serious injury of many people each year. Please take the time to read the information from the National Weather Service so you can be better prepared when severe weather strikes.

• Develop a family disaster plan. Know what action you will take at home, at work, while in a car, or if outdoors. Visit the American Red Cross website for planning tips at www.redcross.org.

• Identify a safe place to take shelter and have frequent drills.

• Listen to the radio and television for weather information. Have a weather radio with a warning alarm tone and battery back-up to receive warnings.

• Check the weather forecast before going outdoors for extended periods of time. Watch for signs of approaching storms.

Photo Credit NOAA

It is important to know the difference between a “watch” and a “warning”. A watch signals that condi-tions are right for dangerous weather and you should be prepared and ready to act. Whereas a warn-ing means that the dangerous weather is threatening the area and you should act immediately and ac-cordingly.

• In a home or building, move to a pre-designated shelter, such

as a basement.

• If underground shelter is unavailable, move to a small interior

room or hallway on the lowest floor and get under a sturdy

piece of furniture. Put as many walls as possible between you

and the outside.

• Stay away from windows.

• Do not try to outrun a tornado in your car; instead, leave it

immediately for a safe place.

• If caught outside or in a vehicle, lie flat in a nearby ditch or

depression and cover your head with your hands.

• Be aware of flying debris as this is the cause of most fatali-

ties and injuries.

• If in a mobile home, leave it and go to the lowest floor of a

sturdy nearby building or storm shelter. Source: U.S. Department of Commerce, National Weather Service

Flash Flood Safety Rules

Avoid wading, swimming, or

driving in flood waters.

Stay away from high water,

storm drains, ditches, ravines, or

culverts. If it is moving swiftly,

even water six inches deep can

knock you off your feet.

If you come upon flood waters,

stop, turn around, and go an-

other way. Climb to higher

ground.

Do not let children play near

storm drains.

Source: U.S. Department of Commerce

National Weather Service

For more information on severe weather preparedness visit the National Weather Service

website at http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/brochures/ttl.pdf.

TORNADO SAFETY RULES

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A “WATCH” AND A “WARNING”

HOW TO PREPARE FOR SEVERE WEATHER BEFORE IT STRIKES

Page 3 Volume 2, Issue 1

This spring

the police

will begin to

receive nu-

merous calls

concern ing

juveniles playing ball in the

street. While playing in the

roadway is certainly unsafe,

most of the complaints are re-

ceived because the subjects

refuse to move as drivers ap-

proach. When faced with these

types of situations, it is not

uncommon for drivers to feel

intimidated. Please take the

time to read the laws pertain-

ing to this subject so you can

share your knowledge with

family and friends.

Playing ball in the street. Toledo Municipal Code 521.05,

entitled, “Playing ball in the

street”, states that no person

shall throw, pitch, toss, knock or

bat any ball in, or along the

street, lane or highway in the

City or play any game of ball

Did you know? With the transition from winter to spring, we often feel the need to do some spring cleaning. This is a great opportunity to

leave the winter blues behind and freshen up our homes and our yards. The City of Toledo offers bulky pick-up free of

charge to residents once per quarter. Additionally, bulky pick-up is available throughout the year for a $50 fee. Residents

requiring bulky pick-up should call the Division of Solid Waste at 419-936-2511 to schedule collection. Calls must be re-

ceived by 4 p.m. and two business days (48 hours) prior to your regularly scheduled collections day.

Playing ball in the street is illegal. Dumping is illegal. Illegal dumping is

a major problem

in many cities

across the coun-

try. The dumping

of trash raises

many concerns

that impact health, safety,

property values, and the qual-

ity of life in our community. It

has also placed a huge finan-

cial burden on local govern-

ments across America at a time

when budgets are already

strained to the max.

How you can assist the po-

lice. Before police can cite for

illegal dumping they need prob-

able cause to do so. The prob-

able cause needed to charge

someone for illegal dumping

requires that one of the follow-

ing be established:

• Eye witness identification of the driver of a vehicle used to commit the violation.

