Crime Prevention News

Girls and Gangs: The Hidden Risks of Dating a Gang Member

Mon, 2010-07-19 06:50

Many teenage girls are attracted to what society calls a “bad boy,” finding this image... Sarita Coletrane

Girls and Gangs: The Hidden Risks of Dating a Gang Member

Mon, 2010-07-19 06:50

Many teenage girls are attracted to what society calls a “bad boy,” finding this image and lifestyle exciting. This attraction can sometimes lead to a girl dating a person who may be involved with a gang. Our society often glamorizes this lifestyle in movies, television shows, and music videos. Mass media has a way of conveying a message that makes this way of life attractive which can entice a young girl’s desire to date a gang member for all of the wrong reasons. However, some girls may not fully understand the repercussions of this decision and how this association can affect their lives.

Guys involved with gangs may appear to be fun and attractive, but the party never lasts. Often times dating a gang member can lead to gang membership, gang involvement, and abuse. According to a recent study by researchers at RTI International, teenage girls whose boyfriends are gang members are nearly twice as likely to have unwanted pregnancies as those not dating boys involved with gangs. Girls whose boyfriends spent time in jail were also more likely to become pregnant. Along with unwanted pregnancies, other associated issues that stem from dating a gang member range from:  domestic violence, gambling, violent behavior, and involvement with drugs and alcohol. There are many negative outcomes which come from not only being associated with a gang member but also being romantically involved with a gang member. This type of unhealthy relationship puts girls at risk of losing friends, being estranged from family members, performing poorly in school, and even jeopardizing their own life. It is important for girls to educate themselves on the risks associated with dating a gang member so that the next time a “bad boy” catches your eye, you can ask yourself “is he worth it?”
Tips for Girls:
·    Avoid associating and starting a romantic relationship with a known gang member.
·    Get involved in extra-curricular activities e.g. sports, clubs, volunteer work, a parttimejob,faith groups. Etc.
·    Maintain an honest relationship with your parents by keeping lines of communication open.
·    Seek a mentor or a positive role model that you can look up to.
·    Set life goals and aspirations for yourself (e.g. attending college, becoming an athlete, getting good grades, etc.)
·    Report gang violence and/ or activity to your parents, school administrator, mentor, or your local police department.
·    If you are being abused in any way verbally, physically, sexually, etc. report it to an adult you can trust and your local police department.

Resources for Girls:
The National Center for Victims of Crime can be contacted for referrals to local services anywhere in the country. Call Monday through Friday 8:30 am to 8:30 pm EST 1-800-FYI-CALL (1-800-394-2255).

The National Crime Prevention Council:
Project Safe Neighborhoods: Girls in Gangs
http://www.ncpc.org/programs/project-safe-neighborhoods-1/girls-in-gangs-1

Teen Dating Violence
http://www.ncpc.org/resources/files/pdf/violent-crime/teen_dating_violence.pdf

Digital Copier Identity Theft

Mon, 2010-07-12 08:18

In our office we have a copier that can make your copy into a PDF... National Crime Prevention Council

Digital Copier Identity Theft

Mon, 2010-07-12 08:18

In our office we have a copier that can make your copy into a PDF document that you can receive via email at your desk.  It’s a really great feature but recently I saw how that feature could turn potentially ugly with the push of a few wrong buttons.

A person accidentally sent a PDF copy of his license and social security card to a few people in the office because he mistakenly highlighted more names than his own.  This could have been an identity theft situation that would have cost this person a lot of time and money to reclaim the stolen identity.

But the problem doesn’t stop there.  If this person was using a digital copier, there is another risk that has nothing to do with human error.  Did you know that digital copiers store what you’ve copied on a hard drive that if not wiped clean, can be retrieved when that copier is re-sold or junked after it is no longer useful to the company?

It is scary to think about how much personal and company data could be on your organization’s copier hard drive.  Fortunately, there are some ways you can try to protect that information by working with your IT staff.  An article by Consumeraffairs.com has some easy to follow steps you can take in your office.

As scary as this is, the number one way people become victims of identity theft is still through their own lapses in judgment.  Don’t be careless with your personal information.  Learn how to be identity smart with the brochure,Identity Smart: A Guide for Consumers to Help Protect Against Identity Theft, by LifeLock and the National Crime Prevention Council. 
Ten simple tips to secure your identity:

• Do not give out personal information over the phone, through the mail, or over the Internet unless you have initiated the contact or know with whom you’re dealing.
 

