A clever idea, passed along by one of our neighbors.
Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbours, your parents, your doctor's office, the check-out girl at the market, everyone you run across: Put your car keys beside your bed at night.
If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator.
Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain.It works if you park in your driveway or garage.
If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the person won't stick around. After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough, the criminal won't want that.
And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there.
Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone. My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn't hear him. He can activate the car alarm and then she'll know there's a problem.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Sheriff: Beware door-to-door solicitors
By Kim Minugh, Sacramento Bee
Responding to an influx of reports from residents concerned about suspicious solicitors, law enforcement officials are warning people to be skeptical of just about anyone at the door.
Except when it comes to U.S. Census workers and maybe cookie-peddling Girl Scouts, legitimate neighborhood salesmen are pretty much a thing of the past, said Sherrie Carhart, a crime prevention specialist for the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.
"It's past the time. People shouldn't be going door-to-door soliciting," she said. "It's not something that's accepted these days."
Instead, Carhart said, many of the modern-day "solicitors" likely are prospective burglars, looking for empty homes.
Carhart's warning comes after she's received a number of calls from residents asking about aggressive solicitors pushing everything from cleaning supplies to electronics to assistance for veterans.
Some have been so aggressive that the solicitors have walked into homes uninvited, residents report.
Roger Berkenpas, a community activist in Fair Oaks, said some of his neighbors have talked about a "very smooth, pushy" vacuum salesman who promises Wal-Mart gift cards to anyone who will listen to his sales pitch.
The couple of takers have been disappointed to find the gift cards were worthless, Berkanpas said.
Carhart said sales people are required to carry a copy of the county permit they must obtain for door-to-door solicitation, as well as a copy of their business license.
(A small group of folks are exempt from the required county permit, Carhart said, including non-profits, churches and federal government workers, including those carrying out the U.S. Census.)
But before asking for that paperwork, residents should be wary of even opening the door, Carhart said. She suggests making your presence known by talking through the door or a window.
If you notice the person skipping homes on your street, trying doorknobs, looking through windows or going to back fences, call your local law enforcement agency's non-emergency line, Carhart said.
If it looks like someone is in the act of breaking into a home, call 911, she said.
Authorities have tried in recent months to alert residents about tactics sometimes used by prospective burglars, such as knocking on the door and asking for someone who doesn't live there.
An elderly woman in Meadowview opened her front door Monday night to a young man saying his dog was in her backyard - and then was ordered to the ground at gunpoint. Her house was ransacked and three men fled with cash and jewelry.
Carhart said Sacramento's communities are full of people of "good-natured, helpful people" - and, unfortunately, many that want to take advantage of those good Samaritans.
"People are interested in scamming other people," she said. "There are a lot of bad people out there."
Responding to an influx of reports from residents concerned about suspicious solicitors, law enforcement officials are warning people to be skeptical of just about anyone at the door.
Except when it comes to U.S. Census workers and maybe cookie-peddling Girl Scouts, legitimate neighborhood salesmen are pretty much a thing of the past, said Sherrie Carhart, a crime prevention specialist for the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department.
"It's past the time. People shouldn't be going door-to-door soliciting," she said. "It's not something that's accepted these days."
Instead, Carhart said, many of the modern-day "solicitors" likely are prospective burglars, looking for empty homes.
Carhart's warning comes after she's received a number of calls from residents asking about aggressive solicitors pushing everything from cleaning supplies to electronics to assistance for veterans.
Some have been so aggressive that the solicitors have walked into homes uninvited, residents report.
Roger Berkenpas, a community activist in Fair Oaks, said some of his neighbors have talked about a "very smooth, pushy" vacuum salesman who promises Wal-Mart gift cards to anyone who will listen to his sales pitch.
The couple of takers have been disappointed to find the gift cards were worthless, Berkanpas said.
Carhart said sales people are required to carry a copy of the county permit they must obtain for door-to-door solicitation, as well as a copy of their business license.
(A small group of folks are exempt from the required county permit, Carhart said, including non-profits, churches and federal government workers, including those carrying out the U.S. Census.)
But before asking for that paperwork, residents should be wary of even opening the door, Carhart said. She suggests making your presence known by talking through the door or a window.
If you notice the person skipping homes on your street, trying doorknobs, looking through windows or going to back fences, call your local law enforcement agency's non-emergency line, Carhart said.
If it looks like someone is in the act of breaking into a home, call 911, she said.
Authorities have tried in recent months to alert residents about tactics sometimes used by prospective burglars, such as knocking on the door and asking for someone who doesn't live there.
An elderly woman in Meadowview opened her front door Monday night to a young man saying his dog was in her backyard - and then was ordered to the ground at gunpoint. Her house was ransacked and three men fled with cash and jewelry.
Carhart said Sacramento's communities are full of people of "good-natured, helpful people" - and, unfortunately, many that want to take advantage of those good Samaritans.
"People are interested in scamming other people," she said. "There are a lot of bad people out there."
Construction begins on new HWY 50 bus/carpool lane
Caltrans broke ground on a $108 million project that will add 15 miles of new bus/carpool lanes on U.S. Highway 50 between Watt Avenue in Sacramento and Sunrise Boulevard in Rancho Cordova.
Proposition 1B, the $19.9 billion transportation bond championed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and passed by voters in 2006, is providing nearly $55 million in funding for the project. More than $5.2 billion in Proposition 1B funding has been allocated to improve California’s transportation system during the past three years.
