CHILD SAFETY ON THE INTERNET:

As a parent, if you own a home computer and allow your children Internet access, you also need to be Internet literate. If you do not know how to access the Internet, take a class, read a book or spend time with your children and let them show you the amazing world of cyberspace. Be aware of what is out there and prevent your children from gaining access to inappropriate Web sites and chat rooms.

HOW TO AVOID A CARJACKING!

Imagine having someone walk up to you while you're sitting in your car at a traffic light, thrust a gun or knife in your face, and take your car from you. Or having your vehicle taken from you while you are parked (even in your own driveway), or while you're getting gas. This new crime is called "carjacking." It can happen anywhere, not just in traditional "high crime" neighborhoods, and it is just as likely to occur during the daylight as it is after dark.

Why is carjacking on the increase?
Parked cars, especially luxury models equipped with sophisticated, built-in alarm systems and theft-deterrent devices, are becoming harder to steal. Car thieves find it much easier to steal a car while the owner is there, with the keys in the ignition, than to try to break into a well-alarmed, locked car.

Anybody can be a target. While most carjackers look for sleek, powerful, luxury-model cars to steal and sell, others will go after any easy target of opportunity, sometimes just on an impulse for a joy ride.

How can you avoid being carjacked?
While there is no guaranteed way of avoiding being carjacked, there are some common-sense precautions you can take to put the odds in your favor:
  - Before you enter your car, be alert to any activity near you. Pay attention to your surroundings.
  - When approaching your car to enter it, have your key in your hand. Check the handles, locks, and back seat before entering.
  - If there is someone loitering near your unoccupied car as you approach it, keep walking until they leave.

Once you're in your car, you should:
  - Keep your doors and windows locked.
  - Stay out of high crime areas, especially after dark.
  - Be suspicious of people approaching your car asking for directions or change, or giving out flyers.
  - When stopping in traffic, leave enough distance between your car and the one in front of you, so you can pull away quickly if necessary.
  - If a suspicious-looking person approaches your car, drive away carefully. If you are driving home, and there's somebody walking down the street that you don't recognize, drive around the block and come back after that person has left.
  - If another driver bumps your car, or your tire goes flat, keep your doors and windows closed and wait for help or the police to arrive; or drive slowly to the nearest police station.
  - Be alert when using drive-up automated teller (ATM) machines.
  - If you have a cellular telephone, call for help.
  - If you are confronted, don't resist, let the thief have your car. No vehicle is worth being seriously injured or killed for.

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

As many as 4 million people in this country suffer some kind of violence at the hands of their spouse or domestic partner each year. Very few will tell anyone -- a friend, a relative, a neighbor, or the police. Victims of domestic violence come from ALL walks of life, all cultures, all income groups, all ages, all religions, and all orientations. They share feelings of helplessness, isolation, guilt, fear, and shame.

ARE YOU ABUSED?
DOES THE PERSON YOU LOVE... "Track" all of your time?
Constantly accuse you of being unfaithful?
Discourage your relationships with family and friends?
Prevent you from working or attending school?
Criticize you for little things?
Anger easily when drinking or using other drugs?
Control all your finances and force you to account in detail for what you spend?
Humiliate you in front of others?
Destroy personal property or sentimental items?
Hit, punch, slap, kick, or bite you or your children?
Use or threaten to use a weapon against your?
Threaten to hurt you or the children?
Force you to have sex against your will?

IF YOU FIND YOURSELF SAYING YES TO ANY OF THESE,
IT'S TIME TO GET HELP!
DON'T IGNORE THE PROBLEM!
Talk to someone. Part of the abuser's power comes from secrecy. Victims are often ashamed to let anyone know about intimate family problems. Go to a friend or neighbor, or call a domestic violence hotline to talk to a counselor.

Plan ahead and know what you will do if you are attacked again. If you decide to leave, choose a place to go; set aside some money. Put important papers together-- marriage license, birth certificates, checkbooks--in a place where you can get them quickly.