• Shred all documents, including preapproved credit applications, insurance forms, bank checks and statements you are discarding, and other financial information.
 

• Protect your computer from Internet intruders—use firewalls. Also use anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date. Create hard-to-guess passwords that cannot be found in any dictionary. Select passwords with at least eight characters and that include a mix of numbers and both uppercase and lowercase letters.
 

• Minimize the identification information and the number of cards you carry. Take only what you’ll actually need. Make a list of all your credit card account numbers and bank account numbers with customer service phone numbers, and keep it in a safe place.
 

• Do not put your Social Security number on your checks or your credit receipts. If a business requests your Social Security number, give an alternate number.
 

• Be careful when using ATM machines and long-distance phone cards. Someone may look over your shoulder and get your PIN numbers.  You also have to be careful of ATM skimmer machines.  Do not use an ATM if it looks like it’s been tampered with.
 

• Never submit your credit card number to a website unless it is encrypted on a secured site. Look at the bottom of the screen for a padlock symbol. Do not select to save your information on the site for future transactions.
 

• Pay attention to your billing cycles. Follow up with creditors if bills don’t arrive on time. A missing credit card bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your credit account and changed your address.
 

• Cancel all credit cards you have not used in the last six months. Open credit is a prime target for an identity thief.  Also, you might consider signing up for a monitoring service so you can be alerted to any unusual activity.
 

• Order your credit report at least twice a year from the three major credit bureaus: Equifax (www.equifax.com), Experian (www.experian.com), and Trans Union (www.transunion.com). The Fair Credit Reporting Act allows you to get one free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus once per year. Visit www.annualcreditreport.com. Correct all mistakes on your credit report in writing. Send a letter to the credit reporting agency identifying the problems item by item, include a copy of the credit report, and send the letter return receipt requested.

Happy 30th Birthday, McGruff!

Thu, 2010-07-01 07:12

In the seventies America was perceived to be in a malaise where nothing worked and... National Crime Prevention Council

Happy 30th Birthday, McGruff!

Thu, 2010-07-01 07:12

In the seventies America was perceived to be in a malaise where nothing worked and nothing could be done about it. We had just had our future rewritten due to the oil embargo; “stagflation” was a word on every pundit’s lips, and nothing seemed to be able to be done about our social issues, especially crime.

Thirty years ago this month a perfect confluence of need, ideas, and the people with the passion for those ideas came together.  Policymakers, community members, law enforcement, organizations, business leaders, and, significantly, the Department of Justice determined that ordinary citizens could be important and essential factors in the fight against crime and it was time to spread that message.  Enter one Carl M. Loeb, Jr.—businessman and philanthropist—and a host of other like-minded citizens whose attitude of optimism and activism resulted in McGruff, the Crime Dog and the Take A Bite Out of Crime Campaign ®. What started with an idea of getting people focused and involved in community crime prevention has evolved into a movement and an agency (the National Crime Prevention Council) that provide many services to the nation. You know McGruff for his award-winning public service advertising and his groundbreaking and comprehensive crime prevention initiatives for cities and communities. He is also the face behind hundreds of ready-to-use crime prevention publications, this award winning website and this one, and expert training for law enforcement personnel. Whether he is needed for a Boys and Girls Club in Las Cruces, New Mexico or a small police force in upstate New York— McGruff is there.

Although the McGruff story started with a good idea and an even better attitude, others’ contributions— partners, current and former staff, law enforcement, the Ad Council, Saatchi & Saatchi advertising, Causeway Agency, community members, and monumentally, the U.S. Department of Justice—made the National Crime Prevention Council what it is today. All have contributed in significant ways to make our communities safer.

Thirty years later, it’s not enough to know that the vast majority of Americans know and recognize McGruff. What’s important is that the overwhelming majority of our fellow citizens trust his crime prevention message. That’s a tribute to the vision of the founders and all who have kept NCPC going in communities across the country for the past thirty years. Happy Birthday, McGruff! Good Dog! Good Dog!

Click here for 30 ideas to help celebrate McGruff’s 30th.

