Welcome to this month’s PENS, Police Email Notification System Bulletin. This monthly bulletin is brought to you from the Cobb County Police, Precinct 3 Criminal Investigations Unit (CIU3) 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.

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.

Recent Trends/Uptick in Crimes in the Area

“Slider” Thefts Are on the Rise

Slider is a term which is used to describe suspects who will pull up alongside a victim’s vehicle (typically at a gas pump) and a subject will exit the suspect vehicle and “slide” into the victim’s vehicle.  They will steal their purse, wallet, or even the vehicle.  The victim is often standing right at the vehicle, pumping gas and not aware of the theft until it is too late.

Entering Autos

Entering autos are thefts from motor vehicles. Suspects will enter unlocked vehicles or break windows of vehicles that have valuables in plain view in order to commit their thefts. Many of the Entering Autos in Precinct 3 have been the result of unlocked vehicles.

Mail Thefts

• Packages left on porches
• Mail from mailboxes

Burglaries

Thefts from home, business or other dwelling (shed/storage unit)

Actions You Can Take to Avoid Being Victimized

 Slider Theft Prevention

• Keep your vehicle locked and your purse or wallet on your person while fueling at the gas station.
• Do not leave a key fob in the center console of a vehicle, especially when the vehicle is equipped with a push start.
• Do not leave vehicles running in public places.
• If you visit the bank and make any substantial withdrawal, do not leave the money in your vehicle.
• Always be aware of your surroundings and contact 911 immediately with suspicious activity.

Entering Auto Prevention

• Lock your vehicles and remove items of value and items that appear to contain valuables. The suspects are “flipping” door handles to find vehicles which are not locked. This is common in apartment complexes when they can check multiple vehicles in a short period of time.
• If you can’t keep them with you, secure your valuables in the trunk before reaching your location.
• Take firearms in at night and keep them in your residence. There has been an increase in firearms taken from within vehicles. 
• Do not leave key fobs in vehicles.

Mail Theft

• Use Anti-Theft Mailboxes with a special locking system.
• Use security Cameras to help deter and identify suspects.
• Do not raise the mail flag to alert suspects if shipping mail from residence or drop off outgoing mail at US Post Office or other shipping center.
• Do not send cash, checks, or anything that has credit card information from unsecured mailboxes.
• Retrieve mail as soon as possible after arriving and monitor tracking on all packages.

Burglary Prevention

• Lock doors to your home, including the one from the garage.
• Keep garage doors closed: check them before bed every night.
• Use Motion Sensor Activated Lighting.
• Use surveillance cameras to help identify suspects.
• Make sure sheds and other buildings are locked and secured.

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

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If you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact us at Precinct3Pens@cobbcounty.org.