WHAT BULKY ITEMS WILL THE CITY PICK-UP?

ITEMS THAT WILL BE COLLECTED FOR BULKY PICK-UP

• Loose items of 5 or more, such as lumber and brush. These items

must be bundled. The bundles shall not exceed 6 feet in length

or 2 feet in diameter.

• Couches, furniture, large TVs, etc.

• Rugs and carpet. They must be rolled, tied at both ends, and not

longer than 6 feet in length.

ITEMS NOT ACCEPTED FOR BULKY PICK-UP

• Hazardous waste such as oil, paint, or chemicals.

• Tires or major automobile components.

• Building or construction material from commercial work.

• No white-ware items such as stoves, refrigerators, hot water

tanks, washers, or dryers.

therein. Whoever violates this section is guilty of a minor mis-demeanor.

Loitering In part, Toledo Mu-

nicipal Code 509.08, entitled,

“Loitering”, states that no person

shall loiter in a public place and

obstruct the free passage of

pedestrians or vehicles. Who-

ever violates this section of the

code is guilty of a misdemeanor

in the fourth degree.

How you can help. If you or someone you know should en-

counter subjects playing ball in

the street and you feel the po-

lice should be notified, try to

obtain a description of the sub-

jects if you can do so safely. This

information will be helpful to

responding officers.

• A vehicle license plate regis-

tered to a person, firm or

corporation when such vehicle

is used to commit the violation.

• A name of a person, firm or

corporation which appears on

the vehicle that is being used

to commit the violation.

If you witness illegal dumping,

please call 9-1-1 and report it

immediately. If possible and you

can do so safely, try to ascertain

any of the requirements listed

above so that individuals responsi-

ble can be apprehended by the

police.

Toledo Police Informer Page 4

THE THE THE THE

PREVENTIONPREVENTIONPREVENTIONPREVENTION

PAGE PAGE PAGE PAGE

SIMPLE TIPS TO BURGLARY PREVENTION

With the warm weather that spring brings, many of us will spend more time outdoors and less time in our homes. This creates a greater window of opportunity for burglars. Fol-low the basic tips below to reduce your chances of being victimized.

THINK LIGHTS • Mount exterior lighting so it

is out of reach and burglars can’t easily unscrew the bulbs.

• Use timers and vary the times that the lights come on in your home to give the appearance that someone is inside.

• Install motion lights outside of your home.

• Make sure trees and shrubs are trimmed so burglars cannot hide in the shadows.

THINK OF INCLUSION • Include family and friends in

helping you protect your home. Ask them to check

your residence if you aren’t going to be home.

• Include your neighbors in your prevention plan by joining a neighborhood block watch.

• Include the mailman and newspaper carrier in your home protection plan by stopping the delivery of mail and the newspaper when you are gone for ex-tended periods of time.

THINK NOISE • Keep unwanted persons

from approaching your door by placing a “No So-licitors” sign on your prop-erty.

• Consider installing an alarm system or purchasing low priced security devices.

• Leave a radio or television on so it sounds like someone is home.

• If you don’t have a dog, consider getting one. A

SAFETY TIPS

FOR JOGGERS

• Stick to routes or parks that are populated and well lit. Change your running pattern frequently.

• If possible, buddy up with a friend.

• Advise someone which route you plan to take before you go and contact them when you have finished your run.

• Don’t wear jewelry that could attract a thief. Also, be aware that carrying an Ipod or MP3 player could make you a tar-get.

• Wear reflective clothing and be sure to run facing oncoming traffic.

