CURRENT EVENTS

We meet once a quarter (November, February, May, and August) at Carrow Baptist Church on the first Tuesday of the month, 7PM.

20081126

From Officer Krieger, 4th Precinct's Crime Prevention Officer

Each year during the holiday season, the Virginia Beach Police Department handles a noticeably higher number of robberies, burglaries and larcenies. The following information is being provided to help you stay safe during the holiday season, and throughout the year. While we may not be able to do anything about a criminal’s ability or desire to commit a crime, we can certainly take steps to greatly reduce the opportunity for crime to occur.

While Out and About

· Always be aware of your surroundings – walk with your head up, shoulders back and constantly scan the area around you.
· Avoid walking, jogging or biking after dark, particularly alone, and stay in well-lit, populated areas
· Avoid wearing headphones (you will not hear someone approaching)
· If you are approached by an armed criminal demanding your valuables, comply with his or her request – your property is replaceable; you are not.

Shopping Safety

· Park in well-lit areas; lock up your vehicle and take your keys with you; have your keys in your hand when returning to your vehicle
· Never leave your car running and unattended, even for a second
· Keep valuables and packages out of sight (preferably locked in trunk)
· Make periodic trips with packages to your vehicle to avoid being overwhelmed and unable to react if approached or attacked
· If you are alone after dark, request an escort to your vehicle from mall or store security, or ask other citizens if you can walk out with them (there is safety in numbers)
· Make sure to keep a close eye on children and talk to them about what to do if they get separated from you in the store or mall (how to find a trusted adult – police officer, security officer, or store clerk)

Home Security

· If you are leaving town, stop newspaper and mail delivery; alert a trusted neighbor; install a timer on your interior and exterior lights; leave a car parked in the driveway or ask a neighbor to park in your driveway
· Trim bushes and landscaping back from windows; make sure exterior lighting is adequate around exterior of house
· Install deadbolt locks on all doors leading outside of residence, along with 3” screws in the strike plate.
· Call the Police Non-emergency number (385-5000) at the time you notice any suspicious persons or activity in the area
· Participate in Neighborhood Watch; if you don’t have one in your community, now’s the time to start one up.

Please contact the Virginia Beach Police Department’s
Crime Prevention Unit at 385-1006 for further information.

Families for a lifetime presents GANGS, Not MY Child

Gangs are defined as groups of individuals sharing the same beliefs. So why should we be concerned about the gangs today? Just listen to the news and you can hear of the violence and pain the various gangs inflict on one another. Gangs are not fun – they are serious – and like it or not they are a part of our community.

No one likes to think their child would want to participate in anything related to a gang or gang violence, and yet this violence tears apart families daily.

Come and learn what you can do to ensure it is NOT your child. Some of what will be covered includes:
  • Learning the warning signs
  • Finding ways to help your child feel secure within his or her environment
  • Exploring how generational trends toward gangs or violence may be impacting your child
  • Discovering ways to help children leave the gang environment safely

Detective Roger Fredrick and Detective Chris Carroll, City of Virginia Beach Police Department, are experts on gang involvement. They have conducted a number of workshops on this topic and the influence of gangs in our community.

Some of the materials used in this presentation are graphic in nature
and may not be appropriate for children.

Call 385-4537 today to register!
No child care is available for this program

Where:
Plaza Middle School
3080 S. Lynnhaven Road, Virginia Beach

When:
Tuesday, december 2, 6:30-8:00 pm

Registration:
385-4537 PENDLETON CHILD SERVICE CENTER

20081114

POLICE WARN OF PARKING LOT SCAM

11/12/08 2008-163



On Sunday, November 2, 2008, at approximately 4:47 p.m., .a man was in the parking lot of the Barnes and Nobles Booksellers in the 4400 block of Virginia Beach Blvd. when he was approached by two suspects that stated that they were having car trouble. The two men requested a ride to a nearby auto store so that they could purchase parts to fix their vehicle. The victim took the men to a nearby store and after a few moments, the men came outside. The men claimed the store could not accept large bills and requested a loan from the victim. The victim loaned the men smaller bills to cover their purchase.

The victim dropped one of the men back off at the Barnes and Noble Store and took the other to a nearby apartment complex, where the man said he was going to get the money to pay him back. The man never surfaced from the apartment complex and the victim called police.

Investigators have determined that similar cases have occurred since March of 2006. Two cases of this type have occurred in the same parking lot in the month of November 2008. Some of the previous cases have occurred in the Best Buy parking lot in the 200 block of Independence Blvd.

In each of the cases, one or both of these suspects approaches young men in their twenties in parking lots and asks for their help. The suspect(s) claim in each case to have some type of car trouble and request the assistance of their intended victim. The victims provide money to the suspects as a loan, not knowing they are being defrauded.

The first suspect is described as a black male, 35-45 years of age, 6’0 to 6’2” tall, with a gold- capped tooth in front, and an unshaven face. The second suspect is described as a black male, 35-45 years old, and 5’10” to 5’11” tall. Both men are described as friendly and well spoken.

Anyone with information about these crimes is encouraged to call the Virginia Beach Crime Solvers Office at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP. Callers remain anonymous and are eligible to receive a cash reward of up to $1,000 if their information leads to an arrest.

These cases remain under investigation by the Department’s Third Precinct Property Crimes Unit.

MPO Margie Long
Public Information Officer/Spokesperson
melong@vbgov.com, (757) 385-4097, (757) 430-6378 (fax)

20081106

MEETING Thursday, November 13th

Carolanne Farm Civic League
NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING
7 PM Arrowhead Elementary School Cafetorium

RECENT CRIMES COMMITTED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOODS

  • Officer Leta Krieger, our new 4th Precinct Crime Prevention Officer
  • An overview of crime trends and things than need our attention
  • Ways of empowering our neighbors to reduce these incidents
  • How to organize and get involved
  • Q&As

GANG AWARENESS

  • Ginny Passaris, our area’s Safety and Security Chairperson to recap last month’s meetings where Gang Specialists came to speak about what we are dealing with in our area of Hampton Roads
  • Preventative tips every neighbor can take to keep our neighborhoods safe

Disaster Mass Casualty Practical Exercise - Nov 22nd, 9-12


FREE SELF DEFENSE WORKSHOP Nov. 15th

The VB Crime Prevention Unit will be hosting in partnership with Parks & Recreation:

“The Best Defense” Self-Defense Workshop

WHEN: Saturday, November 15th, 1:00 – 4:00 P.M.
WHERE: Princess Anne Rec Center

You do not need to be a Rec. Center member, and there is no charge to attend.

The easiest way to register, if you are not already a member, is by calling the rec center directly at 426-0022. Please pass the information on to anyone you may know who might benefit from this class.
QUESTIONS?
Email or call our 4th Precinct MPO Leta Krieger at
Phone: 385-1324

VOLUNTEER TODAY

Carolanne Farm Civic League Volunteer Form