|
Rabies
In the last three weeks the Clarkstown Police Animal Control Officer had picked up two stray cats and a fox from the Congers area. The fox and one of the cats had been found to have contracted rabies. The third cat is under quarantine to determine if also has rabies. Residents are reminded not to feed stray animals because at this point there is the possibility that the rabies has been spread by the strays feeding at the same food bowl. If any resident is aware of this situation occurring they should contact the Clarkstown Animal Control Officer at 639-5888 or the Rockland County Health Department at 364-2585.
Medical Emergency--Child Birth1/4/10
On January 4, 2010 at approximately 11:20 AM The Clarkstown Police responded to a West Clarkstown Rd New City address on a report of a female in labor. Pre-delivery assistance was given to the female by the Clarkstown Medical Emergency Dispatcher Lorraine Monahan and being the female couldn’t speak any English she had to be assisted through the emergency by one of our Spanish speaking officers Sean Suarez. Upon arrival Clarkstown Police Officers Jay Vejinoska, Robert Reilly and John Mullins discovered a 9 month pregnant female who was in active labor with the baby partly out. They immediately took action and delivered a healthy baby boy. The Nanuet Ambulance and Medic 3 arrived and transported the new mother and baby to Nyack Hospital.
Buckle Up New York 11/22/09
The Clarkstown Police Department received a New York State block grant to implement the New York State Buckle Up New York – Click It or Ticket. The campaign is designed to save lives and reduce the severity of injuries by increasing the vehicle restraint use in motor vehicles. In 1984, New York State became the first state to enact a mandatory seat belt law; the law became effective in 1985. New York’s seat belt law is a “primary enforcement law”. This means that a police officer may stop you for not having a seat belt on. In 1984, the year the seat belt law was enacted, approximately 16% of individuals wore seat belts. 1,012 people who were unrestrained died in motor vehicle accidents. In 1985, the year the seat belt law went into effect, the compliance rate was 57%, and unrestrained deaths dropped to 644. In 1993, the compliance rate was 71% and in 2003 it climbed to 85%. The Clarkstown Police Department will implement the second phase of this program by assigning officers on overtime ($13,702 paid for by the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee) to accomplish these goals during the week of November 16 - 29. 2009. This is a zero-tolerance program designed to educate the motoring public through enforcement. The second phase of this program which was May 19 – June 1, 2009; the Clarkstown Police issued 438 seat belt violations and 7 other violations.
Police Department Reaccreditation
The Chief of Police Peter Noonan is proud to announce that On June 4, 2008 the Clarkstown Police Department was reaccrededited by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services. Appromately one month age the New York State Law Enforcement Accreditation Council visited the Clarkstown Police Department and over a three day period. They reviewed the police department’s operation both in administration and the operation areas. The department originally was accredited in 1998, and has continued to meet all applicable requirements established by the accreditation council. This is the third time the police department has been arredited and reaccredited.
Buckle up New York
The Clarkstown Police Department received a New York State block grant to implement the New York State Buckle Up New York – Click It or Ticket. The campaign is designed to save lives and reduce the severity of injuries by increasing the vehicle restraint use in motor vehicles. In 1984, New York State became the first state to enact a mandatory seat belt law, the law became effective in 1985. New York’s seat belt law is a “primary enforcement law”. This means that a police officer may stop you for not having a seat belt on. In 1984, the year the seat belt law was enacted, approximately 16% of individuals wore seat belts. 1,012 people who were unrestrained died in motor vehicle accidents. In 1985, the year the seat belt law went into effect, the complience rate was 57%, and unrestrained deaths dropped to 644. In 1993, the compliance rate was 71% and in 2003 it climbed to 85%. The Clarkstown Police Department will implement the second phase of this program by assigning officers on overtime (paid for by the New York State Block Grant) to accplish these goals during the week of May 19 – June 1, 2008. This is a zero-tolerance program designed to educate the motoring public through enforcement. The first phase of this program which was November 12 – 25 2007, the Clarkstown Police issued 480 seat belt violations and 16 other violations.
and 16 other violations.
