winter final 2011 - Park Ridge, Illinois...Avoid driving if fatigued or impaired. Always wear a...
Transcript of winter final 2011 - Park Ridge, Illinois...Avoid driving if fatigued or impaired. Always wear a...
The Holidays are a special time of year,
but they’re also a time when busy peo-
ple become careless and individuals
are especially vulnerable to theft and
other crimes. Here are some tips to
make your holidays safe and happy.
OUT AND ABOUT
• Even though you’re rushed and
thinking about a thousand things,
stay alert to your surroundings and
the people around you.
• Lock your car and close the win-
dows, even if you’re only gone a
few minutes. Lock packages in the
trunk.
• Wait for public transportation or
rides from friends in busy, well lit
places.
• Teach your children to go to a
store clerk and ask for help if you
become separated in a shopping
mall. They should never go into
the parking lot alone.
• Avoid carrying large amounts of
cash. Pay for purchases with a
check or credit card when possi-
ble.
• Be extra careful with purses and
wallets. Carry a purse under your
arm. Never hang a purse on the back
of a chair in public. Keep a wallet in
an inside pocket.
AT HOME
• Be extra cautious about locking doors
and windows when you leave the
house, even for a few minutes. Leave
lights and a radio or television on so
the house looks occupied.
• Don’t display gifts where they can be
seen from a window or doorway.
• If you go away, get an automatic timer
for your lights. Have a neighbor watch
your house and pick up your mail and
newspapers. Request a vacation
watch by the police at www.
parkridgepolice.org or stop by the
department to pick up an application.
YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
• Help keep the holidays happy for eve-
ryone. Share these tips with your
neighbors.
• Get your neighbors together and go
caroling. Don’t forget the elderly and
other people who might be especially
lonely during the holidays.
Holiday Safety for a Safe & Happy Holiday
Community Strategies Newsletter
PARK R IDGE POL ICE DEPARTMENT
Winter 2011
Driving Tips 2
Chief’s Corner 2
Personal Safety 3
Did you know…? 3
Citizens Police Academy
4
Home Safety 4
Seniors Beware! 5
Department Info 6
Just For Kids 6
Inside this issue:
Police Department
Staff
Chief Frank J. Kaminski
Commander Lou Jogmen Administrative Division
Commander Dave Keller
Patrol Division
Commander William Polka Detective Division
Officer Julie Genualdi Community Strategies
GENERAL GUIDELINES
· Don’t warm up vehicle in enclosed
spaces like garages.
· Gas tank should be half full to avoid
gas lines freezing up.
· Tires should be properly inflated.
· Make sure all lights, wipers, and
defrost system are in working order.
· Keep windshield wiper fluid full.
· Let someone know your route and
estimated time of arrival.
· Try not to travel alone.
· Avoid driving if fatigued or impaired.
· Always wear a properly adjusted
seatbelt.
· Children under 8 years of age need
to be in a restraint system and in
the back seat (if possible).
· Do not use cell phones or other elec-
tronic equipment while driving.
DRIVING IN SNOW AND ICE
· Clean off all ice and snow from vehi-
cle before driving. Snow blowing off
your vehicle is a hazard to others.
· Drive as slow as conditions dictate.
YOU CAN RECEIVE A CITA-TION FOR DRIVING TOO FAST FOR CONDITIONS.
· Accelerate and decelerate slowly.
· Leave extra room from the vehicle in
front of you and for stopping.
· Use headlights for added visibility.
· Don’t stop when driving up hill.
· If possible stay home or use public
transportation. DON’T ADD TO THE
PROBLEM. Running errands is not
worth your life.
· Have a phone, water, and warm
clothes with you in your vehicle.
IF YOUR VEHICLE BECOMES DISABLED
· Stay with your vehicle.
· Only run engine and heater for short
intervals.
· Crack window to avoid carbon mon-
oxide build up.
Welcome to our new quarterly
newsletter. On behalf of all the
men and women of the Park
Ridge Police Department, I would
like to wish you a safe and joyous
holiday season.
I hope you will take some time to review our
programs and services to see if we can better
serve you. We also hope you will consider join-
ing in many of our Partnership efforts.
Toys for Tots
Winter Driving Tips
Chief ’s Corner
The Park Ridge Police Department is, again, coordinating citywide efforts to
assist the United States Marine Corps Reserve in their annual Toys for Tots
campaign. Toys for Tots distributes toys, games and educational items to
thousands of underprivileged children and teens throughout the Chicago
metropolitan area and throughout the nation every holiday season. “We are
excited to participate again this year. I think that our efforts this holiday
season are even more important given the increased number of families
affected by the troubled economy” said Chief Frank Kaminski. “We ask
everyone who is able, to dig deeper this year and help extend this program
out to more and more families” he added.
