Brooklyn Neighborhood

If you’re going out of town, leaving an unatended car or simply existing in Portland, you may want to read the following sent to us from our neighborhood liaison at the Portland Police Bureau.

Home Holiday Safety Tips-
Most of these tips are the same home safety tips that we always encourage, regardless of the season

As always, make sure to lock all doors and windows when you leave the house or when you are out of the room, even for a couple of minutes.
If you are planning on being out of town, make sure to ask a trusted neighbor or friend to check on your home for you. Make sure to hold your mail through USPS at  http://www.usps.com/all/optionsforreceivingmail/welcome.htm?from=household&page=optionsrecmail or have a neighbor pick up your mail for you.
Buy timers for the lights on your house. At a minimum, you should have your front and back porch lights on a dawn to dusk timer and consider having another light or two in your home on a timer, as well.
Make sure not to have holiday gifts visible through windows or doors. You don’t want to advertise the gifts that you’ve purchased.
After the holidays, put your recyclable gift boxes out only the night before, so there isn’t an opportunity for someone to find out what fun new gifts you received. When breaking down the boxes, fold them inside out before adding them to your recycle bin.
For other tips on how to make your home safer, please refer to the Portland Police Bureau’s Guide to Home and Vehicle Security at http://www.portlandonline.com/police/index.cfm?c=29869&a=31554
After the holidays, make sure to photograph and record the serial numbers of any new items that you may have received. It’s also a good time to engrave your purchases for added safety.
Be aware that occasionally some thieves will go door to door at this time of year to solicit money for a “charity” and then steal that money. Ask the person at your door for some identification.  Only donate to recognizable charities and even then, I prefer to ask for a card or information from the person at my door to send a check in to the charity directly. That way I can double check that it is a legitimate charity and I ask for their name, so they can still get the credit for the donation. Remember, personal checks give thieves your personal information as well as your bank account number.
For tips on how to avoid identity theft and how to check your credit reports, please refer to the Portland Police Bureau’s Identity Theft: It Can Happen to You brochure at “http://www.portlandonline.com/police/index.cfm?c=29869&a=111520″ .

Vehicle Holiday Safety Tips-

Always keep your car clear of personal belongings. We all know that we need to keep “valuables” out of our car, but it’s important that you keep your car clear of ANY personal belongings. Even the items that we don’t consider valuable might be considered valuable to others!
Try to park in well-lit areas and be aware of your surroundings. Avoid parking in dark areas.
Always lock your doors and shut your windows.
Try not to be distracted when walking to your car or mass transportation. It is important to be aware of your surroundings.

Business Holiday Safety Tips-
Keep all personal belongings in a locked, secure place at your office or business. Limit the number of people that have access to the office area.
At this time of year, you are probably being visited more often by delivery trucks, as well as customers. Always double check that all delivery doors are locked and secured after each visit. At the end of the night, double check that all windows and doors are secured before leaving as you would at any time.
Provide training for all employees on security procedures for your business. Enforce clear policies about employee theft, reporting crime, opening and closing the business and other security measures.
Shoplifting Prevention- Make sure to greet all customers and make sure that employees focus on good customer service. Thieves don’t want to shoplift when employees are being attentive and aware. Post signs that you will prosecute shoplifters and follow through! A get-tough attitude is important to send a message that shoplifting will not be tolerated at your business. Keep shelves low and aisles clear to increase visibility. Install enunciators on all unlocked doors. Limit the number of clothes that are allowed into fitting rooms. Have employees ask customers to hold any items that they want to purchase at the counter for them, as well as hold items for trying on in the fitting room. Try to eliminate as many blind spots in the store as possible and use convex mirrors to keep blind spots to a minimum.
Don’t forget: You should ALWAYS report crime to non-emergency at 503-823-3333 or 911 for a crime in progress. Make sure that all employees know the non-emergency number!

Last, but not least, we hope that you have a warm, safe and happy holiday season!