VIN-Etching/Watch You Car Program
The Clarkstown Police Crime Prevention Unit is sponsoring a Vin Etching Program to be held on Saturday, April 26, 2008 at the Clarkstown Police Department, 20 Maple Avenue, New City from 8:00 AM to 12:00 There is no charge for this “Watch your car Vin (vehicle identification number) program” is a nationwide program in which vehicle owners can have the Clarkstown Police etch the vehicle’s VIN number into the windows of the vehicle. These etched numbers are difficult to remove and have been proven effective in making vehicles less likely to be targeted by car thieves “Watch your car Decal Program” allows owners of cars that are not normally operated during the morning hours to place two decals on their cars. The owner signs a consent form saying if the vehicle is seen being driven between the hours of 1:00am and 5:00am, the police can stop the car and make sure it is not stolen or being used illegally. New York State law provides for insurance premium discounts ranging between two to five percent when owners VIN-etch their.This program is offered to all Town Residents, for more information and appointment contact the Clarkstown Police Community Policing Unit at 639-5980.
Operation Safe Stop
Again the Clarkstown Police Department has signed on to the 2008 New York State’s Operation Safe Stop. Operation Safe Stop seeks to promote school bus safety through education and enforcement efforts. Operation Safe Stop is a cooperative project supported by the New York State Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee, the New York State Education Department, the New York Association for Public Transportation, the New York State School Bus Contactors Association, the student transportation industry and state, county, city and local law enforcement agencies. It should be pointed out that an estimated 50,000 motor vehicles illegally pass New York State school busses every day. Between the years 2002 through 2004, there were 69 students injured and one killed by motorists who passed stopped school busses.THE LAW SAYES:* It is illegal – and very dangerous – to pass a stopped school bus when the large red lights located on top of the bus are flashing. Flashing lights mean the bus is picking up or discharging students.* You must stop whether you are approaching the school bus from the front or overtaking it from the rear.*You must always stop for flashing red lights, even on divided and multilane highways and on school grounds.*The first-time fine for illegally passing a school bus is a $250 fine, 5 points on your license, and/or 30 days in jail.*Worse yet, the memory of hitting or killing a child may be one you carry for the rest of your life.Starting tomorrow April 2, 2008 the Clarkstown Police Department will send out numerous extra patrols to insure that the laws relating to passing of school busses and other child safety measures are enforced. If you are stopped for passing a school bus with their flashing red lights on YOU WILL RECEIVE A SUMMONSE.
False Alarm Reduction
The Clarkstown Police Department has received 7,603 false E911 calls to date this year, this calculates into 25% of total calls for service. The reasons for these false calls range from prank calls to an unsupervised child or inadvertent dialing; irregardless, our police dispatchers are required by protocol to follow-up on every E911 call which invariably results in patrol officer’s response. Coupled with the current 14% of false burglar alarm response, the Clarkstown Police Department is currently at the rate of spending 39% of its time and resources responding to non-incidents.
In an effort to educate the public and reduce the instances of false incidents, the Clarkstown Police Department offers the following information:
False Alarm Reduction
1. Purchase a system from a certified and licensed alarm dealer. 2. Receive thorough training so you and every member of your family or business are comfortable using your system. 3. Keep the operating instructions handy. 4. Everyone who has a key to your home or business must know how to operate your security system. 5. Remind visiting relatives and children how to use your system. 6. Require all alarm users to use the system in a responsible manner, allow the time necessary to arm and disarm your system. 7. Service and maintain the system regularly. 8. Before leaving, secure all doors and windows connected to the security system. 9. Keep pets, fans, balloons, heaters, etc. away from motion detector ares. 10. Practice the procedure to properly cancel an accidental alarm 11. When a false alarm does occur, don’t panic; follow the disarm and alarm cancel procedure and do not leave until the false alarm is verified with your alarm company. 12. Understand that every time your alarm goes off, it’s like calling 911. 13. All residential and commercial burglar alarms in the Town of Clarkstown must be registered with the Department’s Alarm Enforcement Unit, contact PO Geoff Bradley at #639-5801.
