Important Crime Prevention and Safety Information

Basic Facts About Auto Theft

In 2007, 1,025 motor vehicles were stolen in Pasco County. One in five stolen vehicles is left unlocked with the keys in the ignition. When leaving your car, close the windows, lock the doors and take your keys with you. Over half of all vehicle thefts occur in residential neighborhoods. If you have a garage, use it! Lock the vehicle and the garage door. If you don't have a garage, lock the car and turn the wheels to the left or right. This makes a thief's job harder. More than two-thirds of total thefts occur after dark. Park in well-lighted areas. If you park in an attended lot or garage, leave only the ignition key with the attendant and do not tell the attendant how long you will be gone.

In 2007, 2,120 thefts occurred from motor vehicles in Pasco County. One of every five larcenies involves the theft of motor vehicle accessories. In the majority of motor vehicle thefts, the victim left valuables in plain view within the vehicle. Always remove portable electronics such as GP devices, MP3 players, and similar items before leaving the vehicle. Secure all packages in a trunk or under a seat and out of view. Consider investing in an alarm system rather than expensive options. Professional car thieves can strip your vehicle completely within minutes. Engrave your driver license number in a remote location on the radio and accessories, as well as the fenders and doors. If a theft occurs, your driver license number will make identification recovery and prosecution more likely.

The longer it takes to steal a car, the more likely a thief will look elsewhere. Automobile manufacturers regularly improve the anti-theft equipment they install in vehicles. You may want to consider an anti-theft bar that attaches to your steering wheel, an alarm system or other equipment that will slow down a thief and better protect your vehicle.

How You Can Help Prevent Auto Theft:

• Join your neighborhood Crime Watch or Security Patrol
• Obtain a CAT (Combat Auto Theft) decal from the Sheriff's Office (see below)
• Ensure that your civic association regularly addresses prevention of auto theft
• Schedule an Auto Theft Prevention presentation from the Sheriff's Office

Combat Auto Theft Program (CAT)

Vehicle owners can join this no-cost program by signing a consent form allowing deputies to stop their vehicle if it is being driven on public roadways between the hours of 1-5 a.m. Participants will receive a black and yellow sticker to place in the lower left corner of their car's rear window. This decal is easily seen by patrol deputies AND auto thieves. When a patrol deputy sees a CAT decal on a car during the approved times, the deputy will stop the driver and ask for proof of identity and ownership. This program is jointly sponsored by the Sheriff's Office and AAA Auto Club South.

Law enforcement officers need your help and cooperation in locating stolen vehicles. Stolen vehicles are often abandoned on city streets, side roadways, and in parking lots. Some signs of a stolen vehicle include:

• Flat tires
• Expired or missing license plate
• Dust or debris on the windshield
• Missing wheels, lights or radio
• Trunk or hood left open
• Interior stripped or motor missing

If you see a vehicle that has any of the above signs, notify the Sheriff's Office or local law enforcement agency and provide as much of the following information as possible:

• Exact location of the vehicle
• Make, model and color of the vehicle
• License plate number and state, or the vehicle identification number, which can be seen at the bottom of the windshield on the driver's side
• DO NOT open the doors or get inside the vehicle. You could destroy fingerprints or other evidence proving it has been stolen or used in another crime!

Burglary Prevention for the Homeowner
-- When you leave home, even for a few minutes, make sure that all doors and windows are locked. Make sure all locks on doors and windows are in working order. Dead bolt door locks are recommended and should, when in the locked position, slide into the door jam a minimum of one inch.
-- Keep your garage door closed and locked, whether you are home or not. An open garage provides a burglar with all the tools he will need to break into your home.
-- Keep a list and photos or a video of your possessions, including the model and serial number, description and value.
-- Observe carefully and report all suspicious persons and vehicles. Be sure to get the correct license numbers of suspect vehicles.
-- Report any crime to the Sheriff's Office at once and be willing to testify in court.
-- Cooperate with officers investigating an offense in your neighborhood.
-- Keep valuable stamp, jewelry and coin collections in a safe deposit box rather than at home.
-- Trim your shrubbery around doors and windows so it will not provide a hiding place for burglars or cover a point-of-entry view for police or neighbors.
-- Keep all your vehicles locked and do not leave property in your vehicle.
-- Do not leave property unattended in your yard, including lawn mowers, garden tools, and bicycles.
-- Be cautious of strangers. A burglar rarely looks like a burglar. When in doubt, call the Sheriff's Office.
-- When you are out in the yard, lock the doors. Daylight burglaries while people are at home are common.
-- Never admit anyone into your home unless you know him or her. Demand credentials before admitting salesmen or repairmen, particularly if you have not requested their services. Refuse to deal with any caller who does not present proper ID and notify the Sheriff's Office immediately.
--Never leave notes on your door informing anyone you are not home. Do not hide your keys outside of your home. Burglars know where to look.
-- When you leave town, arrange for someone to mow your yard and pick up your mail and newspapers. If possible, set timers to switch the lights on and off at predetermined times and locations within the house. A residence that presents a lived-in appearance is a deterrent to burglars. Leave information on your whereabouts with a trusted neighbor. Ask them to watch your house.
-- Be sure all gates are securely locked.

