NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2010

Message from The Area Coordinator

I am sure that those of you who came along to our last meeting held at the Crestmead police station were pleased to have the chance to have a look around the facilities and we are grateful to the officer in charge and inspector for allowing us to hold our meeting there. This may be repeated again sometime next year. Our last meeting of the year on November 29th will be our AGM combined with our end of year social and I extend an invitation for you to attend.
With the holidays coming up please remember the usual points of securing not only your doors and windows but remember garages, sheds etc as burglars are quite happy to steal from those too. In addition with the forecast of storms this summer please ensure that outside your patio furniture etc is placed well away from anywhere that it could cause damage. It would be useful if you could let the police know if you are going away and don’t forget if you are going to have a party to notify the police at least 2 weeks beforehand under the PARTY SAFE program also remember to notify your neighbours, just out of courtesy. If young-sters are involved remember that ONE PUNCH CAN KILL and we have seen the tragic results of this in the past. Let us all have a happy, safe and enjoyable summer and that includes all those driv-ing. Don’t forget to take plenty of breaks, keep to the speed limit and don’t become a statistic allow a few extra minutes to get to your destination and show some courtesy on the road. Have a great festive season and I look forward to seeing you in 2011.
Take care Geoff

Holiday Checklist
A house left empty for a long period is a prime target for intruders.
When going on holidays, take the following steps to give your house that “lived in” look and reduce the chances of a break-in:

•  Cancel milk and papers.

•  Have mail held or redirected.

•  Have a friend remove junk mail and mow the lawn.

•  Turn down the telephone.

•  Inform local police of your absence and leave contact name and number.

•  Wheelie bins should be locked away or chained to posts away from windows.

•  Have a friend or neighbour bring in your wheelie bin after being emptied.

You should also make sure all doors and windows are securely locked with keyed locks.

For further information on holiday security precautions obtain a copy of the "Holiday Precautions" brochure available at your local police station.

FINAL BLUE LIGHT DISCO OF THE YEAR 

DECEMBER 4TH
Dressed with a CHRISTMAS theme
6.30pm Crestmead Community Centre

NEWSLETTER October 2010

Message from The Area Coordinator
Our big news is that we have a change of venue for our meeting for THIS MONTH ONLY. We are holding the October meeting at the Crestmead Police Station and we are grateful for the invitation from Inspector Dowdy and his team to be able to take advantage of this opportunity. The beginning of the month was the annual State NHW conference and it was interesting to meet other committee members from all over Queensland some who have similar and many who have different ways of approaching safety and security in their commu-nities. The one constant that we did come up with was that we must engage our younger population more in NHW they are our future and with this in mind we are hoping that in the new year we will have some ini-tiatives that will see better ways for them to be involved. Don’t forget our AGM and end of year social event at the November meeting. I look forward to seeing you at the October meeting.
Take care Geoff

SMOKE ALARM SUBSIDY FOR DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING PEOPLE
Do you know someone who would benefit from the use of a smoke alarm specifically designed for deaf or hard of hearing?
The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS) is encouraging residents to take advantage of the Queensland Government’s Smoke Alarm subsidy Scheme which reduces the cost of specialised smoke alarm systems. There is also a DVD tailor made featuring AUSLAN interpretation and captions which contains safety information for this sector of the community which may well save their lives in event of an emergency situation.
Further information from Community Liaison Officer Jenny Farrell on 0416 295 963 or Department of Community Safety media unit 3247 8186

STORM SEASON APPROACHES
At the time of writing we are experiencing the very wet start of October. This will just be a precursor of what to expect during the summer so with thanks to the Logan City Web site you may wish to note the following advice for storm season:
NOW:
Prepare an EMERGENCY KIT
Trim trees and branches well clear of your home (keep trees under or near powerlines to a height less than 4m).
Check/secure roofing.
Clear gutting and downpipes.
Clear yard of loose materials that may become wind-blown hazards.
If possible, fit window shutters or, at least, metal screens.
Energex prefers that trees not be planted under power-lines. It publishes a planting guide with suggested "powerline-friendly" trees. For more information, check out the Energex web site.