About Enhanced E911
All 911 calls made in the Town of Clarkstown are directed to the Clarkstown Police Department Communications Center staffed by trained professionals, they will screen each call and directly dispatch the appropriate emergency response. Try to stay calm and give your name and the nature and location of the emergency; special computers and monitors at the Police Department will display the phone number and location of the phone you are calling from to assist the dispatcher in sending you the help you need. All cellular 911 calls currently are directed to Rockland County Communications Center, plans are progressing to direct all cellular calls as well as the new Voice Over Internet Protocol calls made within the Town of Clarkstown to the Clarkstown Police Department Communications Center for immediate emergency response.
When do I use 911?
911 is an emergency reporting number. Dial 911 to report an incident that requires the immediate intervention of a police officer, firefighter, or emergency medical service. Call 911 when: · Someone is sick or injured and requires immediate medical attention · A crime is being or has just been committed. · A motor vehicle accident occurs · Any situation involves a fire.
What can you do to make 911 work better?
· Don’t use 911 to play games, false 911 calls tie up the available 911 lines and could prevent a genuine emergency call from getting through. Intentionally falsely reporting an incident by dialing 911 is a crime! · Don’t call for situations that do not require the immediate response of police, fire, or medical personnel. · Don’t call 911 to report inconveniences such as no electricity, plumbing problems, weather reports, road conditions, or other information; use the administrative line: 845-639-5800. · Take due care when dialing a phone number as not to inadvertently dial 911; especially when dialing 914 area code and 011 International Exchange. · Properly supervise and educate children in the proper use of 911. · Remember that dialing 911 will mandate a police response.
These simple steps can minimize the reported false incidents and maximize the ability of the Clarkstown Police Department to effectively serve and protect its citizens.
International Money Scams
Clarkstown Police has received numerous reports of international money scams. These scams have come in the form of faxes, emails and letters addressed specifically to the person receiving the correspondence.There have been a few variations of the scam when reported. All are consistent in offering large sums of money in return for a person’s banking information. Large sums of money are supposed to be deposited in the victim’s account, and a promise is made to have the victim receive a percentage of the money.This is nothing more than a scam. Banking information will be in the possession of someone in another country if someone participates. Unfortunately, because of these circumstances, law enforcement is often left with little recourse.No one should ever provide personal information to anyone that has been unsolicited.
Illegal Parking
The Clarkstown Police Department would like to remind our residents that it’s that time of year again where residents cannot park their vehicles on town streets from November 15, 2007 to April 1, 2008 from midnight to 6 AM, as per the Clarkstown town ordinance. In addition, leaves are not allowed to be placed in the street for pickup as per the state vehicle and traffic law. This causes a hazardous condition and violators will be prosecuted. If there are any questions, contact the Clarkstown Police Department at 639-5800
Community Bulletin Board
The Town of Clarkstown Police Department has now begun utilizing the Clarkstown City-Watch Notification System. This system has the capability to notify one thousand residents per hour by telephone in the event of an emergency situation that may arise in our township.Telephone notifications may be made in the case of hazardous material spills, flood warnings, traffic detours, evacuation orders, information on Indian Point, etc.Notifications will also be made for road closures, missing persons, burglar activities, robberies, and any other situations or information that is important to our residents.Part of our City-Watch notification System includes a Community Bulletin Board. The Bulletin Board provides pre-recorded directions to the Clarkstown/Court Facility, all high schools in the town, and directions to the Palisades Center Mall and Nanuet Mall. Also included in the Bulletin Board are the Clarkstown Parks and Recreation activity schedules and the Clarkstown Highway Department leaf and bulk pickup dates. To access this system, please call 845 639-5930For any additional information, please call PO Greg Tobin 639-5878 or Disp. Karl Muller 639-5872
Scheme to Defraud
The Clarkstown Police Department has received information there is a scheme to defraud going around targeting business and residents of Rockland County. The Scheme is to request personal information about personal and business bank accounts to get involved in the purchase of airport equipment in the Democratic Republic of Nigeria. The Fax states the sender is the Director of approvals and appraisals of the Federal Ministry of Aviation in Nigeria (Dr. Hope Olas). There has been other Fax’s and e-mails with other names but in essence asking for the same information and stating they are from Nigeria. Just remember not to give out any personal information to someone you do not know. If anyone receives a fax or e-mail asking for personal information for a get rich quick scheme please disregard.