The Telephone Game

Tue, 2010-06-29 12:07

Do you remember the “Telephone Game”? It’s the game that many of us used to... National Crime Prevention Council

The Telephone Game

Tue, 2010-06-29 12:07

Do you remember the “Telephone Game”? It’s the game that many of us used to play as children. You would whisper a message into someone’s ear and they would turn and whisper it to the person on the other side of them. By the time the message made it down the line, it had been distorted so much that you hardly knew what the original message was. Those telephone games were funny. Today’s, are much more serious.

A recent article by the FBI sheds light on an emerging phone scam in which criminals use phone lines to access and steal money from a target’s bank account. How does it happen? Many of us are familiar with answering a phone call only to hear dead silence on the other end or be connected to a solicitation message of some kind. What we don’t know is that this approach can be used as a diversion known as the “telephone denial-of-service attack”. While we’re tied up on the call, a criminal can contact our bank under a false identity and authorize transactions. When the bank calls to confirm the transaction, they can’t get through because our phone line is tied up. Even more disturbing, a criminal may also be able to add their contact information to our accounts.

Although industry professionals are working together to combat these new attacks, there are still steps that each of us can take to keep ourselves and our accounts safe:

• Never give out personal information. Denial-of-service attacks rely on gathering key information from phishing emails and unsolicited phone calls.
• Develop secure passwords for each of your accounts.
• Check your account balances regularly. A bank may be unaware that you have been made a victim. It is up to you to be proactive and notify your bank immediately if you have any concerns

To read more about denial-of-service attacks click here. And as always, be aware and stay safe.

Is there Life Without Facebook?

Tue, 2010-06-08 08:07

To Facebook or not to Facebook? That seems to be the question these days. Whether... Kelsey Tokar

Is there Life Without Facebook?

Tue, 2010-06-08 08:06

To Facebook or not to Facebook? That seems to be the question these days. Whether or not you are on Facebook, it’s all we hear about whenever we turn on the TV, radio, or browse the Internet. Almost daily when I’m watching the news or reading the paper, I hear something new about Facebook privacy changes or people threatening to leave Facebook because of lack of privacy. So again I ask, to Facebook or not to Facebook?

I personally have chosen “not to Facebook.” Of course, it was not always that way. I still remember the good old days when Facebook first emerged. Back when Facebook was only for college students, and it was like an exclusive online club. Nowadays everyone from my mother to my grandmother is addicted to Facebook. Needless to say, I like the other millions out there who live and breathe Facebook, found myself constantly on it, checking status updates, browsing through pictures, writing on walls.

So why did I give up Facebook? It became too much to worry about. I loved how Facebook helped me keep in touch with friends from high school, college, and old coworkers, but having to worry about who saw what, or what the new privacy changes were just became too much of a hassle. It’s nice knowing that I don’t have to worry about Facebook anymore.

Now I’m not telling you to quit cold turkey and get rid of your Facebook profile like I did, it is a great way to keep in touch with friends and colleagues or to kill time when you’re bored, but do be aware of the risks of having a social networking profile. Here are a few reminders of how to keep you Facebooking safely:

• Read through the privacy options carefully, and make sure you thoroughly understand your rights.
• Set your profile to private so only the people you want to see your profile can.
• Only friend people you actually know—if they’re not your friend in real life, why would they be your Facebook friend?
• Be aware that whatever you post online may never truly go away, so be mindful about what you share online.
• Keep in mind that whatever private information you post is there for people to see. Think twice about posting things like your address, phone number, or other personal information you don’t want everyone to know.

For more Internet safety tips, visit http://www.ncpc.org/topics/internet-safety

Make Your Car Unappealing to Thieves

Tue, 2010-06-01 07:18

Recently someone broke into my car. When it happened I couldn’t believe it. It actually... Michelle Boykins

Make Your Car Unappealing to Thieves

Tue, 2010-06-01 07:17

Recently someone broke into my car. When it happened I couldn’t believe it. It actually took me by surprise because I live in a secured complex and park in a garage where I felt both my car and I were very safe and secure. Unfortunately, someone (or several people) figured out how to break through that secure area despite the complex’s best efforts.

In that moment they took something from each of us that was more valuable than the material items left in our vehicles. They shook our sense of safety and security. When it happens, you feel violated and vulnerable. It is a disturbing sensation that stays with you.