PREPARATION WHEN STORMS APPROACH:
Listen to your local radio/TV station for official advice and warnings.
Shelter and secure pets and animals.
Store loose items inside (if possible, put outdoor furniture in your pool).
Shelter vehicles under cover or cover with tied tarpaulins / blankets.
Secure doors and windows and draw curtains.
Put valuables, medications, spare warm clothing in plastic bags with your emergency kit.
Disconnect electrical items and outside TV aerials and turn off gas.
Fill bins and boats with water.
In the case of a cyclone, fuel your car and park it under cover.
Keep timber strips, hammer and nails handy

DURING A STORM
Stay inside. Shelter clear of windows and skylights.
If power is lost, listen to the portable radio for official updates (tune to your local station).
If power is lost, turn off your stove, checking all items are off the hot plates.
If power is lost, turn off and unplug your television, computer and other electrical appliances.
If outdoors, seek solid, enclosed, shelter (not a tree).
If driving, stop clear of trees, powerlines or trees.
In the case of a cyclone, do not assume the cyclone is over if the wind drops. It may just be the "eye" of the storm. Wait for the official all-clear.
If the building starts to break up, shelter in the strongest part (hallway or built-in robe) under a mattress, doona or strong table/bench.
Don’t use a fixed telephone during a storm (lighting strikes can cause high voltage power surges through the telephone equipment, causing injury to the user).

AFTER A STORM
Don't ignore official warnings or advice.
Listen to the local radio station (and/or TV station if power available) for advice, and information on damage and service disruptions.
In the case of a cyclone, do not go outside until officially advised it is safe to do so.
Check for damaged windows, walls or roof. Temporarily cover with plastic sheeting and nailed-on wooden strips.
Check for gas leaks.
Don’t use electrical appliances if wet.
Once you have checked your own property, help your neighbours.
Beware of damaged buildings, fallen trees, and flooded watercourses.
Keep well away from fallen powerlines and alert others to keep away.
Report fallen powerlines to Energex on 131962.
Report road obstructions to Logan City Council or Police.

I M P O R T A N T
P H O N E N U M B E R S
POLICELINK —131444—this is for all NON
URGENT incidents including wilful property
damage, stealing offences, break and enters,
stolen vehicles and lost property.
POLICE STATION
501 Browns Plains Road Crestmead — 3803 9555
STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE—132500
BEENLEIGH COMMUNICATIONS - 3807 7770
CRIMESTOPPERS—1800 333 000
GRAFFITI HOTLINE—1800 731 026 or 3826 5115
CRESTMEAD PCYC—3805 4100
RSPCA—1300 264625—(1300 animal) FOR INJURED WILDLIFE

Neighbourhood Watch scam warning, Gold Coast

Police are warning Gold Coast residents about a scam where a man attempts to illegally illicit funds for Neighbourhood Watch over the phone.

A number of local Gold Coast small business operators and residents have reported to police that a man has called them seeking large donations to help advertise Neighbourhood Watch.

It is against Neighbourhood Watch policy to solicit funding or conduct “cold” canvassing over the phone to raise funds.

Neighbourhood Watch has strict guidelines on fundraising practices which include the applying for grants and any supporter funding being documented through minutes of meetings and outcomes reported to local police.

Members of the public are advised to be vigilant and not to make any donations over the phone to callers claiming to represent Neighbourhood Watch.

Anyone with information which could assist police with their investigations should contact Crime Stoppers anonymously via 1800 333 000 or crimestoppers.com.au 24hrs a day. 

 

HELP NEEDED TO IDENTIFY PERSONS

ARE YOU ABLE TO ASSIST POLICE WITH THE IDENTITY OF THE BELOW FEMALES

Contact:

If you are able to assist in identifying any of these females, please contact CON David GILBERT at Loganholme Station on 3451 6366 or via email or Logan District Intel on 38261960.

Refer to QP1000876832.

BEHIND THE CRIME - COMMUNITY SUPPORTING POLICE INITIATIVE

 

Behind the Crime

[An initiative of the Queensland Police Service and Community Supporting Police]

Presents

"Disaster Victim Identification"

Presenter Senior Sergeant Scott McLaren

What is Disaster Victim Identification and Mass Fatality Incident Response?

Why do these police experts conduct this Identification and Response?

The QPS international response to mass fatality incident,

including the Bali bombings, 2004 Tsunami, and the London and Madrid bombings.

 

FRIDAY 1 OCTOBER 2010

 Brisbane Girls Grammar School Lecture Theatre

Gregory Terrace, Brisbane

(Parking available within school grounds and on the street)

Proudly supported by the Brisbane Girls Grammar School

and Sing Tel Optus

6.45pm for 7pm start

  

Conditions:

Attendees must be aged 18 years or older.