City Watch System
In an emergency situation, getting the right information to the right people as quickly as possible is critical to public safety. The Clarkstown Police Department has recently installed the City Watch Community Notification System, to help better deliver both Alert and Non-Alert information to Town of Clarkstown Citizens and Businesses quickly, accurately, and automatically.City Watch is a GIS (geographical information system) based high-speed notification solution. Town of Clarkstown officials will dramatically increased their ability to alert response teams and communities-at-risk quickly and accurately. The system augments The Town of Clarkstown capacity to prepare for and respond to emergencies or disasters, as well as communicate more successfully with local residents regarding missing persons, lost children, weather warnings, hazardous materials spills, neighborhood watch bulletins, and more.City Watch enables the Town of Clarkstown to bring up detailed computerized street maps of the Town on the systems monitor. Clarkstown Police Staff can define virtually any geographic area of the Town they desire using the system mouse. Once the specific geographic area is defined, Clarkstown Police Staff simply records any length “voice message” about the incident and activates City Watch. The system then automatically calls all of the households/businesses within the selected area and delivers the voice-recorded message.City Watch can contact individuals by phone, pager, fax, or cellular phone and delivers incident-specific information and/or instructions. The system confirms message receipt through touch-tone response, logs individual response times, and documents call-out results in comprehensive reports.City Watch is currently installed in hundreds of Police, Sheriff, and Emergency Response Departments throughout the USA and Canada. Some of the Success Stories attributed to City Watch include numerous incidents of finding lost children, locating Alzheimer patients that have walked away, evacuating areas, enhancing Neighborhood Watch Programs, weather warnings, and more. We are currently in the process of programming and testing this system. Some residents in the community may receive recorded test messages which unless otherwise instructed to, it is not necessary to contact the police department. For additional information regarding City Watch System contact Senior Dispatcher Karl Muller 845 639-5872 or e-mailk_muller@town.clarkstown.ny.us
Identity Theft
During the course of your day, you may use your credit card, write a check, rent a car, order something over the internet or apply for cell phone service. Chances are you don't give these everyday transactions a second thought. But someone may. Over the past several years, a new breed of crook called identity thieves, have committed fraud and theft by using the name and social security numbers of unsuspecting persons and obtaining credit or services in the persons name. You may not be aware of this fraud until you start receiving bills from credit cards you don't have or calls from collection agencies. Or, you may not find out until you apply for a car or home loan and are turned down for bad credit.
How do identity thieves obtain your personal information? Here are a few of the many possible ways; 1- They steal wallets and purses that contain driver's licenses, credit and bank cards, and social securit cards. 2- They steal your mail including pre-approved credit card offers. 3- They fill out a change of address form in your name to divert mail to another address. 4- They go through your trash and recover copies of bills and personal data. 5- They use personal information you share on the internet.
How do they use this information?
1- They contact your credit card companies, claiming to be you, and request a change of address for your account. They then run up your credit card account. Because you are no longer receiving the bills, it may take a while for you to realize there is something wrong. 2- They open up credit accounts using your name, social securiy number and date of birth. They use the cards and don't pay the bills. Eventually the delinquent account appears on your credit report. 3- They establish a checking account in your name and write bad checks. 4- They obtain counterfeit checks, debit cards or credit cards and drain your accounts. 5- They take loans in your name and don't repay them.
Local police departments have been taking reports and investigating the frauds, but what about the victim? How can you protect yourself from theft and fraud and restore your credit?