"This Proposition 1B funded project will improve safety, help stimulate the economy and decrease traffic congestion in the area," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "The people of California spoke loud and clear when they voted for Proposition 1B because they wanted investment in California's infrastructure and to put people to work immediately."
Sacramento County’s Measure A, a half-cent sales tax dedicated to transportation improvements, contributed $37 million in funding for the project, which is a partnership between Caltrans, Sacramento County, the city of Rancho Cordova, the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, and the Sacramento Transportation Authority.
In addition to new bus/carpool lanes, the project also includes:
More than four miles of new sound walls at a dozen locations.
Community enhancements, such as improved lighting and landscaping.
Replacement of two bike/pedestrian overcrossings at Manlove Road and White Rock Park to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
New ramp meters, changeable message signs, and traffic cameras.
"Under the governor’s leadership, Proposition 1B is paying for vital transportation projects that relieve traffic congestion,” said Caltrans Director Randy Iwasaki. “Extending this bus/carpool lane will have an immediate impact for more than 180,000 drivers commuting on the Highway 50 corridor,”
Bus/carpool lanes typically carry 2-3 times more people at peak traffic hours than conventional mixed-flow lanes. There are currently 68 miles of bus/carpool lanes in the Sacramento region on U.S. Highway 50, Interstate 80, and State Route 99. When the bus/carpool lane project between Sunrise Boulevard and Watt Ave is completed in 2013, there will be continuous bus/carpool lanes on U.S. Highway 50 between Bass Lake Road and Watt Avenue, a distance of approximately 21 miles.
Proposition 1B, the $19.9 billion transportation bond championed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and passed by voters in 2006, is providing nearly $55 million in funding for the project. More than $5.2 billion in Proposition 1B funding has been allocated to improve California’s transportation system during the past three years.
"This Proposition 1B funded project will improve safety, help stimulate the economy and decrease traffic congestion in the area," said Governor Schwarzenegger. "The people of California spoke loud and clear when they voted for Proposition 1B because they wanted investment in California's infrastructure and to put people to work immediately."
Sacramento County’s Measure A, a half-cent sales tax dedicated to transportation improvements, contributed $37 million in funding for the project, which is a partnership between Caltrans, Sacramento County, the city of Rancho Cordova, the Sacramento Area Council of Governments, and the Sacramento Transportation Authority.
In addition to new bus/carpool lanes, the project also includes:
More than four miles of new sound walls at a dozen locations.
Community enhancements, such as improved lighting and landscaping.
Replacement of two bike/pedestrian overcrossings at Manlove Road and White Rock Park to meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards.
New ramp meters, changeable message signs, and traffic cameras.
"Under the governor’s leadership, Proposition 1B is paying for vital transportation projects that relieve traffic congestion,” said Caltrans Director Randy Iwasaki. “Extending this bus/carpool lane will have an immediate impact for more than 180,000 drivers commuting on the Highway 50 corridor,”
Bus/carpool lanes typically carry 2-3 times more people at peak traffic hours than conventional mixed-flow lanes. There are currently 68 miles of bus/carpool lanes in the Sacramento region on U.S. Highway 50, Interstate 80, and State Route 99. When the bus/carpool lane project between Sunrise Boulevard and Watt Ave is completed in 2013, there will be continuous bus/carpool lanes on U.S. Highway 50 between Bass Lake Road and Watt Avenue, a distance of approximately 21 miles.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Feb. 23: Come to Sheriff's Community Meeting
Sacramento Sheriff’s Department
North Patrol Division- North Central Area
Zone 41&43 Community Meeting
Tuesday February 23, 2010 @ 6:30 p.m.
Sheriff’s Marconi Station
2500 Marconi Avenue, Ste #100
Marconi Room
The Sacramento Sheriff’s Department will be hosting a community meeting at the Marconi Station House. This meeting is for the neighborhoods encompassed in the North Central Division, Zone’s 41&43.
Zone 1 is bounded to the north by Hwy 80, to the south by Arden Way, to the east by Watt Ave. and to the west by Ethan Way
Zone 3 is bounded to the North by Arden Way, to the South by the American River and the City of Sacramento, to the East by Watt Avenue and to the West by Howe Avenue and Ethan Way.
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputies will be present to address any suspicious or criminal activity occurring in your neighborhoods.
California Highway Patrol Officers will be present to address any traffic related concerns.
If you live or work in the areas described by these boundaries, we encourage you to become actively involved in the pursuit of making our community a safer place to live and work.
For further information call:
Crime Prevention Specialist, Cindy Burdette @ 876-5717
North Patrol Division- North Central Area
Zone 41&43 Community Meeting
Tuesday February 23, 2010 @ 6:30 p.m.
Sheriff’s Marconi Station
2500 Marconi Avenue, Ste #100
Marconi Room
The Sacramento Sheriff’s Department will be hosting a community meeting at the Marconi Station House. This meeting is for the neighborhoods encompassed in the North Central Division, Zone’s 41&43.
Zone 1 is bounded to the north by Hwy 80, to the south by Arden Way, to the east by Watt Ave. and to the west by Ethan Way
Zone 3 is bounded to the North by Arden Way, to the South by the American River and the City of Sacramento, to the East by Watt Avenue and to the West by Howe Avenue and Ethan Way.
Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputies will be present to address any suspicious or criminal activity occurring in your neighborhoods.
California Highway Patrol Officers will be present to address any traffic related concerns.
If you live or work in the areas described by these boundaries, we encourage you to become actively involved in the pursuit of making our community a safer place to live and work.
For further information call:
Crime Prevention Specialist, Cindy Burdette @ 876-5717
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