Cameras, mobile phones, videos and other recording devices are not permitted

Cost:     $25 per person: $20 Student/Concession (includes light supper)

Payments can be made at the door.

For more information please contact CSP Secretary Pat Dryden 3378 3373.  Email pjdryden@bigpond.com

 

NEWSLETTER September 2010

Message from The Area Coordinator

Our recent fraud/identity theft information talk at the Community Centre was very informative and we were very grateful to have Inspector Dowdy from Crestmead Station also attend and introduce our speaker. It is evident that identity theft is becoming the major crime to affect us and it is imperative that we all take much more care when banking, divulging our information “on line” and with destroying our utility bills—in fact any paperwork which has identification that can be used by criminals to set up false accounts in our names. If you don’t own a shredder, you can just soak your paper-work in water and make old fashioned papier mache. It is something you could get the children to do each month and they could make a model out of your old bills!! Much better than a criminal make a killing out of your good name.

The rain obviously affected the number of people who came to have their cars fitted with the safe plate screws which have been funded by our grant through the Gam-bling and Community Benefit Fund. Better that you do not become a victim of crime when this service is offered—a gold coin donation will help us continue buying more stocks. Thanks to the VIP’s for their valiant work.

Please note that October is Crime Prevention Month and we should all do what we can to make life safer to live, work and play in our communities. By joining Neighbourhood Watch that could be the first step in getting to know your neighbours and for new residents—your neighbourhood. Let us make Crime Prevention a priority for everyone . Finally with school holidays upon us again, please take extra care driving—the recent fatal crash in Heritage Park was a terrible waste of a young life. Also take note of any suspicious activity around schools—we pay for damage in our taxes so it is down to us. Take care Geoff

FRAUD/IDENTITY THEFT

What you can do to avoid being a victim!

•  Place passwords on all your important accounts—avoid using obvious ones like phone numbers, dates of birth or mothers maiden name—these can all be used by criminals for furthering their crime

•  Secure personal information—in a lockable filing cabinet or safe

•  Don’t carry personal information unless needed. Never carry your PIN in your wallet with the ATM card and don’t carry documents like your passport or birth certificate unless you have to

•  Destroy personal information before disposal—when discarding old bills, records or expired cards, ensure that any identifying information is destroyed.

•  Avoid providing personal information by phone, mail or on-line. Make sure you know who you are dealing with before you give out personal information

•  Secure your mail—make sure you have a secure, lockable letterbox

•  Check your billing and account records carefully - you can identify any potential identity theft early. Follow up if bills don’t arrive on time—the criminal may have redirected your mail to another address

•  List all your account details—make a list of all your accounts, credit cards and relevant contact details. Keep these in a safe place. If you lose your wallet or purse, notify your bank immediately

OCTOBER is Crime prevention month and on Tuesday October 12th between 9am and 1pm come along to Greenbank RSL to learn about personal safety for seniors. On Saturday 9th October between 9am and noon Safe Pl8 screws will be fitted at Bunnings store car park at Kingston Road, Underwood and on Thursday 21st October between 9am and 1pm, Safe Pl8 screws can be fitted to your car at the shopping centre car park, corner of Kingston Road and Wembley Road at Logan Central. We will be holding more events in Crestmead during the next few months but in the meantime if you are unable to get to the events stated above, you can contact the Crestmead police station to enable them to be fitted by Volunteers in Policing.
You can do so much to protect your home with

•  Fitting quality deadlocks on external doors of your home.

•  Fit security screen doors to provide additional protection .

•  Fit windows with secure locks and do not leave keys in the window locks—intruders can break the glass to unlock your windows.

•  Ensure security grills/shutters are properly in-stalled and can allow exit in an emergency.

•  Ensure trees and shrubs are trimmed to allow visibility to your property.

•  Lock away items of value such as bikes, lawn mowers and garden implements such as ladders. Keep your garage door closed and locked.

•  Install perimeter security lighting including sensor lights.

•  Mark, engrave or microdot your property with serial numbers and record them.

AN INVITATION TO ALL RESIDENTS

Fraud Prevention

DETECTIVE SENIOR CONSTABLE ROD SHELTON

AT
CRESTMEAD COMMUNITY CENTRE

ON
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 5TH

AT

3pm

Supported by Crestmead Community
Centre Crestmead PCYC & Crestmead VIP’s