The Clarkstown Police Department offers these recommendations;
1- Never reveal personal or financial information to anyone on the telephone unless you initiated the call to a reputable company. 2- Guard your mail from theft and tear up or, even better shred credit card receipts and unwanted credit card offers received in the mail. 3- Put passwords on your credit card accounts, bank accounts and phone accounts to prevent someone from changing your billing address and accessing your account information. Don't use easily ontainedinformation for your password. 4- Protect your mail from theft. Deposit outgoing mail at the post office. Contact the post office to hold your mail if you are going away. 5- Do not carry your social security card with you, leave it in a safe place. 6- Order a copy of your Credit Report and review it for mistakes or fraudulent accounts. The three major credit bureaus are: Equifax - www.equifax.com ; 800 685-1111 Experian - www.experian.com 800 397-3742 TransUnion www.tuc.com ; 800 916-8800 7- Contact the police if you think you have been the victim of a fraud.
The Clarkstown Police also offers free copies of a booklet put out by the Federal Trade Commission titled, "I.D. Theft, When bad things happen to your good name". These can be picked up at the Clarkstown Police Department at 20 Maple Ave New City or visiting the Federal Trade Commission web site at www.consumer.gov/idtheft.
Child Safety on the Internet/Guidelines for Parent
The key to Child Safety has always been age appropriate supervision and this certaintly extends to your family's on-line computer use. Parents can greatly minimize any potential risks of on-line use by establishing the following rules:
* Never give out identifying information - names, home address, school name, or telephone number - in a public message such as chat rooms or bulletin boards.
* Be sure that you're dealing with someone that both you and your child know and trust before giving out information via E-mail.
* If you are not knowledgable about computers and the internet take the time to learn and understand, Having your child teach you can be a great bonding experience for both of you.
* Familiarize yourself with the services that your child uses. Find out what types of information it offers and whether there are ways for parents to block out objectionable material.
* Never allow a child to arrange a face-to-face meeting with another computer user without parental permission.
* Never respond to messages that are suggestive, obscene, threatening or make you feel uncomfortable. Encourage your children to tell you if they encounter such messages. If you or your child recieves a message that is harassing or of a sexual nature contact authorities and your service provider immediately.
* Remember that people on-line may not be who they claim to be, someone claiming to be a "12 year old girl" may be in reality a "40 year old man".
Try to make computer use a family activity and not as an electronic babysitter; consider keeping the computer in a family room rather than your child's bedroom. Set the rules and monitor compliance, a child's excessive use of on-line services may be an indicator that there is a potential problem. Get to know their on-line friends and internet sites they are visiting. Internet access can be an exciting and valuable tool for your child to learn and communicate; however, following simple guidelines for parental supervision and common sense advise can insure that their experiences are happy, healthy and productive.
ZERO TOLERANCE
Section 1192-a of the NYS Vehicle & Traffic Law prohibits driving a motor vehicle by a person under the age of 21 who has consumed alcohol and has a blood alcohol content of at least .02% but not more than .07%. Charges brought under this section are not crimes or violations, but are civil in nature and are adjudicated by the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles. A resulting finding of fact in an administrative hearing could result in a suspension or revocation of the driver's license.
The Clarkstown Police Department enforces a zero tolerance policy on underage drinking and driving. The New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law has lowered the threshhold for underage drinking and driving from the standard .10%. If an Officer stops a driver under the age of 21 and has reasonable cause to believe that he/she may have consumed alcohol, that person will be detained and transported to Clarkstown Police Headquarters where he/she will be afforded the opportunity to take a breathalyzer test. A refusal to submit to the chemical test could also result in the suspension or revocation of the driver's license by the NYS Department of Motor Vehicles at a subsequent Administrative Hearing. If the result of the breathalyzer test is between .02% and .07% blood alcohol content, the driver is cited under section 1192-a NYS V&T Law and referred to an administrative hearing with the NYS Dept. of Motor Vehicles. If a higher reading is attained (<.07) the standard DWI Laws would be enforced.
SAVE LIVES-DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE
|