I later learned that others were also violated by the same thieves. It appears they decided to break in to a few cars that weekend. Some vehicle owners made it easy. They left the car doors unlocked. GPS systems, cell phones, laptops, and CDs were all taken from the various vehicles –costing money to replace articles, loss of memories, and taking time to file police reports.

I was one of the more fortunate ones in the bunch. My one consolation in this incident was that my car was devoid of those costly items most of my neighbors had lost. The thieves resorted to stealing my gum and the $20 I had in my ash tray for emergencies because that was all I had in my car. My crime prevention training served me well. However, it was a reminder for me and others that crime doesn’t sleep so we should never relax our guard.

I hope this blog will also serve as a reminder to each of you. For tips on how to make your car unappealing to thieves, visit our website and print the handy poster, palm card, or flyer about protecting your vehicle.

Unsuspecting Girls Intrigued by Gangster Culture

Fri, 2010-05-21 12:14

The myth that it is impossible for young girls from predominately wealthy families to be... Sarita Coletrane

Unsuspecting Girls Intrigued by Gangster Culture

Fri, 2010-05-21 12:14

The myth that it is impossible for young girls from predominately wealthy families to be drawn into gang culture is exactly that, a myth. Children from all socioeconomic backgrounds glamorize gang culture for many of the same reasons. As stated in a program on the History Channel, From Girl to Gangster: Gangland, these reasons may include but are not limited to

• Being influenced by the media
• Wanting to be accepted and make friends
• Having “gang” status
• Feeling like they have power and protection
• Using narcotics and/or alcohol

To watch “From Girl to Gangster: Gangland” go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qo1Kpx517fI

 What keeps these girls engaged?

Many girls are attracted to the “bad boy” lifestyle. They are looking for excitement and a thrill, a life to escape to outside of their own. In turn, their fascination and curiosity sweeps them up into the gangster culture. These girls are then given “gang status,” not as a member, but as an associate. Their new social affiliation to this “rebellious” lifestyle makes them feel cool. They believe that by having gang status they will be protected by the gang.

How are the girls used?

• Drug trafficking: Gangsters know that many of these girls either have no criminal record or have few run-ins with the law.  They usually attend private schools and are in good economic standing. Gangsters will use them to stash narcotics and illegal weapons because they fly so far beneath police radar.

• Go-betweens: This means to carry-out or mediate deals between two parties. Gangsters are easily identifiable to law enforcement in the areas in which they reside.  It is safer for them to use these girls to close or help mediate a deal.
• Sexual violence and exploitation: Girls are used for sexual favors for the gang members themselves. They are often sexually involved with several members of the gang. By being sexually involved with gang members, this makes girls more susceptible to gang rapes and other variations of sexual abuse (An Introduction to Gangs, Knox, p. 323).

Dr. George W. Knox, Ph.D. writes in An Introduction to Gangs of a young affluent girl’s experience when she got involved with a gang.

The girl was 20 years old and the daughter of a District Superintendant of a school system. She had all the perks a young person could ask for: nice clothes, credit cards, a car, etc. The one thing her family did not offer her was the excitement of the street gang that she had become familiar with through narcotic sales. After becoming a regular customer, she began to spend more of her time hanging out with the gang. She began engaging in sexual relations with many of the male members during the two months she spent with the gang. This earned her a “gang associate” status. She became comfortable with her new status and challenged a female member in a dispute over sexual relations with the leader of the gang, saying that the leader of the gang preferred her over the other female member. This particular female member and the other female bystanders had “gang status” in the gang and felt they had the right to viciously attack her. The female gang members tied and gagged her, threatened her with a chain saw, locked her in a closet, and eventually smashed her skull in with a piece of cement, wired a manhole cover to her feet, and tossed her body into a channel.

There is no simple solution to preventing a child from joining a gang, but good communication and trust are key elements to keeping your child safe from gang culture.

• Never assume that it’s not your child.
• Talk to your child; keep an open and honest relationship with her.
• Identify positive role models with your child.
• Know who your child’s friends are and who she is hanging out with at all times.
• Educate yourself and your child on gangs.
• Follow up on your child’s story. If she says she’s sleeping over at a friend’s, call and speak with the friend’s parents.
• Keep your child involved. If your child is active in extra-curricular activities they will have less time to associate with gangs.

For more safety tips and gang awareness go to, http://www.wiredsafety.org/internet101/blogs.html

http://www.ncpc.org/topics/gang-voilence-prevention