The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office sent out this crime alert and crime prevention tips August 30, 2010.

Recent Burglaries and Vehicle Prowls

This past week, Thurston County Sheriff’s deputies have responded to several Vehicle Prowls and Residential Burglaries within close proximity to each other.
Northeast Thurston County:
A mini-storage unit in the 3000 block of Marvin Rd. NE had a reported twenty-vehicle prowls; only two have been reported by victims at this time.
A Residential Burglary in the 3000 block of Marvin Rd. NE and at the 8400 block of Queets Dr. NE.

Southeast Thurston County:
A Residential Burglary in the 300 block of Peregrine Dr. SE and in the approximate 400 block of Freedom Ct. SE.

Crime Prevention Tips for the Home:
Leave blinds/curtains open
Make your residence appear as if someone is home: leave a light or television on. (You can also use timers)
Make sure your residence is secured.
Inform a neighbor if you are going to be away for the night or longer.
If you have a monitored alarm system, make sure that the alarm company knows how to contact you. If your alarm is not monitored and is audible outside make sure your neighbors know how to contact you.
Make sure your vehicle is secure and all doors and windows are closed.

Crime Prevention Tips for Vehicles:
Remember to ensure that all valuables are hidden and not easily visible.
Do not leave purses, wallets, electronic devices, and valuable information in your vehicle.
Keep a record of all serial and model numbers of electronic devices left in the vehicle.
Park your vehicle in a well lit area.
Often times, Sheriff’s deputies locate items that they suspect may be stolen. They are however not able to confirm this because the victims had not recorded serial/model numbers. Please keep records of all important items by documenting serial/model numbers. If the items do not have serial/model numbers, document characteristics and photograph.

Audio security sensors deliver amazing results.   When monitored by experts, they ensure threats are detected and verified, criminals are caught and false alarms are few.  And, sometimes, they do even more.

At 1:30 this morning, Operator Jessica Culver received an activation of the audio security system at Compass Health in Marysville, Wash.  She listened and heard what sounded like rain and thought it was part of the summer storm that passed over the area last night.  She reset the system.

At 1:35 a.m., the audio security activated again, but this time the sound of falling water was louder and Culver knew it wasn’t the rain.  Concerned the medical clinic had a burst pipe or some other major leak, she called an employee from the clinic to let them know what she heard.

By 1:39 a.m., the clinic employee was on his way to the facility.  Culver let him know she continued to hear water running, as well as occasional “thunk” noises.

When he arrived, the clinic employee discovered a toilet in an apartment upstairs from the medical clinic had overflowed and the water started leaking down into the clinic.  Fortunately, the audio sensors picked up the sound of flowing water and Culver sent someone to stop it before significant damage was done.  Had the clinic not had an audio security system, the water lead wouldn’t have been discovered until they opened this morning at 7 a.m., more than five hours later.  Instead, the leak was detected by audio sensors and someone was on their way to stop it within 10 minutes.

Criminals are getting more creative about how they break into businesses and Sonitrol Pacific’s 2010 record of detections leading to apprehensions reflects this.

For years, breaking in through a door has been the most common point of entry criminals choose.  In 2009, 43 percent of the suspects caught due to a Sonitrol Pacific detection used the door.  However, I was reviewing our 2010 numbers this morning and was a little surprised to discover that those entering through the door dropped significantly.  So far this year, only about 25 percent of the suspects on our apprehension record went in through the door; 25 percent got inside through a window; 25 percent entered through a wall, the roof, over a fence; and 25 percent were detected by our audio sensors and arrested before they got inside.

While this shift in criminal behavior could indicate our communities are doing a great job in giving crime prevention attention to their doors and locks, it also means we need to be more vigilant than ever to make other potential points of entry undesirable for burglars.  Here are a few simple items to give attention to:

• Get to know neighboring businesses and the people who work there.
• Make certain your facility has enough lighting for people to see your facility.
• Install vandal resistant security lighting and locate it out of reach.
• Start or get active in a neighborhood business crime watch organization.
• Keep your business’ signage clean and visible.
• Any shrubs, bushes and other landscaping planted within four feet of any sidewalks, driveways, doors or gates need to be pruned so they are two feet or less tall.
• Trim trees so they cannot be used to gain access to an upper level or the roof.
• Use decorative rock or stone as ground cover near the facility so that it makes noise when someone walks on it.
• Make certain no items that are either 1)attractive to steal or 2)can be used to break in are left outside your facility.
• If you don’t have an access control system, keep clear, up-to-date records of who has which keys to the facility.
• Check your casement windows to make sure they work properly.
• Make certain employees close and lock all windows before leaving for the day.
• Install proper locks on all windows.
• Document your company’s security protocols and standards and make certain everyone knows and follows them.

On many occasions, I’ve used this blog to praise the fantastic crime prevention program the Everett Police Department has put together.   Sonitrol Pacific is firmly committed to promoting crime prevention ideas, tips and efforts and are happy to promote a program like EPD’s.

Today, we received a note of thanks from Everett Police Chief James Scharf:  ” … thank you for the message you send to the community that businesses can be and should be a proactive partner in protecting their property. Your efforts regarding crime prevention have been of immeasurable assistance to us in accomplishing our task.”

And we’re not their only fan.

Officers from the Everett PD’s  Crime Prevention unit are regularly asked to speak at law enforcement meetings and conferences to share how their program works.  The team is currently preparing to attend the International Association of Chiefs of Police convention in Florida to present a workshop.  After the workshop, other police departments will take home a fully developed plan and the materials needed to engage their communities in crime prevention efforts.

