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 FWPD West Division Newsletter
December 2024
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Air 1 headlines visit to Founders Classical Academy
Founders Classical Academy's theme for the month of November was "Honor." The school used this occasion to recognize and honor our veterans. Several of the officers who participated in the event are themselves veterans including NPO McEwan (L17), Officer Stille, Air 1 Pilot Shirley, Air 1 Tactical Flight Officer Marti, and McGruff the Crime Dog. Also, on-hand to assist and coordinate the event were NPO Musquiz (L11), Tactical Med Sergeant Valdez and CPS Mitsuhashi. The children had the opportunity to ask questions of the Air 1 crew to learn more about helicopters and the vital role that Air 1 plays in support of the police department's mission. After the visit by Air 1, the children presented each officer with a Certificate of Honor and handwritten cards to express their appreciation for their service to their country and their community.
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Westcliff and Westcliff West NA host presentation on internet safety
On November 11, 2024, residents of Westcliff and Westcliff West invited CPS Mitsuhashi to give a presentation on internet safety. Various topics were presented and discussed including password managers, USB encryption keys, various types of phishing scams, malware and ransomware.
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FWPD and DPS team up to speak to local high school students
Lincoln NPO Pennington (L14) and DPS Sergeant Gossett were the featured speakers at World Languages Institute High School Career Days. The officers had the opportunity to speak to the students and answer questions about career opportunities in law enforcement.
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Crime Free Multi Housing Safety Socials
During the month of November, safety socials were held at the Villas At Cantamar, Palladium Fort Worth and Renaissance Gardens. The responsible NPO and the West Division Crime Prevention Specialist use these events to share crime prevention tips with the residents so that the residents can be better informed as to how to protect themselves and their property.
Villas at Cantamar
NPOs Ehirim (L15), Park (L13) and West 7th Street Sgt. Lavigne along with CPS Mitsuhashi attended the safety social at Villas at Cantamar. Approximately 20 residents attended the event and enjoyed pizza and other refreshments while NPO Ehirim and CPS Mitsuhashi shared crime prevention information with them. Residents also had the opportunity to ask questions of the officers that were in attendance. After the presentation, a drawing was held, and residents had the chance to win gift cards or a discount off the following month's rent.
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Palladium Fort Worth
Residents at Palladium Fort Worth enjoyed pizza and soft drinks while NPO McEwan (L17) and CPS Mitsuhashi spoke to the residents about crime prevention and the steps that they can take to protect themselves and their property. Special emphasis was placed on the importance of "Hide" "Lock" and "Take" to prevent their vehicles from being burglarized. Residents were reminded of the importance of not leaving firearms in their vehicles.
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Renaissance Gardens
NPO Musquiz (L11) and CPS Mitsuhashi met with the residents of Renaissance Gardens on November 21, 2024, as part of the Crime Free Multi Housing (CFMH) Safety Social to celebrate successfully completing all three phases of the CFMH program. Residents enjoyed snacks and refreshments as CPS Mitsuhashi and NPO Musquiz shared crime prevention tips with those in attendance. With the upcoming Christmas holidays, a special emphasis was placed on what the residents can do to keep themselves and their property safe at home or while out shopping at many of the city's local retail businesses.
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Scam Alerts
Looking to make changes to your Medicare coverage? Now’s the time: Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period started October 15 and goes until December 7. But as you compare your coverage options, keep an eye out for scammers — they know about Open Enrollment, too.
Scammers often pretend to be from Medicare, or connected to Medicare, to try to steal your money or personal information. They might contact you and say they need your Medicare, bank account, or credit card number for your “new” Medicare card. That’s a scam — Medicare sends its cards to you automatically for free.
Scammers might also say they need your Medicare number for a “medical equipment claim” you don’t remember making. That’s a scam, too. They want to file fake claims using your Medicare number.
Stay clear of these and other Medicare scams during Open Enrollment, and any other time:
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Don’t give personal information to someone who contacts you unexpectedly and claims to be from Medicare. Medicare will never unexpectedly call, email, text, or message you on social media to ask for your Medicare, Social Security, or bank account numbers. They also won’t try to sell you anything or tell you to pay for your Medicare card. That’s always a scam.
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Don’t trust your caller ID. Your caller ID might show Medicare’s name or phone number. But caller ID can be faked. It could be anyone calling from anywhere in the world. If you think a call might be real, hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227) to check.
Report Medicare impersonators and other Medicare scams at 1-800-MEDICARE. For additional help to prevent, detect, and report potential Medicare fraud, errors, and abuse, reach out to your local Senior Medicare Patrol.
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As the holiday season approaches, it seems like there are more and more fake shopping sites. The ads on social media show expensive products like electric scooters, designer bags, and other popular toys and gifts at unbelievably low prices. Many of these bogus sites use photos and logos the scammers steal from legitimate businesses, but they won’t send you authentic products. If you’re wondering how to avoid these phony offers, there are a few ways to help you detect them.
Unusually low prices are a sign of a scam. Don’t click on ads that advertise a product at a very low price when you know it’s usually a very expensive item. Clicking the link in the ad could take you to a scammy site that takes your money and sends you something that looks totally different from what was advertised…or send you nothing at all.
To protect yourself while shopping online.
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Do some research. Especially before you buy from an unfamiliar seller, search online for the name of the seller plus words like “review,” “complaint,” or “scam.” See what others say about their experience with the seller.
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Check the terms of the sale. Look at the price, other charges, their refund policy, who pays for return shipping, and if there’s a restocking fee.
