Neighborhood Watch Newsletter - Hanover County Sheriff`s Office

HANOVER COUNTY
NEIGHBORHOOD
WATCH
NEWSLETTER
Colonel David R. Hines, Sheriff
March 2016
P. O. Box 40
Hanover, Virginia
23069
(804) 365-6110
Hanover County Sheriff’s
Sergeant Terry Sullivan
Intelligence and Crime
Prevention
(804)365-6331
Deputy Barry Bland
Crime Prevention
Neighborhood Watch &
Child Safety Coordinator
(804) 365-7116
Deputy Jim McLaughlin
Crime Prevention
Business Watch &
Senior Safety Coordinator
(804) 365-6335
Crime Prevention Tips:
Know the phone number
that is displayed before
you answer your phone!
Be aware of your
surroundings.
Appear strong and
confident.
Always trust your
instincts!
Every day, we are getting more calls for service from people who have fallen victim
to the trickery used in so many fashions. These scams come in the form of phone
calls, e-mails, mail and in-person contact.
Remember to be suspicious of ANYONE who contacts you first! This is particularly
true in instances where you are told that something needs immediate attention,
such as a loved one has been involved in a crash and needs money or is in jail and
needs bail. The first thing to remember in these cases is that most scammers
want you to send money through a wire service such as Western Union. This
allows them to pick up the money at locations different from what they’ve told
you, and these locations are usually out of the country, which makes prosecution
nearly impossible. Sometimes, they will ask you to go to a local store and get a
“green dot” card or a charge card onto which you can load money, then call them
back with the card number so they can spend the money you just put on the card.
With the tax season well underway, we are also hearing reports that people are
filing their taxes only to get an official response from the IRS telling them that
they’ve already filed and the refund has been sent. Others are being threatened
with criminal action if they don’t pay their past due taxes immediately. The IRS
does not conduct business this way. First, ask yourself if you have already
received correspondence by mail from the IRS regarding questions about your tax
return. If not, then we recommend you look up the IRS phone number yourself
and contact them with any questions you may have.
We recommend that you also take the time to ensure that your identity has not
been stolen. You can do this by checking your credit rating periodically (you can
do this once per year per credit rating company) to ensure that your personal
finances have not been compromised without you knowing.
As always, remember to contact the Sheriff’s Office immediately by calling 911
to report scams, fraudulent activities or any other suspicious activities!
9th Annual Senior CPA Applications Being Taken Now!!
The next Senior Citizens Police Academy will begin on April 5, 2016. The program will be
held each Tuesday through June 14 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Hanover Sheriff’s Office
located at 7522 County Complex Road, Hanover, VA 23069. Participants will learn all
about their Sheriff’s Office and personal safety during this 11-week program. Participants
must be Hanover County residents and at least 55 years old. The deadline for
applications is March 15, 2016.
For an application, please contact Deputy Jim McLaughlin at (804) 365-6335 or email
jpmclaughlin@hanovercounty.gov
Save the date!!!
We will be celebrating the
33rd Anniversary of
National Night Out on
Tuesday, August 2, 2016.
For more information about
NNO ‘16, please go to
www.Nationalnightout.org
REMINDER!!!
Our next quarterly meeting will be held at 7 p.m.
on Tuesday, June 7, 2016, at the Sheriff’s Office
in Training Room A.
Credit Reports
With the vast amount of scams being conducted by would-be criminals, it’s important to
keep up with your credit reporting to ensure you have not been secretly taken advantage
of. You are entitled to a free credit report annually from the three reporting companies
(Equifax, TransUnion and Experian).
Security Assessments
Have you wondered how safe and secure your home is? Are you considering the purchase
of a “security system”? If you have concerns or questions about this topic, did you know
that your Sheriff’s Office conducts FREE security assessments for residents and
businesses in Hanover County? The assessments generally take about one or two hours
to conduct, and you will receive a complete list of observations made and
recommendations for making your home more secure. To set up an appointment for a
security assessment, please contact the Sheriff’s Office Crime Prevention Unit at (804)
365-6110.
Vacation House Watch
Whenever you are going to be away from home for vacation or other extended periods
of time, remember to call the Sheriff’s Office at (804) 365-6140 to let us know. We will
alert the deputies working in the area where you live so they can stop by periodically to
make sure things are OK!
Safety Programs
We want to remind you that the Crime Prevention Unit is available to conduct various
programs for your neighborhood homeowners association meetings or other events for
which you would like us to be available. We also have crime prevention displays available
for your community-related events so passersby can stop in and receive some important
information relating to safety. McGruff the Crime Dog likes to stop in to visit with the
children too! He likes handing out sticker badges to his new friends who want to help
him take a bite out of crime! He also has his Crime Prevention Officers assist with telling
children how police officers are their friends, and also about “Stranger Dangers.”
If you would like to have the Sheriff’s Office Crime Prevention personnel on hand for your
program or event, please give us a call at (804) 365-6110 to let us know. Keep in mind
that we have many events scheduled up to three months in advance year round, so give
us a call as soon as possible after your event date is set.
Concealed Handgun Permits
We receive many calls for information relating to Concealed Handgun Permits and how
to obtain them. For information about how to obtain a concealed permit and the
disqualifiers relating to them or to get a copy of the application, you can call the Clerk’s
Office at (804) 365-6148 or click on the following link for the Hanover Circuit Court:
http://www.hanovercounty.gov/Courts/Concealed-Handgun-Permit/
Permits are processed through the Circuit Court for the jurisdiction where you live. The
Sheriff’s Office handles the process for criminal background checks for the Circuit Court
in Hanover County.
Permits are valid for five years from the issuance date and can be renewed prior to the
expiration date. We recommend you submit your application 45 days in advance of the
expiration as it can take that long to process the applications.
Solicitors and Scams!
If you encounter a door-to-door salesperson, first ask them for a Hanover County
Solicitor’s License. If they fail to produce one, immediately turn them away and give
the Sheriff’s Office a call so we can check them out further. If a salesperson is pushy or
acting in an aggressive manner, it is all the more reason to call us immediately!
There are some exceptions to the County Ordinance regarding solicitors. They can be
found on the Hanover County government website under “Your Government” and
“Ordinances.”
Hanover Alert is a notification system that operates in conjunction with Code Red.
When seconds count in an emergency…
Hanover County Public Safety uses the CodeRED Emergency Notification System - an ultra-highspeed telephone communication service for emergency notifications and the distribution of
information considered to be important.
This system allows us to telephone all or targeted areas of the county in case of an emergency
situation that requires immediate action, such as an evacuation, contaminated water, hazardous
chemical spill, etc. This system is capable of dialing the entire county within minutes. It then
delivers a message describing the situations to a live person or an answering machine in the
affected area, possibly including instructions requiring immediate action on the part of the
recipient.
Please register today! You can sign up on the Hanover Alert enrollment page.
Important: Use your physical Hanover County address. Do not use post office box or out of town
addresses. Should you at any time desire to be removed from the calling list, you may do so by
calling Hanover County Emergency Communications at (804) 365-6140.
For more information and frequently asked questions, please visit Hanover Alert Frequently Asked
Questions.