NEWSLETTER August 2010

 Message from The Area Coordinator

Sorry to those of you who have missed the recent newsletters it has been difficult getting them out to many parts of the area and it would be great if we had some support from anyone who could help with putting the newsletter together once a month and also delivering this would just take about an hour of your time. If you are interested please contact me see overleaf for details.

We are looking forward to the upcoming talk at the Community Centre regarding Identity Theft. If it has not yet happened to you, no doubt you will know of someone that it has affected. Safety does not only affect our property it involves our privacy too and we should be mindful of any ways that we can protect our personal information. Afternoon tea, giveaways, a raffle and the services of Volunteers In Policing and Police to attach the Safe Pl8 screws to your registration plates will be available. Microdots will also be available for purchase or if you would like information on any aspects of security we will be able to provide assistance.

Would you believe it is almost a year since the Crestmead Police Station opened? How long we waited for it to happen but I think everyone will agree that the visual presence not only of extra patrols on the road but of having the station itself, has been extremely helpful and the reduction in crime has been a major factor. However it is not just up to the police to solve or prevent crime, we can all do our bit and being part of Neighbourhood Watch is to assist the police in doing just that. Keeping our eyes and ears open for anything that seems wrong can be notified by using the new police link phone number 131444.

Take care Geoff



Micro-dot technology, an alternative to engraving property for identification.….

The dots are here ……………

What is microdot technology?

Microdots are an easy and modern way of mark-ing property for identification.
Microdots are micro-labels, about the size of a grain of sand, which are engraved with a unique PIN (Personal Identification Number).
The dots are barely visible to the naked eye and can easily be applied to any household items of value such as televisions, DVD players , cameras and jewellery.
The dots are applied via an aerosol can or cotton bud or pen using a clear waterbased adhesive which also contains a UV trace to assist police to detect the location of microdots.
Households and businesses can purchase micro-dot kits and apply the technology to the surface of valuables themselves. Items such as electrical appliances, CD’s, jewellery, hand tools, bicycles, and marine and car equipment can all be applied with this technology.
Kits also contain warning stickers advising that property is marked for police identification.

Why mark property?
There are various ways to mark your property including taking photographs, engraving and micro dotting.

The benefits of marking your property with microdots are:

Theft deterrent
Proves ownership
Assists police in identifying stolen goods
Allows police to return stolen items to you.

Where can I buy microdot kits?
Microdot kits are available at the Crestmead PCYC

SAFE PL8 SCREWS.

These screws can be fitted to your registration plates to
prevent them from being stolen. In the near future we will
be undertaking sessions for these to be fitted through the
district crime prevention office by police and volunteers in
policing. The dates and venues will be announced in both
our newsletters and the local free press as well as our web
page and the Logan City Web Site events calendar.

Vehicle registration plates continue to be targeted by
thieves for obvious reasons. Stolen registration plates
are used to disguise a vehicle in order to commit
crime and are also used on unregistered vehicles to
make it appear as if the vehicle is registered.

Regularly check your vehicle to see that both plates
are still in place. If they have been stolen, report the
theft promptly to local police. Registration number
plate theft is inconvenient, frustrating and costly as
victims have to report the theft to police and then
attend QLD Transport to purchase replacement plates.

Consider having one-way screws fitted to your vehicle
in order to make it more difficult for your number
plates to be removed by thieves.

The SAFE PL8 Screws are provided to the
Crestmead VIP’s by a grant from the Gambling
Community Benefit Fund to our NHW group

URGENT Computer SCAM Alert

Have you been the target of a phone computer scam?

Fortunately I was alert enough to avoid being a victim.

I contacted Microsoft and "Scamwatch" and researched on the internet...

The scam dates back to 2009 as per police media report http://www.police.qld.gov.au/News+and+Alerts/Media+Releases/2009/04/New+scam+targets+computer+users.htm

They "cold call" claiming they are working with Microsoft (or your internet service provider) to remove virus infection due to a software warranty running out. Even if you claim to have antivirus software, they lead you to an error log to prove that errors are happening and that they can fix this.

DO NOT let them have remote access to you computers!!!

Anyone wishing to report a fraud matter or provide information to police is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Winter Warning

APPLIANCES

Unchecked appliances could make for a

scorching winter

For more information on winter fire safety visit

MailScanner has detected a possible fraud attempt from "www.fire.qld.gov.xn--auwww-qga.ruralfire.qld.gov.au" claiming to be www.fire.qld.gov.au  www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au

Avoid theft – keep your identity safe

Police Museum

Sunday Lecture Series

June 27,  2010

11am

 Avoid theft – keep your identity safe

Keeping personal details off the internet, covering your pin number, securing your mail and changing your banking passwords regularly are some of the steps people need to start taking to protect their identity.