MOTORCYCLE SEASON IS HERE: BE SURE TO FOLLOW THESE MOTORCYCLE SAFETY TIPS

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) there are more than 4 million motorcycles registered in America. Motorcycles are very popular because they are reasona-bly priced, get great gas mileage,

and are fun to ride. On the down side, motorcycle accidents account for about 5% of all traffic fatalities even though they only represent about 2% of all the registered vehicles in the United States. Please take the time to read the safety tips that follow. Causes of many accidents include: • Lack of basic riding skills.

• Failure to appreciate the

barking dog, regardless of size, can create noise and draw attention that burglars prefer to avoid.

MAKE IT DIFFICULT

• Make it as difficult and time consuming as possible for a burglar to break into your residence.

• Install deadbolts on all ex-

terior doors. • Install double key locks in

doors with windows. This will prevent a burglar from reaching through broken glass and easily opening the door. Make sure that you keep a key in a desig-nated place so everyone can get out of the house in the event of a fire or other emergency.

• Place additional locks on all

windows and patio doors. To obtain more information on burglary prevention visit the Burglary Prevention Council at http://www.burglaryprevention.org/.

inherent operating charac-teristics and limitations of the motorcycle.

• Failure to use special pre-cautions while riding and failing to use defensive driving techniques.

• Lack of specific braking and cornering skills.

• Failure to follow speed limit. Safety tips to follow: • Attend a certified safety

course.

• Treat other motorists with courtesy and respect.

• Avoid tailgating and riding between lanes of slow mov-ing or stopped traffic.

• Obey traffic laws.

• Use signals when appropri-ate.

More information on this topic can be found at the Ohio De-partment of Public Safety web-site. http://www.motorcycle.ohio.gov/

Page 5 Volume 2, Issue 1

WHO?WHO?WHO?WHO? WHAT?WHAT?WHAT?WHAT? WHERE? WHEN?WHEN?WHEN?WHEN? WHY? &&&& HOWHOWHOWHOW???? The idea behind the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, & HOW page is to answer questions that citizens may have about

police officer actions, police services, quality of life concerns, and other law enforcement-related issues. Readers are encour-

aged to submit questions that they would like answered to Lieutenant Cheryl Hunt. Lieutenant Hunt can be contacted at

(419) 936-3444 or emailed at CherylA.Hunt@toledo.oh.gov.

Why should I complete a home inventory of my valuables?

While there are several things you can do to prevent being the victim of theft or burglary, even the most vigilant will fall prey to the criminal element. That is why it is important to keep a re-cord of your valuables. By maintaining a household inventory, you can increase the odds of recovering your stolen property and assist the police in apprehending the suspects responsible. Additionally, maintaining a current inventory allows you to eas-ily access the necessary information needed to file an insurance claim and a crime report. In an effort to make the task of documenting your valuable items easier, the Toledo Police Department offers the following tips and makes available to you the forms necessary to easily conduct a home inventory.

• Focus on recording valuables that are most likely to be stolen. (TVs, computer gaming systems, laptops, digital video recorders, cameras, jewelry, tools, lawn mowers, and snow blowers)

• Attach receipts of expensive items to your inventory form.

• Make your valuables less attractive to a thief by writing your street address and zip code on them with an engraver or a permanent marker. Don’t forget to mark your CDs, DVDs, and video games with a permanent marker.

• Photograph unique possessions such as antiques and jewelry. Attach photos to the inventory form.

• In an effort to conduct a thorough inventory, don’t forget items kept in closets, drawers, the attic, the basement, the garage, the shed, and automobile trunks.

• Make copies of your inventory, keeping one copy hidden in your home and the other at your workplace or with a trusted family mem-ber or friend.

• Keep a list of the credit cards you possess and the corresponding telephone numbers to call if you need to report them lost or stolen. Do not record the credit card account number on this list. Make two cop-ies and hide one at home and keep the other at your workplace or with a trusted family member or friend.

• Contact your insurance company and make sure you have the proper policy to cover your valuables.

How to obtain a copy of

forms to record your

home inventory and

credit card information.

