Welcome to the first issue of the 2022 PENS, Police Email Notification System bulletin. This monthly bulletin is brought to you from the Cobb County Police, Precinct 5 Criminal Investigations Unit (CIU5) and is designed to keep you aware of safety alerts and crime trends in your area and measures you can take to keep you and your family safe.

The men and women at Precinct 5 wish you all a Happy New Year!

The address for the new Cobb County Police Headquarters is 545 S. Fairground St. Marietta, GA 30060

Public Safety Topic of the Month

Report It by LeadsOnline

Safe. Secure. Free

With all the new gadgets and electronics that all of you received from Santa over the Holidays, you need to take advantage of the REPORT IT program that is provided to you free by LeadsOnline.

The Cobb County Police Department contracts with a company called LeadsOnline which collects data on pawned items that might have been taken in a theft or criminal activity. The system adds millions of records each day and is used by more than 4,000 law enforcement agencies to recover stolen property and solve crimes.

LeadsOnline also provides a service called Report It which is a free, secure online service allowing citizens to record an unlimited number of serial numbers, descriptions and upload images of phones, electronics, and other valuables. Should those items ever be stolen, you can share your inventory list with law enforcement and with your insurance company. Citizens wanting to participate in Report It can register at reportit.leadsonline.com begin building their personal property inventory list.

Hit and Run Accidents

All information that can be provided to the reporting officer is important when investigating Hit & Run cases. The tag number can be the most helpful but if not obtained, the following information can greatly assist the investigation; the make, model, and color of the vehicle, any and all descriptions of the driver, any distinguishing features of the vehicle, aftermarket parts, bumper stickers, last know direction of travel and time frame.

Cold Weather Safety Reminders

General Suggestions:

• Minimize travel as the roads begin to ice over
• Stay indoors during the worst part of the extreme cold.
• Keep a winter survival kit in your vehicle if you must travel.
• Check tire pressure, antifreeze levels, heater/defroster, etc.
• Learn how to shut off water valves for potential pipe bursts.
• Check on the elderly neighbors and family that may live alone.
• Don’t forget to bring pets inside.

Space Heater Safety:

Do not use an extension cord or power strip, which could overheat and result in a fire. Do not plug any other electrical devices into the same outlet as the heater. Place space heaters on level, flat surfaces. Never place heaters on cabinets, tables, furniture, or carpet, which can overheat and start a fire.

What You Can Do to Prevent Theft

Burglary Prevention

• Lock your doors, including the one from the garage.
• Keep garage doors closed-check before bed every night.
• Use motion sensor-activated lighting.
• Use surveillance cameras.

Entering Auto Prevention

• Lock your vehicles and remove items of value and items that appear to contain valuables.
• If you can’t keep them with you, secure your valuables in the trunk before reaching your location.
• Keep your vehicle locked and your purse or wallet on your person while fueling at the gas station.

Postal Theft

• Use anti-theft mailboxes with a special locking system.
• Use security cameras.
• Do not raise the mail flag.
• Do not send cash, checks, or anything that has credit card information.

Remember to CALL 911 to report any suspicious persons or activity. If you see something, say something!

Cobb County Camera Registry

The Cobb County Police Camera Registration program is a police/community video partnership that operates on a voluntary basis with homeowners, neighborhoods and business owners who own private video surveillance systems. We encourage both businesses and residents to register their cameras online by completing the form below.

This program is intended to let our officers know where cameras are active in the county in case a crime occurs. It is not intended for active surveillance, and officers will not have direct access to homeowners' cameras. Those who register a camera will be contacted if a crime occurs in the vicinity of that camera.

Information provided by residents and businesses will be maintained in a secure database.

Online Registration Form

 

If you have not already signed up to receive the monthly PENS updates, please subscribe. Feel free to forward this e-mail to your HOA members and local businesses.

PENS is also sending out bulletins and alerts through its partnership with Nextdoor.com. Discover if your neighborhood is already signed up so you may join. If not, they will provide you with the necessary information.

Stay Safe,

Det. Lieutenant J.B Wade
Det. Sergeant J.T. Rainwater
Cobb County Police Department
Criminal Investigation Unit Pct. 5
4640 Dallas Highway
Powder Springs, GA 30127
(770) 499-4578