Buckle Up ... It's the Law!
Automobile accidents are the leading cause of death and injury among young children, but it doesn't have to be that way. Each year, hundreds of young lives could be saved and thousands of injuries prevented in children who were correctly protected while riding in cars.

Child Restraint Requirements
-- All front seat occupants must buckle up, even if the vehicle is equipped with an air bag. The driver is held responsible for passengers 15 years or younger who are not buckled up. Passengers 16 years or older can be individually fined if they are not buckled up.
-- All children under six years of age must be buckled up, no matter where they are sitting in the vehicle.
-- The law applies to all cars, pickup trucks and vans operated on Florida roads.
-- Children through the age of three must be secured in a federally-approved child restraint seat or safety belt.

Child Fingerprinting
Free child fingerprinting is available for residents of Pasco County at various locations by appointment with the Sheriff's Citizen Support Services Office. For more information, call 1-800-854-2862, extension 3376.

Save-A-Kid
Since 1995, the Pasco Sheriff's Office has provided a child identification and fingerprinting program in all the Pasco County elementary schools. Working with school volunteers, PTA and PTO parent groups, and neighborhood crime watch and security patrol volunteers, each elementary school student is offered a school identification card and a full fingerprint card for their parent's use.

Community Child Watch
The Community Child Watch program enlists concerned citizens to participate in watching out for children in neighborhoods, especially on their way to and from school. Participants are provided with a sign for the front window of their homes to identify their residence as a place where a child may request assistance if they feel threatened.

The Save-A-Kid and Community Child Watch programs complement each other and are both stressed in a 12-page booklet provided each year to the elementary students in all the Pasco County Schools. People interested in either of these programs should contact the Pasco Sheriff's Office Citizen Support Services at 1-800-854-2862, extension 3376.

Operation Identification
It is very hard for burglars to dispose of stolen property that has been marked to identify the owner. These items can be traced back to the owner, and, if the burglar is caught with them in his or her possession, the marked items constitute solid evidence that they were stolen. 

Operation Identification has two parts: marking easily stolen valuables so they can be identified, and displaying a decal at your residence that tells burglars you have done so. By displaying Operation Identification stickers on windows at the front and rear of your home, a burglar knows anything he or she might steal from you will be marked, and the burglar is likely to go elsewhere. Valuable property should be marked with an electric engraver or any sharp etching tool with your name. DO NOT USE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER.

Suggested items for marking: Bicycles, TVs and VCRs, stereos, tape recorders, cameras and camcorders, appliances, sporting goods, guns, typewriters, computers and computer equipment, sewing machines, clocks and watches, power tools, lawn mowers, outboard motors, golf clubs, or anything else of yours you think a thief might want to steal. Avoid marking on removable parts, such as lids, doors and plates.

Items which cannot be marked, such as antiques, china, coins, etc., should be photographed or videotaped with the owners identification in the picture. A complete description of the article should be written on the back of the photograph or in a separate list.

Keep the list (and the videotape and photos) of your valuables in a safe place. The list should include the name of the article, model number, serial number, price and description.

Security Patrol
Your eyes and ears are our best defense against crime! Whether you are a member of a neighborhood security patrol -- or you are considering joining one -- there are important guidelines that contribute to their successful operation:

• Security Patrol members cannot have a felony record, or have a serious misdemeanor offense record or criminal traffic record. Minor offenses will be discussed on an individual basis
• Security Patrol members may not carry weapons while on patrol
• Security Patrol members must wear an identification badge issued by the Sheriff's Office while on patrol. This badge shall not be worn while off duty
• Security Patrol members must obey all laws and shall not exceed the speed limit or patrol at night without lights
• The Sheriff reserves the right to confiscate the identification badge of any Security Patrol members who have violated the rules

Important guidelines to be followed by all Security Patrol members:

• Your personal safety is ALWAYS the most important factor. You are more valuable than all the property you watch
• If you need help, call a sheriff's deputy. Remember: Call 911 only for life-threatening emergencies and "in-progress" felony calls, such as a house break-in. All other calls should be to the non-emergency numbers
• Never take any police-type action. If you see suspicious activity or a criminal act, call the Sheriff's Office. No matter how well-intended your actions might be, it could have serious repercussions. For example, holding a juvenile for a curfew violation may result in a curfew arrest -- a minor violation -- but could result in YOUR arrest for false imprisonment -- a felony
• A two-way radio or telephone are your main weapons
• Vary your patrol travel and change directions often; driving the same route each time gives crooks a timetable by which to steal
• If your neighborhood is large enough, set up patrol zones so that you can let the base station know your location without broadcasting your exact position by radio
• When using a spotlight or flashlight, avoid aiming at windows of occupied homes
• Never use Security Patrol identification other than to identify yourself while on patrol
• Overhead amber lights on vehicles may be turned on during routine patrol while in your residential community
• Always drive patrol vehicles safely and in a manner that does not impede normal traffic flow
• Drive patrol vehicles with headlights on at night. Patrolling with no lights or parking lights only is prohibited