Anyone interested in donating toys, games and books, should insure that
they are not wrapped in holiday paper, are new and that they are in origi-
nal, unopened condition. Donations will be accepted at the following loca-
tions beginning November 25, 2011:
Park Ridge City Hall 505 Butler Place
Park Ridge Fire Station #36 1000 N. Greenwood Ave.
Park Ridge Fire Station #35 901 W. Devon Ave.
Park Ridge Police Department 200 S. Vine Ave.
Park Ridge Public Library 20 S. Prospect Ave.
Park Ridge Public Works Center 400 N. Busse Hwy.
Page 2 Community Strategies Newsletter
Chief Frank J. Kaminski
As part of PACT – Police And
Community Together, the mem-
bers of the department value de-
veloping partnerships, fostering
community engagement and
working together to solve prob-
lems.
Find out who’s your Beat Officer!
Look for them in your neighbor-
hood.
Awareness: Your first line of defense.
• Be aware of your surroundings and do not develop tunnel vision.
• Walk with confidence and a pur-pose.
• There is power in numbers. Whenever possible walk in a group.
• Use your “gut instinct”. Avoid a person or situation which does not “feel” safe-you’re probably right.
• Walk on the street facing oncom-
ing traffic. This will prevent a car from sneak-ing up on you.
• If you suspect someone is fol-lowing you:
1. Cross the street
2. Change your direction
3. Vary your pace.
4. Turn around and confidently ask ”Are you following me?”, this shows you are aware and unafraid.
Did You Know...
Who’s your Beat Officer?
The City of Park Ridge is divided
into five Patrol Beats. Each Beat
has one designated Beat Officer
per shift. This Officer coordinates
with fellow officers to ensure that
the needs of their patrol beat are
met. They are proactive in dis-
covering problems and innovative
in solving them.
Page 3
Personal Safety On the Street
To receive the Community Strategies Newsletter electronically, please contact Officer Julie Genualdi at 847.318.5233 or via email at [email protected] and you will be added to the list.
If you are attacked: Escape is always your best option. • Run to safety as you are yelling for
help. • If the offender is after your bag or
material item, throw them in the op-posite direction you are running.
• If you are in a physical altercation,
aim for the eyes first, throat and groin.
• Consider carrying a whistle, as weap-ons are not recommended.
Learn more about the Park Ridge Police Department.
The Citizen’s Police Academy (CPA) is a ten-week in-
teractive program where citizens get the opportunity
to learn the various facets of the Park Ridge Police De-
partment. The purpose of the
Academy is to provide an envi-
ronment that fosters trust be-
tween the police and the com-
munity. It also helps citizens
have a greater understanding of
our mission and vision for the
department. The experience is
not limited to the classroom lecture alone. You will be
given the opportunity to participate in a patrol ride-a-
long, practice firearms training, mock traffic stops,
and mock hands on evidence collection.
We hope you will consider joining our up coming ses-
sion in the Spring. Classes are one night a week for
ten weeks. You must be 21 years of age and live or
work in Park Ridge.
For more information or an application call Lt. Duane
Mellema 847.318.5263 or visit www.parkridgepolice.
org
The Citizen Police Academy
CPA Graduation
May 2011
Page 4 Community Strategies Newsletter
Together we can
“Keep the wreath
RED” and have a safe
Holiday season city-
wide.
- If you have a fresh Christ-mas tree, keep it well wa-tered.
- Inspect holiday lights for damage to cords or plugs prior to use.
- Be careful not to overload electrical outlets and cir-cuits
- Test your smoke detectors monthly to assure they are working
Holiday Decoration Safety For many people, decorating the Christmas tree is a favorite part of the holiday season. The Park Ridge Fire Department would
like to offer some safety tips to make sure your holiday decorations are safe from hazards.
The Park Ridge Fire Department would like to remind residents to “Keep the wreath RED!” The City’s fire stations have a wreath hanging in front. This wreath is covered in Red lights. If a holiday related fire occurs, a red bulb will be taken out and replaced with a white bulb. Below are some tips to a fire safe Holiday season.
- Be sure to extinguish can-dles before going to sleep or leaving the house. It is recommended that you use battery operated candles for decorative purposes.
CITY O F PAR K RIDG E FIRE DEPARTMENT
901 W. DEVON AVE PARK RIDGE, IL 60068
TEL: 847/318-5283 FAX: 847/318-5314 TDD: 847/318-5252
www.parkridgefd.org
If you are age 60 or older—and especially if you are an older woman living alone—you may be a special target of
people who sell bogus products and services by telephone. Telemarketing scams often involve offers of free
prizes, low-cost vitamins and health care products, and inexpensive vacations.
