Last Updated: November 18th, 2009
Published by Officer M.J. Lloyd
Patrol East Community Policing
350 S. Edgemoor, Wichita KS 67218
Work: 350-3420 / Community Policing Office 688-9545
E-mail: mlloyd@wichita.gov
Shopping during the holiday season can present unique danger. Taking a few prevention measures can help keep your holiday season joyous.
The holiday season is a time when busy people can become careless and vulnerable to theft and other holiday crime. The following tips can help you be more careful, prepared and aware during the holiday season.
Safe Shopping Tips
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Protect Shopping Bags. Never let anyone else "watch" your bags while you are shopping – always keep your bags in eyesight. This can even apply to spouses and children, as no one else may appreciate your purchases as much as you do!
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Gift Card Safety. Only buy gift cards from reputable retailers, not through online auction sites. Gift cards sold through online auction sites are more likely to be counterfeit or obtained through fraudulent means. It’s even possible that these cards could have no value when purchased.
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Keep Receipts. Consumers should keep the original receipt for every gift they purchase and ask for a gift receipt to give to the recipient. Receipts guarantee proof of purchase for both you and the gift recipient in the event that an item needs to be returned or exchanged.
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Educate Children. Teach kids what to do if you get separated by instructing your child to look for a security guard, police officer, or go to the customer service desk where people are trained to help. Also make sure that your children know what to do if approached by a stranger while shopping.
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Store Credit Card Information at Home. Make sure you have your credit card customer service phone numbers, account number and PIN written down at home in case you lose a credit card while shopping or you misplace your purse or wallet.
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Stay Alert. Even though you are rushed and thinking about a thousand things, pay attention to your surroundings.
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Auto Safety. Keep doors locked and windows closed when leaving your vehicle. Remember to turn off lights and take your keys. Store packages, electronics, and other important items in the trunk of a vehicle. Leaving them visible inside the car is an invitation for someone to break in.
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Be Careful With Your Cash. If you prefer to pay with cash, never bring out the entire stash from your wallet. It’s best to count your money discreetly out of sight from others. Also, consider bringing only what you might need for the shopping trip. If you’re only spending $50, there’s no sense in putting $600 in your wallet.
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Park close to your destination. If you know it's going to be dark when you return to your car, try to park under a street light and always take the most brightly lit path to and from your car.
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Be Vigilant. If you see something suspicious, report it to store personnel, mall security or your local police department.
Online Shopping Tips
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Plan Ahead. Having a set list of gifts you intend to buy helps minimize confusion, especially if you intend to make multiple purchases through several websites.
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Use common sense. A golden rule of online shopping is that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is and you should avoid it. Shop with retailers that you trust. If you aren’t familiar with an online retailer, look for privacy and security seals, which indicate that their security and privacy measures have been verified, or use a site like BizRate.com to determine other peoples’ shopping experiences from that merchant.
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Ensure your gifts arrive in time. Check retailers’ shipping deadlines, which are featured prominently on most retail websites. The information often lists the last day that customers can place orders for arrival by Christmas or Hanukkah.
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Know retailers’ return and exchange policies. Return policies vary, so knowing ahead of time whether or not you will have to ship back returns or exchanges or if you can return them to the physical store in your area will help in the long run. Also be sure to find out who covers the cost of shipping if you need to return or exchange an item.
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Ship gifts directly to the recipient. Most online retailers can ship items to a different location than your billing address. During the holiday season, when many people are traveling, take advantage of this feature by sending gifts ahead of your arrival. Some companies can even ship pieces from a single order to multiple locations so you don’t have to lug holiday gifts all across the country.
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For instant gratification (or holiday procrastinators), buy online then pick up in the store. Many retailers offer a "buy online, pick up in store" option. Check with your favorite retailers to see if this is a service they offer, then skip the crowds and head straight to the customer service counter where your items will be waiting.