Learn to think independently. Try to plan for the future and set goals for yourself.

IF YOU ARE HURT, WHAT CAN YOU DO?
There are no easy answers, but there are things you can do to protect yourself:

Call the sheriff or police. Assault, even by family members, is a crime. The police often have information about shelters and other agencies that help victims of domestic violence.

Leave, or have someone come and stay with you. Go to a shelter- -call a crisis hotline or a community center to locate a shelter. If you believe that you, or your children, are in danger--leave immediately.

Get medical attention from your doctor or a hospital emergency room. Ask the staff to photograph your injuries and keep detailed records in case you decide to take legal action.

Contact your local Superior Court for information about a restraining order that does not involve criminal charges or penalties.

HAVE YOU HURT SOMEONE IN YOUR FAMILY?
Accept the fact that your violent behavior will destroy your family. Be aware that you break the law when you physically hurt someone.

Take responsibility for your actions and get help.

When you feel tension building, get away. Work off the angry energy through a walk, a project, a sport.

Call a domestic violence hotline or health center and ask about counseling and support groups for people who batter.

THE HIGH COST OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE:
Men and women who follow their parents' example and use violence to solve conflicts are teaching the same destructive behavior to their children.

Jobs can be lost or careers stalled because of injuries, arrests, or harassment.

Violence may even result in death.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES & HOTLINES:

ENGRAVE YOUR VALUABLES

Did you know that insurance companies are likely to raise your rates and your deductible as a result of a burglary? Make it easier for the police to identify and locate your stolen property, and make your property less attractive to thieves by taking the time to mark your property.

Here's some useful information about engraving your valuables:
Please engrave all your property with your driver's license number, Social Security number, or secret number of your choice. Engrave the number in at least two (2) places on the object. (Note: Your driver's license number makes it especially easy for the police to identify the owner if the stolen object is recovered)

After you purchase an item, locate its serial number; record the serial number, make, model, and any other identifying features and store the information in a safe place.

If the item is stolen, call the police and give a complete description of the property. Include whatever number the item is engraved with, and where the number is engraved on the property.

Take a picture or make a video of your valuables, and store this in a safe place.

VEHICLE THEFT PREVENTION

  - Securing Your Vehicle
  - Be Alert!!
  - Lock your car! Take your keys with you.
  - Never hide a spare key on the vehicle.
  - Roll up windows completely.
  - Remove keys from ignition.
  - Park in well-lighted areas.
  - When parking in attended lots or parking garages, leave only the ignition key with the attendant.
  - Park as close as possible to an open business.
  - Do not leave valuables in sight to tempt a thief. Most auto burglaries are caused by cellular phones, laptops, or other valuables left in plain sight.
  - Always park with the wheels turned toward the curb.
  - Back your car into the driveway. If you drive forward into the driveway, a car thief could raise the hood to hot wire the car, and it would appear to the neighbors that you were just working on the car.
  - If you have a garage, use it.
  - Lock your garage door.
  - When going out of town, if possible, remove the distributor cap or the coil wire.
  - NEVER leave your car running while it is unattended.

IF YOUR CAR IS STOLEN...
  - Call the Sheriff's Station. Vehicle theft should be reported as soon as possible. However, before the vehicle can be listed as stolen, you must have your vehicle's license number and/or the vehicle identification number (also called the VIN number).

  - Stolen vehicles are sometimes used in the commission of other crimes. Quick action often results in recovery of your vehicle as well as prevention of another crime. If the criminal is apprehended, be willing to file charges and testify in court.

  - If you recover your own vehicle, you must not touch or move your vehicle in order to preserve possible evidence. You should call 911 immediately to report the recovery. If you do not follow these steps, your car will continue to be listed as stolen and you may be pulled over at gunpoint, because the deputies or police officers with assume you are the car thief!

WHEN SELLING AND BUYING A CAR....
  - Be cautious of the low priced bargain car.

  - Beware of fast sell pressures.

  - Check the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) to see if it has been altered.