There are warning signs to these scams. If you hear these—or similar—“lines” from a telephone salesperson, just
say "no thank you," and hang up the telephone:
• "You must act now, or the offer won't be good."
• "You've won a free gift, vacation, or prize." But you have to pay for "postage and handling" or other charges.
• "You must send money, give a credit card or bank account number, or have a check picked up by courier." You may hear this before you have had a chance to consider
the offer carefully.
• "You don't need to check out the company with anyone." The callers say you do not need to speak to anyone, including your family, lawyer, accountant, local Better
Business Bureau, or consumer protection agency.
• "You don't need any written information about the company or its references."
• "You can't afford to miss this high-profit, no-risk offer."
Page 5
Seniors Beware! Telemarketing Fraud
Tips for Avoiding Telemarketing Fraud: It's very difficult to get your money back if you've been cheated over the telephone. Before you buy anything by
telephone, remember:
� Don't buy from an unfamiliar company. Legitimate businesses understand that you want more information about their company and are happy to comply.
� Always ask for and wait until you receive written material about any offer or charity. If you get brochures about costly investments, ask someone whose financial advice you trust to review them. But, unfortunately,
beware—not everything written down is true.
� Always check out unfamiliar companies with your local consumer protection agency, Better Business Bu-reau, state attorney general, the National Fraud Information Center, or other watchdog groups. Unfortu-
nately, not all bad businesses can be identified through these organizations.
� Obtain a salesperson's name, business identity, telephone number, street address, mailing address, and business license number before you transact business. Some con artists give out false names, telephone
numbers, addresses, and business license numbers. Verify the accuracy of these items.
� Before you give money to a charity or make an investment, find out what percentage of the money is paid in commissions and what percentage actually goes to the charity or investment.
� Don’t pay in advance for services. Pay services only after they are delivered.
� Be wary of companies that want to send a messenger to your home to pick up money, claiming it is part of their service to you. In reality, they are taking your money without leaving any trace of who they are or
where they can be reached.
� Always take your time making a decision. Legitimate companies won't pressure you to make a snap deci-sion.
� Don't pay for a "free prize." If a caller tells you the payment is for taxes, he or she is violating federal law.
� Be sure to talk over big investments offered by telephone salespeople with a trusted friend, family mem-ber, or financial advisor. It's never rude to wait and think about an offer.
� Never send money or give out personal information such as credit card numbers and expiration dates, bank account numbers, dates of birth, or social security numbers to unfamiliar companies or unknown per-
sons.
� If you have been victimized once, be wary of persons who call offering to help you recover your losses for a fee paid in advance.
� If you have information about a fraud, report it to state, local, or federal law enforcement agencies.
The Park Ridge Police Department is committed to
a policing philosophy called the PACT – Police
And Community Together. Through this philoso-
phy, we as members of the department value de-
veloping partnerships, fostering
community engagement and
working together to solve prob-
lems. I encourage you to be-
come part of the PACT.
Park Ridge Police Department
Each child that collects the complete set of cards (55 to-tal), will win a prize. Contact the Community Strategies Division to claim your prize.
Good Luck! *For your safety, only ap-proach an officer when he or she is NOT in the process of performing their police du-ties.
The Trading Card Program is in full force! We have ex-tended the contest portion of the program to June of 2012. This Program is designed to increase the positive con-tacts between the Police De-partment and the children of the community. Each mem-ber of the Department has a trading card (like a baseball card) and kids, 12 and un-der, are encouraged to col-lect the cards from each member.
Just for Kids
200 South Vine Avenue Park Ridge, Illinois 60068 Phone: 847.318.5252 Fax: 847.318.5308 Prepared by: Officer Julie Genualdi Community Strategies
Stay Connected!
Officer Raitano
We’re on the Web!
parkridgepolice.org
HEAR IT ~ SEE IT ~ REPORT IT!
EMERGENCIES CALL 9-1-1
Nixle - If you reside or work in Park Ridge, or live in the vicinity of Park Ridge, we suggest you to sign up for Nixle. Nixle is used by the Park Ridge Police Department to send out notifica-tions either by text message or email as a sup-plement to Everbridge for emergencies or infor-mational messages to a specific area. Sign-up to-day at www.parkridgepolice.org.
DO YOU NIXLE?
Officer Abbinante
Lt. Mellem
a
Detective McEwen
Cmdr. Keller
Collect
Them All!