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Read the fine print. Retailers list important information such as privacy policies, warranty information, item descriptions, terms of agreement and company information on their websites. Much of this information is very useful, but is displayed in a smaller font.
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If you aren’t comfortable paying with a credit card, research other payment options. Retailers place a tremendous importance on keeping their websites safe and protecting customers’ information. But for shoppers who are still nervous about paying by credit card, other options are often available. Online retailers offer a variety of services, from letting customers fax in an online order to accepting third-party payment options. Some retailers also allow gift cards to be redeemed online.
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"Check it Twice" before confirming purchase. Before you complete an online purchase, double-check billing and credit card information, shipping address and total cost of the order. This will eliminate any potential panic after you’ve hit the final "confirm" or "submit" button. And remember not to click "submit" twice.
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Start a file folder. First, print and save all confirmations of your purchases. This will help in many ways, from returning or exchanging items to verifying credit card or bank statements. Also, write down each purchase. It’s easy to forget how much you’ve spent if you don’t keep track. This will help both holiday spending on a budget and balancing your checkbook.
I want to let everyone know there are new phone numbers for the
Patrol East Sub-station (316) 350-3420 or (316) 350-3421.
If you are trying to contact me, You can also try the
Community Policing Office (316) 688-9545 or
contact me by e-mail at mlloyd@wichita.gov
Public Access Daily Crime Maps Want up-to-date visual representations of crimes that occur all over the city, including 37 beat? Tee link on the left hand column will take you to the City's website. There you will find GIS pin maps showing different crimes updated every weekday. This is an amazing resource for all citizens, and is similar to a more complex program I use to track crime trends. For a search engine of City of Wichita warrants, go to the second link entitled "Warrant Search".
COLD WEATHER TIPS
Now that we are begining to see the cold weather season, I would like to take this time to remind you of some cold weather safety tips to ensure that we all have a good season ahead of us. Please use these tips as you prepare to spend time with loved ones during the colder months of the year.
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Check your vehicle and make sure that it is safe for all cold weather conditions
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Check on elderly neighbors to make sure that they have heat, food, and other things in case they can't get out in extremely cold weather.
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Keep blankets, water and some non perishable food in your vehicle in case you get stranded in the cold.
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Keep fresh water and hay or straw in an appropriate shelter for outside animals.
These are just a few tips to help keep you safe and warm durng the colder months of the year!
UNATTENDED VEHICLES LEFT RUNNING
Every year the Wichita Police Department notices a large increase in preventable auto thefts in neighborhoods like yours. Most of these incidents occur during the early morning hours; however it is not uncommon for this type of crime to occur throughout the day. Kansas State Law prohibits a person from leaving their vehicle running unattended for any amount of time. The Police Department is notifying you of this crime trend as a type of education and not taking criminal action at this time. Your awareness and help in combating this criminal activity is greatly appreciated.
KSA 8-1573
8-1573. Unattended Motor Vehicle. (a) No person driving or in charge of a motor vehicle shall permit it to stand unattended without first stopping the engine, locking the ignition, removing the key from the ignition, effectively setting the brake thereon and, when standing upon any grade, turning the front wheels to the curb or side of the highway.
(b) For the purpose of this section, unattended shall not be construed to mean a motor vehicle with an engine that has been activated by a remote starter system, when the motor vehicle is locked and when the ignition keys are not in the motor vehicle.
LARCENY FROM VEHICLES
A larceny is simply a term used to say that someone stole something. It is theft. The Wichita Police Department has seen an increase all over the city in larcenies from vehicles. Items commonly stolen from a car include: Purses, wallets, cell phones, cell phone chargers, laptops, insurance paperwork, tools, garage door openers, and the coins from an ashtray. These items should not be left inside a vehicle. Criminals are having the time of their lives stealing from Wichitans this year. Citizens must take ANYTHING of value out of their cars each night. Don't be a victim of this easily preventable crime.