  - Be suspicious of fresh paint on a car.

  - Verify that the registration sticker and the license tag are current and are from the same state.

  - Do not accept duplicate car keys.

  - Complete all paper work at the time of the sale.

  - If you are selling a car, never allow a person to test drive the vehicle alone.

  - Ask to see an interested buyer's drivers license, and write down the name, address, driver's license number, etc.

  - Make certain the driver's door contains a Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard Label. This label is often called a Mylar sticker, and it contains the Vehicle Identification Number. Presence of the label is required by law.

ANTI-THEFT DEVICES....
They stop the amateur and slow down the professional ....
  - Anti-theft devices are not foolproof, but they can stop the amateur and slow down the professional. The longer it takes to steal a car, the more attention the thief attracts, and the more likely the thief will look elsewhere. Anti-theft devices include those listed below.

LOJACK: This is vehicle tracking device that when activated allows the Sheriff Department or Police to track your stolen vehicle and recover it, often within hours. It can be purchased from many new car dealerships or after market directly from LOJACK of California.

KILL SWITCH: The car will not start unless a hidden switch is activated. The switch prevents electrical current from reaching the coil or carburetor. Please check your warranty before installing one of these switches. Some warranties prohibit installation of these devices, and doing so will nullify the warranty. In such cases, there is a possibility that a STARTER BYPASS SWITCH could be used without affecting the warranty.

ALARM SYSTEMS: These systems contain a device that will activate a siren, lights, or horn if the car is tampered with. Consider a backup power source for the alarm, as professionals could deactivate the alarm if they get to the power source. Keys or code numbers to the alarm should never be given to parking lot attendants or valets. (Do not try to fool a thief with an alarm decal when no alarm exists.)

FUEL SWITCH: This device stops the fuel supply.

ARMORED COLLAR ("The Club"): This equipment consists of a metal shield that locks around the steering column and covers the ignition, the starter rods, and the steering wheel interlock rod.

LOCKING GAS CAP: A prevention device to halt gas being stolen from your vehicle.

CROOK LOCK: This lock is a long metal bar that has a hook on each end to lock the steering wheel to the brake pedal.

CHAIN & LOCK: These devices should be used to secure motorcycles, mopeds, and bicycles.

KEYLESS ENTRY SYSTEM: Anti-theft devices may cost a few dollars to several hundred dollars. Many of these devices are now standard or optional equipment offered by auto manufacturers.

HATE CRIME PREVENTION

West Hollywood has become a target for hate crimes in Southern California. The West Hollywood Sheriff's Station and West Hollywood City officials are working hard to safeguard residents and visitors from crimes of hate directed at the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community, and crimes directed toward our Russian and Jewish communities. These tips are designed to alert you to the measures you can take to prevent becoming the victim of a hate crime:

  - Avoid Walking Alone
  - Walk Confidently, Quickly and Directly
  - Stay In Well Lit Areas
  - Have Your Car Keys In Your Hand
  - Avoid Dark Driveways, Bushes and Alleys
  - Walk Close To The Curb
  - Keep Your Car Doors Locked At All Times, Even While Driving
  - Avoid Being Under The Influence of Drugs or Alcohol
  - Don't Resist... Property Can Be Replaced, You Can't!

IF YOU ARE THE VICTIM OF A CRIME...
  - Immediately call 911 - The West Hollywood Sheriff's Station is here to help you. You will be treated with dignity and respect.
  - Write down a description of your attacker (age, race, height, weight, hair, clothing...) and a description of his/her vehicle (type, color, & license plate number).
  - Do not worry about your citizenship or immigration status. The Sheriff's Deputies are not the INS and are not concerned about your immigration status. If you are a victim or witness, you may be asked for identification so that you can be contacted later if the attacker is arrested.
  - Do not be afraid! The Sheriff's Department is here to protect you. Crimes of HATE (including verbal harassment) are a top priority at the West Hollywood Sheriff's Station, and you will be given the utmost respect and assistance as the victim of an assault or attack.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: