Thousand Oaks City Watch Alert - December 2nd

Here is the latest "City Watch" alert from Deputy Jim DeSoto of the Thousand Oaks Police Department. If you are interested in receiving these updates directly from him via email, click here for more information.

Crime Fighters,

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend. December is upon us and many will take extended vacations or weekend getaways sometime during this month. As a reminder, our Volunteers in Policing (VIPs) do home security vacation checks and all you need to do is call 805-449-2760.

As a supporting suggestion, advise a trusted relative or neighbor that you will be away so they can periodically check your residence, get your mail, newspapers, care for any animals, etc. While loading your vehicles, please do not pack your vehicle with your belongings in the driveway. This sends a message out to everyone that you are planning to leave and your residence will be vacant. Load your vehicle while it is in your garage and with the garage door closed. Announcing a departure by loading a vehicle in the driveway has victimized many people, including myself.

People utilize the Internet for holiday shopping and the criminals are well aware of that fact. Check sources and do some investigating before purchasing anything from a third party. The Internet has sites that sell goods and services and some of these sites are known to have questionable sellers. As a result, deputies have taken theft reports committed through the Internet and I believe many more thefts have occurred but the crimes are not reported because of embarrassment. Keep your hard-earned and well-deserved money and do not fall prey to typical e-mail, lottery, and postal scams and frauds. If someone sends you a check, a traveler’s check, or any other promissory note because you won a contest—it is NOT your lucky day; it is their lucky day if you respond. Delete the junk mail that somehow made it through your filters and be wary of official looking business e-mails that are actually fraudulent and seeking to gain access to your information.

After reviewing the past crime reports from the last month, I have few a points and suggestions: forced vehicle entries are still happening throughout the city so please do not store pricey items inside vehicles. Manage all your bank and credit card accounts on a regular basis and catch those fraudulent charges. Keep your garage door closed when you are not inside the garage or in the front yard. Thefts from unattended, open garages only take a minute to complete.

Finally, I frequently receive telephone calls from people who request extra patrol regarding crime activity. Invariably, when I asked if the crime(s) was ever reported, the answer is, “No.” The Thousand Oaks Police Department is committed to deterring crime and putting offenders in jail but we need to know what is happening in our city. Please report any suspicious or criminal activity, 805-654-9511.

Take care my friends,

Jim DeSoto