WORDS TO LIVE BY
"...the police are the public and the public are the police: the police being the only members of the public that are paid to give full time attention to duties which are incumbent on every citizen in the interest of community welfare and existence."
-Sir Rober Peel (1847)
ONLINE REPORTING
To report suspicious activity in your neighborhood that does not require an officers immediate response try our city website. /CityOffices/Police/Forms/SuspiciousActivity.htm
To report a traffic accident online: /CityOffices/Police/Forms/AccidentReport.htm
To advise the WPD that you will be on vacation: /CityOffices/Police/Forms/Vacation.htm
BARKING DOGS PROCEDURE
In accordance to Ordinance 6.04.040(d)(6), it is unlawful to: "Keep or harbor any animal which, by loud, frequent or habitual barking, howling, yelping or other noise or action, unreasonably disturbs any person or neighborhood thin the corporate limits of the city. To effect legal relief, persons so affected directly may sign a complaint at the Department of Environmental Services". To comply with the ordinance, the following information is needed to file a complaint at the Department of Environmental Services:
1. Name, date of birth, and address of the offending person who owns or harbors the dog/animal
2. Date and time when the offense (or incident) occurred
3. Location of the incident
If the citizen does not have the above information, they should call 911 and request that a police officer to come to their address to obtain the offender's information, they should call the Police Department Case Desk at 268-4216 to file a police incident report. The citizen should then allow three to five days for the incident to be entered into the computer system. After that time, the report should be available from the Police Department Central Records Bureau (268-4186). To file the complaint with the Department of Environmental Services:
1. Obtain a copy of the police incident case report by contacting the Police Record's Bureau at 268-4186.
2. Come to the Department of Environmental Services at 1900 E 9th to file the complaint.
3. Furnish a sworn affidavit for the incident. Environmental Services has notaries available for this purpose.
4. Sign a Universal Complaint Citation form (UCC) and have it notarized.
5. Furnish a list of witnesses to be subpoenaed and their current valid addresses. The list will always include the complainant and their current address, as well as any other witnesses, including the responding PD officer who made the incident report if applicable.
After the above steps, the complaint will be filed with the Municipal Court and entered as an unserved complaint, to be served by the Wichita Police Department Warrant Office and a court date will be assigned. Be advised that the citizen will be required to attend court on the dates subpoenaed. Failure to attend their court date(s) will result in dismissal of the complaint filed, and may result in the complaining citizen being charged with contempt of court.
Law Enforcement Memorial
Work is in progress to build a memorial to the Officers in Sedgwick County that have been killed in the line of duty. The Law Enforcement Memorial Committee of Sedgwick County, INC, has been working on creating a memorial to these Officers and has made considerable progress. The memorial will be built on the southwest corner of Central and Main in front of the City building. Local artist Constance Ernatt created the design, for the memorial. It will be in the shape of a shield symbolizing the protection Law Enforcement Officers provide. Each fallen Officer will have his name and badge number engraved in a granite panel. The centerpiece will be a bronze statue of two lions representing courage, strength, and integrity. One lion watches over the fallen Officers wile the other guards the community.
All costs of the memorial are being paid through private donations to the Law Enforcement Memorial.
Calendar of Events
Retailer Security Awarness Meeting November 20th, 9:00 am @ Towne East Square
Forest Hills NA General Meeting November 23rd, 7:00 pm @ 10 Sequia
DAB II meeting December 7th, 7:00 pm @ 2200 S. Greenwich
Fraternal Order of Police General Meeting December 8th, 5:30 pm @ 245 N. Waco
Rockwood HOA Board Meeting December 8th, 7:00 pm @ 7513 E. Tanglewood
Wichita Police Department Mission Statement
The Wichita Police Department’s mission is to provide professional and ethical public safety services in partnership with citizens to identify prevent and solve the problems of crime, fear of crime, social disorder and neighborhood decay, thereby improving the quality of life in our community.
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