If you wish to complete an inven-

tory of your home and your

credit cards, you can download

the forms provided by the Toledo

Police Department by visiting

www.ToledoPolice.com.

Copies of these forms can also

be obtained at the Central Dis-

trict Station, the Scott Park Dis-

trict Station, or at the Northwest

Station.

Each of the provided forms in-

cludes a cover sheet with helpful

instructions, suggestions, and tips.

Page 6 Volume 2, Issue 1

Toledo Police Museum

Expected to Open in Early June Thanks to the hard work and

dedication of so many, the

Toledo Police Museum is ex-

pected to be open in early

June. It is hoped that the po-

lice museum will provide en-

joyment, pay homage to offi-

cers that have served before

us, and forever memorialize

the proud history of the

Toledo Police Department. Through a collection of historical arti-

facts, interactive exhibits, and a virtual library, the history of

“Toledo’s Finest” will be on display for the citizens of Toledo to see.

The museum is conveniently located in Ottawa Park in the building

that once housed the Ottawa Park Nature Center.

SafeSafeSafeSafe----TTTT----City Enrollment to Begin April 6thCity Enrollment to Begin April 6thCity Enrollment to Begin April 6thCity Enrollment to Begin April 6th

It’s that time of year again! The Toledo Police Department will soon be accepting applications from parents wishing to enroll their child in the 2011 summer Safe-T-City program. This pro-gram is provided for children who are entering kindergarten in the fall of 2011. This year marks the 34th year that the Toledo Police Department has offered

Toledo PAL Boxing

Show

April 2nd @ 6 p.m.

The PAL Building

1111 E. Manhattan

Toledo, Ohio 43608

Ticket Prices

$10.00 at the door

$5.00 for age 7 & under

Police Academy Class Set to Graduate and Hit the Street officers will work for several

weeks with veteran officers.

The Toledo Police Department

is proud to announce the up-

coming graduation of the 58th

Basic Toledo Police Academy

Class. After completing 24

weeks of rigorous physical and

academic training, the thirty

new officers are expected to

graduate on April 12th.

On April 18th, the graduates

will begin to hit the street,

where their post academy

training will continue. This on-

the-job portion of the training

provides a vital supplement to

classroom instruction as the new

this free child safety program to the youth of Toledo. Four eight-day sessions of the pro-gram will be offered as fol-lows:

June 15—24 June 27– July 8 (no classes 1 & 4) July 11—July 20 July 25—August 3

Parents can choose from morn-ing or afternoon classes. Appli-cations will be available on April 6th. Applications can be obtained at any of the follow-ing locations:

• Any of the Lucas County

Libraries located in Toledo.

• Any of the Toledo Police District Stations.

• On the Toledo Police De-p a r t m e n t w e b s i t e : www.ToledoPolice.Com

What is Safe-T-City? Safe-T-City is a life safety course in which police officers, guest speakers, and certified class-room teachers discuss impor-tant safety issues. Topics in-clude pedestrian safety, bicy-cle safety, bus safety, electric safety, stranger danger, as

well as fire and water safety. The children learn through a series of songs, poems, art projects, stories, movies, class-room experience and interac-tive involvement in an outdoor miniature city. The city is com-plete with streets, sidewalks, small buildings, traffic lights and stop signs. These topics, combined with many other safety issues, are presented to children in an effort to teach them critical safety skills. Be sure that your child is pre-pared to start school this year by enrolling them in the Safe-T-City program.

What’s Happening?

Questions or suggestions regarding this publication should be directed to

Lieutenant Cheryl Hunt at: (419) 936-3444 or CherylA.Hunt@toledo.oh.gov

If you would like to receive future publications electronically, please send an email

request to Lieutenant Hunt at the email address listed above.

Retired Officer Bill Kellar repairing the cash register that was once used by Record

Section personnel. Apprentices from the Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6

painting the ceiling.

John Buchholz working on sign designed by

retired Detective Bob Poiry.