Our team was thrilled to learn that the EPD learned their “Project Impact” program is a top ten finalist for the Webber Seavey Award, presented annually to law enforcement agencies to recognize them for “promoting a standard of excellence that exemplifies law enforcement’s contribution and dedication to the quality of life in local communities.”

Our partners in the electronic security verification movement to the south, Kimberlite (dba Sonitrol Security), had an impressive month of detection-to-apprehensions in July.  They helped police reel in 151 suspects.  Even by Sonitrol National Dealers Association’s (SNDA) standards, this is a massive number.

While we at Sonitrol Pacific still firmly believe our Operations Center/Central Station is the best around, we happily acknowledge that Kimberlite’s organization is pretty awesome too.

You can read more about Kimberlite’s apprehension record and the SNDA’s commitment to verified alarm systems in Dan Gelinas’ article, “‘Best central station in the world’ assists in 151 apprehensions in July,” posted at Security System News.

Check out Sonitrol Pacific’s 2010 record of helping police get bad guys off the streets.

Yesterday, while grabbing a quick lunch at a Milwaukie sandwich shop, Security Consultant Shane Smith ran into a sergeant from the city’s police department.    The sergeant wanted to know if 1) Sonitrol Pacific still made a donation every quarter to Crime Stoppers for our apprehension incidents and 2) if Sonitrol Pacific still presented certificates of achievement to officers who arrest people breaking into one of our client’s buildings.

Shane’s answer?

“Why yes, both of those programs are still going strong.”

Crime Stoppers donations:
For decades, Sonitrol Pacific has donated $100 per arrest incident at facilities protected by a Sonitrol Pacific security system.  We do this in recognition of the officers and dispatchers involved.  The donations are distributed between Crime Stoppers organizations in Washington, Oregon and Idaho, based on the jurisdiction where the incidents occurred.

Sonitrol Pacific donated $1,800 for the 18 arrest incidents that took place during first quarter of 2010 and $2,800 for the 28 arrest incidents that took place during the second quarter of 2010.  In 2009, we donated a total of $9,400 in recognition of the 94 arrest incidents we had last year.

For information about your local Crime Stoppers program or to get involved, visit the website.

Police and deputy recognition:
After an arrest incident occurs due to a detection by a Sonitrol Pacific security system, we write letters of commendation for the officers who responded to our call and present them with Certificates of Appreciation (and we take treats for the police dogs).

This is no small feat considering the number of officers who respond to our calls averages in the six to eight range.  Police know we verify our alarms and we have a much lower than average false alarm rate.  A Sonitrol Pacific call is not a waste of time or scarce police resources.  In Everett, where Sonitrol Pacific began in 1978 and we have a very long history with the police department, it is not unusual to see as many as 15 officers respond to our call.

If you work for a law enforcement agency in a city or county that Sonitrol Pacific serves and you haven’t received certificates from us after catching bad guys at a Sonitrol Pacific protected site, give Pamela Singleton a call at 503.223.5822.

I received this email today from Benjamin Canales, one of our Security Consultants in Tacoma, about Kelly’s Cafe and Espresso in Gig Harbor.  While it’s not new that law enforcement officers recommend Sonitrol Pacific to businesses and homeowners, we still enjoy hearing it (and I enjoy sharing it).

“Pamela,

These folks recently bought a system from me. They were broken into and Teresa asked the policeman taking the report what alarm company she should call.  ‘Only call Sonitrol’ was his response.”

Minta Christopherson received the Employee of the Quarter award for the second quarter of 2010 at our July 19 Jazz Session.

Minta earned this honor because she thrives on new professional challenges, routinely asks for more projects, seeks training opportunities, and produces excellent work.  She is an excellent operator and a respected member of the Sound Security team.

Minta is now eligible for our Employee of the Year award.  The Board will choose employee of the year between Shannon Summers (employee of the first quarter), Minta and the employees of the third and fourth quarters.

A press release I received from the Beaverton Police Department announces their planned activities in celebration of National Night Out.  Here’s the details:

“The 27th Annual National Night Out, a unique crime/drug prevention event sponsored by the Beaverton Police Department and the National Association of Town Watch will be held on Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010 between 6 pm and 8 pm at Griffith Park, 4600 SW Griffith Drive.

Please join your friends and neighbors and help celebrate National Night Out against crime. For additional information, please contact Sue Hayes at the Beaverton Police Department at 503-526-2562 or by email: shayes@ci.beaverton.or.us.”

Live or work near the City of Monroe?  Plan now to join the community in a crime prevention extravaganza for National Night Out on August 3 at Lake Tye Park.

This event is sponsored by the National Association of Town Watch (NATW) and co-sponsored locally by the Monroe Rotary and the Monroe Police Department.

National Night Out is designed to:
• Heighten awareness of crime prevention and anti-drug use, efforts;
• Generate support for, and participation in, local anticrime efforts;
• Strengthen neighborhood spirit and police-community partnerships; and
• Send a message to criminals letting them know neighborhoods are organized and fighting back against crime.

The Monroe Rotary and the Monroe Police Department will be partnering with community businesses, service groups, faith groups, service providers, Monroe Fire District #3, and citizens to present a local National Night Out celebration.  Food will be available while supplies last.

The scheduled activities/demonstrations for the evening are:
6:00 pm Event Starts – Scavenger Hunt
6:45 pm Monroe Police Department K-9 Demo
7:15 pm Monroe Fire District #3 Water Rescue Demo
7:30 pm Drawing for Scavenger Hunt prizes
7:45 pm Monroe Police Department Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) Entry Demo
8:15 pm Monroe Police Department K-9 Demo