Police provide security tips at ‘first of many’ crime prevention workshops
“Make your house a fortress. Lock your doors, add lighting, check windows, and leave lights on.”
-- Sgt. Anthony DiSciascio, Somers Point police
SOMERS POINT – Members of the community were encouraged to openly communicate with police during a crime prevention workshop Wednesday night, Feb. 15 in the City Hall courtroom.
“No one knows your neighborhood like you do. If you see something suspicious, call us. We are here to be bothered,” Police Chief Michael Boyd told participants who packed the courtroom. “This is the start of an open dialog.”
Kevin Walsh, a retired detective from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office who is on the board of Atlantic County Crime Stoppers, said those who prefer anonymity can report information to Crime Stoppers.
“It is our job to protect the caller,” Walsh said.
Reporting suspicious activity is as easy as logging on to the website, www.crimestopper.atlantic.com, and “typing to your heart’s content” about any information one may have about a crime, he said.
“Everyone wants a safe neighborhood, and this works because it is an association between the media, the people and the anonymous public,” Walsh said.
The website also provides statistics of the arrests made with the assistance of Crime Stoppers.
Several Somers Point police officers spoke, each addressing a different area of crime prevention.
Sgt. Anthony DiSciascio said he was eager to build a partnership with the goal of community awareness.
“This is the first of many events we plan to have with the public,” he said.
DiSciascio said the police department’s plans include updating its website, creating a Facebook page and posting the police blotter in an effort to reduce repeat offenders, planning programs with seniors, reading to youth at the Atlantic County Library, and expanding the DARE program in schools.
He also gave tips for keeping a home safe.
“Make your house a fortress,” he said. “Lock your doors, add lighting, check windows, and leave lights on. People are even leaving talk radio stations on so it seems like people are home.”
What may be obvious to some may not be obvious to others, he said.
“Be smart. Don’t leave notes on the door for the FedEx guy that you’re not home,” DiSciascio said. “That’s inviting an intruder into your home.”
He encouraged the public to utilize him and his knowledge. He said he is available to conduct security surveys of people’s homes if they are unsure of its vulnerability.
Lt. Michael Sweeney addressed scams and identity theft.
“It’s like the old saying goes: If it’s too good to be true, it probably is,” Sweeney said.
He warned listeners that the elderly are being especially targeted.
“They’re called grandma and grandpa scams. Someone will call and say, ‘Grandma?’ and the person will respond, ‘Pat, is that you?’ They’ll then say that they’re in
Sweeney said that people in Somers Point have been victimized by scams.
“We don’t want you to live in a state of paranoia, but we want you to be aware and protect yourself,” he said.
K-9 Officers Mark McElwee and Rick Dill spoke about how people identify with police dogs. Somers Point has two, Sonny and Ozi.
“We want to be familiar with the community,” McElwee said. “We want people to say ‘Officer Sonny is here,’ not ‘Oh man, the cops are here.”
Boyd appeared pleased with the attendance at the workshop.
“It’s fantastic to see such a large turnout,” he said.
“I think we accomplished our goal,” he said afterward.
“The public has really seemed to appreciate the effort, and this is the first of many events we will hold like this. Next month we are looking into breaking down these meetings into separate subject matters, with the first possibly being for seniors on how to avoid scams,” the chief said.
“It was a really positive thing to see the amount of people come out in support,” Boyd continued. “If we are going to accomplish really good things, it has to involve the community.”
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