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes around the world with criminals defrauding banks, stealing account details and committing other crimes under false names on a daily basis.

Detective Senior Constable Rod Shelton of the Fraud and Corporate Crime Group will present “Identity Crime – the fastest growing crime in the world”, to discuss the current threats including how it happens, who is affected and what to do if you are a victim.

Included in the presentation will be details on credit card skimming and how to prevent it from happening to you.

Detective Shelton has been a Police Officer for 16 years, including eight years as a detective. He speaks at various community groups and also in international and local professional forums on the topic.

The one-and-a-half hour presentation will begin at 11am on Sunday, June 27 and will provide educational and up-to-date content suitable for any audience.

The Museum opens its doors to the public on the last Sunday of each month from 10am to 3pm from February to November in addition to the standard Monday to Friday 9am to 4pm opening hours. Monthly Sunday openings feature guest speakers from across the historical and crime-solving spectrums.

PLEASE NOTE: The Police Museum will open Sunday, June 27 from 10am to 3pm, and is located on the ground floor of Police Headquarters, 200 Roma Street, Brisbane. 

Guest Speaker

We would like to see you at
Crestmead PCYC next to Community Centre Gimlet Street start 6.30pm

MONDAY 31ST MAY Guest Speaker
Jennifer Fredericks Logan City Safe

MONDAY 28TH JUNE Guest Speaker
from Richardson & Wrench Real Estate

MONDAY 26TH JULY Guest Speaker
from Queensland Police Service

SAFE PLATE SCREWS

GREAT NEWS - We have been successful in a recent grant application for the SAFE PL8 SCREWS. These screws can be fitted to your registration plates to prevent them from being stolen. In the near future we will be undertaking sessions for these to be fitted through the district crime prevention office by police and volunteers in policing.

The dates and venues will be announced in both our newsletters and the local free press as well as our web page and the Logan City Web Site events calendar.

NEWSLETTER May 2010

Message from The Area Coordinator
It was good to see some new faces at the last meeting and we welcome all to come along to the next meeting. Jennifer Fredericks from Logan City Safe will be able to answer your questions about the role of council programs including the cameras, park rangers and other schemes to make living in the city more family friendly.
At the moment unfortunately there are a number of scam artists around the city trying to con people out of money. The scams range from collecting your rates THESE ARE NEVER EVER COLLECTED FROM YOU ON YOUR DOORSTEP!! Also we now have Fire Ants back in the area and some criminals are trying to fleece people of their hard earned money by searching for fire ant nests on their property. Please contact Police if suspicious. Bio Security from DPI is responsible for fire ant detection and we will arrange a speaker later.
Other scams recently in the suburbs have been people trying to sell you some “left over” bitumen which ends up costing more than having a driveway done completely. Also people claiming to be in your area and noticing that a tree looks dangerous and needs cutting down at a reduced cost. THEY ARE ALL SCAMS
We have arranged to have a speaker from the Fraud Squad to come to speak to our community in early September. More details nearer the date.
In conjunction with PCYC we will be part of the Volunteering Awareness Day on July 24th, which will be an invitation to you all to see what volunteering is all about and how volunteers can make a difference in the community.

Take care Geoff

NEWS FROM CRESTMEAD COMMUNITY CENTRE
Upcoming events at the centre are as follows:
BLUE LIGHT DISCO
Themes for the rest of the year
June 5th—Singer or Actor
July 3rd—Winter
August 7th—Super hero
September 4th—Rainbow
October 2nd —Space
November 6th Halloween
December 4th—Christmas
TEDDY BEARS PICNIC
June 12th for kids of all ages
MONTHLY GAMES NIGHT
June 26th
MARKET DAY
14th August
Currently bookings are being taken for both Teddy Bears picnic and Market Day stall holders—on website www.crestmeadcommunity.org.au or by phone 3805 1423
Games night tickets are on sale and are selling fast

ENTERTAINMENT GUIDES
This year we are again selling ENTERTAINMENT GUIDES —cost $65 & for each book sold we raise $13 towards NHW funds. Please support this fundraising effort, which helps to provide our information service to the community.
The savings in each book total over $15,000 so are very good value covering such things as hotels, car hire, fast food, restaurants, adventure parks, movie tickets and much much more.
Please contact Geoff on 0431 478 343 or email crestmeadnhw@hotmail.com to order.

CPR AWARENESS PROGRAM
Learning CPR could save someone you love the CPR awareness program is a Qld local ambulance committee community program teaching the community this important life skill. It is easy and will give you the confidence you need to perform CPR if needed. All it takes is about 90 minutes of your time and a gold coin donation.
Contact JUNE 3808 6621 or Crestmead Community Centre on 3805 1423