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Pay by credit card, whenever possible. Credit cards offer more protections, and give you the option to dispute charges if what you get isn’t what you ordered, or you get nothing at all.
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Never buy from online sellers who demand you pay with gift cards, wire transfers, payment apps, or cryptocurrency. Only scammers tell you to pay that way.
Did you have a problem while shopping online? First, contact the seller and try to work it out. If that doesn't work, contact the company you used to make the payment to dispute the charges. If they can’t help, tell the FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov.
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National Neighborhood Watch
Holiday Safety and Crime Prevention Tips
Facts and Figures:
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A Security.org survey noted that 49 million Americans (nearly 19%) have had at least one package stolen in the past twelve months.1
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36% of U.S. adults surveyed say they’ve sent a package somewhere other than their home address, 54% say they’ve changed plans in order to receive a package in person, and nearly seven in 10 said they weren’t willing to change up their online holiday shopping habits in the face of package theft.3
General Holiday Safety and Crime Prevention Tips
(Courtesy of the Knoxville Police Department)
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At Home
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Make sure all doors and windows have secondary locks (window pins, deadbolts, dowels, etc.) and use them!
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Don't hide spare keys in mailboxes or planters, or under doormats.
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Ensure that dark areas and entrances have outdoor lights that are turned on after dark or are activated by sensors.
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Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed so they do not conceal doors and windows. Remember, overgrown foliage can provide a hiding place for criminals.
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Place gifts where they can't be seen from the outside.
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Consider safe deposit boxes for coin and stamp collections, seldom-worn jewelry, stock bonds, etc.
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Be sure to mail cards, checks or gift certificates from the Post Office or at a blue U.S. Postal Service collection box.
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Lock your vehicle and remove all the valuables. Yes, even in your driveway.
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Strangers at your Door
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Use caution anytime there is a stranger at your door.
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Be suspicious of unexpected sales calls or deliveries. Ask for identification.
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Be aware of scams that criminals commit to take advantage of people's generosity during the holidays.
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Investigate charities before making donations. Ask how the funds will be used.
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Leaving for the Holidays
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Ask a trusted friend, neighbor or Neighborhood Watch member to watch your home.
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Use timers for lights and radios while you're away.
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Remember to make arrangements for mail and newspapers.
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After the Holidays
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Don't advertise expensive toys, electronics, or other gifts received by the boxes left for garbage collections. Compress large boxes and place them in black garbage bags for pick-up.
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Add new items to your home inventory. Take photos or video of all items of value in your home and list each item's make, model, serial number and other information.
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Engrave new items to help identify them in the event they are stolen.
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Network with Neighbors
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Have Packages Delivered to Work
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Leave Specific Drop-off Instructions
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Use a Smart Lock
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Install Security Cameras
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Get a P.O. Box at Your Local Post Office
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Use Lockers
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Set Up Notifications to Track Your Packages
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Install a Security Camera
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Get Your Packages Delivered to Your Office
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Require a Signature on Delivery
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Reschedule Delivery or Ask for a Package Hold When on Vacation
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Try Smart Locks
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Get a Package Guard
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Insure Your Packages
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Ask Your Neighbors to Grab Your Packages
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Shut down at night
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Set up surveillance
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Crime-proof your yard
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Consider bringing in valuable items at night
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Stay connected
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Report, report, report
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Check with your delivery company to make sure your package was actually delivered.
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Know exactly what’s in the missing box.
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If you see the thief, pay attention to what his or her vehicle looks like and its license plate number. Second to that, get the thief’s physical description – gender, approximate height and weight and what they’re wearing – so you can tell an officer.
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Call 911 and ask for an officer to come to your home.
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If you have a security camera on your home, get a copy of the video to police. Ask your neighbors if their cameras captured the thief in action.
Where to Report Stolen Packages
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By having the Neighborhood Patrol Officers dedicated to specific geographic areas, the officers are not only able to become more familiar with the area than regular patrol officers, but they are also able to serve as a resource for and get to know area residents and business owners, learn about neighborhood concerns, and build working relationships with area Citizen on Patrol volunteers to work hand-in-hand in reducing neighborhood crime and promoting crime prevention tools.
Primary Duties:
- Work with crime analysts to identify crime trends within assigned neighborhoods, maintain open lines of communication with detectives, and assist the Information Management Section and supervisors in planning appropriate actions to address issues.
- Foster positive community leadership as a means to empower citizens within their neighborhoods by encouraging involvement in Citizens on Patrol, Citizen Police Academy, and Crime Watch to work collaboratively to reduce crime and promote crime prevention tools.
- Maintain open lines of communication between residents, business owners and the police department by attending community meetings and events, including neighborhood association and other community meetings.
- Recruit Citizen on Patrol volunteers, schedule them for training, and provide on-going training and correspondence to encourage and retain active memberships.
Enter your address on http://oneaddress.fortworthtexas.gov/ You will find your BEAT and NPO assigned as well as your nearest City Facilities, Services, and Crime Data.
211 Texas
Connecting People and Services
No matter where you live in Texas, you can dial 2-1-1, or (877) 541-7905, and find information about resources in your local community. Whether you need help finding food or housing, child care, crisis counseling or substance abuse treatment, one number is all you need to know.
NPO Roster
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Community Centers
LVT Rise Community Center
Thomas Place Community Center
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The FWPD West Division Newsletter has gone digital.
To sign up for the newsletter, you have the option to scan the QR code to your right or you can press the subscribe button below.
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