Halloween Safety Tips

• Parents should establish a route for children, stay within familiar areas and surroundings.  An adult should accompany young children.
• Remind kids not to enter strangers' homes or cars.
• Remind children to avoid homes without an outside light on.
• Attach your phone number and address to your children’s costume.
• Take a flashlight.
• Be sure clothing/costumes are bright, reflective and flame retardant.
• Set rules about not eating treats until kids get home. Be sure to inspect all treats before allowing kids to eat them.
• When in doubt, throw it out! Candy that has been opened should be thrown away. Any homemade treats or fruit should be inspected closely.
• Never cross the street between parked cars.
• Watch open flames from jack-o-lanterns as they can catch costumes and long wigs on fire.
• Make sure that fake knives, swords, and guns are made from cardboard or other flexible materials to avoid accidental injury or worse, have them mistaken for the real thing!
• It is also important to ensure that your home is safe and accessible to trick-or-treaters. As adults there are some very simple things we can do to make the evening safe everyone.
• Turn on your porch light and sit outside to distribute treats.  Encourage your neighbors to join you.  It makes the whole neighborhood safer.
• Move lit jack-o-lanterns off the porch where kids get bunched up if they are trick-or-treating in groups.
• Remove objects from your yard that might present a hazard.
• Drive slowly all evening-you never know what creature may suddenly cross your path.
• Report any suspicious or criminal activity to the police.

When possible avoid walking alone, especially at night. Your vulnerability to street crime is reduced as much as 70 percent by simply being in a group . . . .Keep a safety whistle on your key chain to scare away a potential criminal and summon help. . .    more »

The Boston Police Department warn citizens to beware of scam artists who solicit money over the phone or claim to represent various charities. Recently Boston Police were made aware of several incidents, which included fraudulent solicitation of funds. Police would like to take this opportunity to provide community members with crime prevention tips to help individuals avoid becoming a victim of fraud. Individuals are reminded to immediately contact your local police district if you believe you have experienced a dishonest solicitation.   more »

Mayor Menino, The Boston Police Department, and The City of Boston Commission on Affairs of the Elderly want to see to it that you don’t get scammed this holiday season. Please take a moment to read the following tips to help protect you and yours form falling victim of a fraudulent scam this holiday season.   more »

The holidays are a special and joyous time of year. It is also a time when individuals need to be alert to the possibility of crime. The Boston Police Department encourages individuals to take simple precautions to ensure a happy and safe holiday. The hustle and bustle of the holiday season can easily create a distraction for people. However during this festive time, it is important to pay special attention to the things going on around you. The holiday season is considered peak season for burglars, pickpockets and shoplifters. Don’t let the spirit of giving lull you into giving burglars and pickpockets a chance to dampen your holiday spirit. Thieves love the holidays as much as everyone else, especially because it’s an opportune time for crime. The Boston Police Department believes you can never be too careful, too prepared or too aware. Please share these safety tips with your family, friends and neighbors. We ask you to remember these simple safety precautions and enjoy the excitement of a safe and happy holiday.

Click here to download the Holiday Safety Tips.

A great article was posted to www.BPDNews.com about Preventing Residential Burglaries. Please forward to your Neighborhood Crime Watch Members, friends and familiy.

Heading out of town for a fews days? Wondering what you can do to keep your home and property safe while you're away?

Click here to view or download our Vacation Safety Tips Document.

The Area C-11 Community Service Office announces the funding for the C-11 Party Line for the summer Of 2006 has come through. The Party Line will be up and running on Friday June 30Th.On this weekend Only (4Th Of July Wknd)we will be available Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 8:00Pm-4:00Am. The rest of the summer the party line will run on Fridays and Saturdays from 8:00Pm-4:00Am until labor day weekend. The number to call is (617)343-4906. Please utilize this service for quality of life issues such as loud parties, public drinking, loud music, gangs disturbing Etc. As always if there is an emergency that requires immediate police response Call 911.

Please see the attached PDF document for download.

Every year during tax time we all worry about filing on time, paying what we owe, and when our refunds are coming. Well, this year we have an additional and potentially more worrisome concern. The IRS and the Treasury Department have recently reported a significant increase in email “phishing” scams this year in which fraudulent spammers send official looking emails that use the IRS logo in a effort to trick taxpayers into providing personal information like their social security number. The emails appear legitimate and because they claim to be from the IRS using addresses like “tax-refunds@irs.gov” or “admin@irs.gov”, people may feel obligated to reply and provide their personal information. Once these spammers have your personal information they will use it to commit such financial crimes as applying for loans or opening credit card accounts--all in your good name. Government agencies and companies do not communicate about personal information by way of email. They also don’t ask for passwords, personal identification (pin) numbers, or other private information about financial accounts unless you contact them.

Remember, identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in America, but you can minimize your risk of being victimized by taking a few simple precautions:

· Never give out your personal information over the phone or Internet unless you have initiated the contact.

· Check your credit records once a year with the three major credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian, and Transunion.

· Report suspicious activity right away.

· Victims of this particular scam can file a report to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration at 800-366-4484.

Please pass on this infromation.