Making Effective Police Reports

From Lt. Scott Timmons:

There have been some issues raised about police reports and I'd like to take a moment to address them.

 

               First: If you see a crime occurring right now, call 911. This is exactly what 911 is for. Don't send me an email about the crime, or send an email to the rest of your group, call 911. This would include when you notice a suspicious car or person in your neighborhood. If they don't belong and you think they are up to no good, call 911. I am not at my computer all day and night, waiting to spring into action when you send me a message. I have the primary task of supervising all the NorthWest Property Crimes Detectives and their investigations as well as numerous other duties. The 911 center is, however, full of people who are sitting at their computer waiting to take your call and get you the help you need.

              

Secondly, on a similar note, although I include my office phone number on these emails, please don't use that to call in a need for a police car to come to you. As above, I'm not always in my office and therefore I may not get your message in a timely manner. Call 911.

 

Third, we have a misdemeanor report line set up to try to relieve some of the pressure from the 911 Call Center. This is designed to allow officers who are injured in some way and not able to work the street to take your report by telephone, thereby saving you time and relieving some pressure on the 911 Center. This system (501-918-3585) operates during normal business hours, Monday thru Friday. If you call and they are on the other line, voicemail will pick up. At that point, if you are calling to make a misdemeanor police report, leave your name and number and someone will call back in a few minutes to take the report. If you are calling about something that is happening right then, call 911.

 

Onto crime news:

 

This is the season for stealing and we are seeing an increase in purse/wallet/billfold thefts. Typically, you are in a store Christmas shopping and you step away from your cart for a moment to look at something, check a size, etc., and when you turn back your purse is gone. Frequently, the thieves will try to use your credit or debit cards very quickly to buy items. One of the most popular uses is to go to Walmart and buy gift cards which are just like cash then for other purchases. (Interestingly, Walmart tells us they cannot track gift cards to tell us when they are used subsequently or turn the gift cards off to prevent the thieves from realizing profits from the theft.) If your purse is stolen, you will want to notify your banks and issuing agencies about the theft as soon as possible. There are services that will list all of your credit cards and will notify them for you when they are stolen. The advantage here is that you only make two phone calls (the police and the notification service).

 

We are also seeing numerous vehicles stolen, when someone starts their car to warm up, and then goes back in the house leaving the car running. We see groups of young men who drive around till they find a car running without anyone in it, then they drop off one person who takes the car and hides it elsewhere for use in future crimes. In the meantime, the bad guys keep driving, looking for more cars to steal. After they are done, they pick up the friends at the hiding spot. These hiding spots are typically apartment complex parking lots where people come and go all the time and the cars won't be noticed for a while. The cars are then later used to commit burglaries, robberies, or other crimes. The moral of this story is, when your car is running, don't leave it unattended.

 

Be Safe,

 

Lt. Scott Timmons

Special Assignments Lt.

Northwest Division

Little Rock Police

501-918-3506

Fwd: Warning on Cold Car warm-ups!!!

Folks,

               I know it's cold but please don't leave your car running to warm it up if you are not in it. We have had four stolen so far this morning, and five were stolen Friday morning. In each case, the owner started the car to warm it up and left frost melt, then went back inside. We are seeing that groups of thieves are stealing the first car, picking up friends, then driving around looking for additional cars to grab. When they find one, one guy takes it, while the group continues looking for more cars to take. They are then stashing the cars at different locations so they can be picked up later to be used in house burglaries or other crimes.

               These are not joy-rides, these are being stolen to be used in other crimes. That means that many of them may be wrecked while fleeing a crime or just never recovered. Please, do not leave your car unattended, even for a moment, while it's running.

 

               On a lighter note, our Detective Sergeant, Joe Miller, has been promoted to Police Lieutenant and transferred to the Downtown Division. We have started the search process for a new detective sergeant but it will probably be three weeks or so before that position is filled. In the meantime, I'm doing both jobs, so bear with me if my reply to emails, etc., is a little slow.

 

Lt. Scott Timmons

Special Assignments Lieutenant

Northwest Division

Little Rock Police

Fwd: update from Lt. Scott Timmons

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: StCharlesCrimeWatch <jo.paulus@sbcglobal.net>
Date: Wed, Oct 22, 2014 at 8:17 PM
Subject: update from Lt. Scott Timmons
To: edwardswaim@yahoo.com


This from Lt. Timmons:

We have been seeing an increase in thieves using a particular tactic to break into homes. They walk up and knock on the door, if you answer they ask about yard work or ask to talk to someone you don't know. When you answer the door, they leave quickly and go to another house a block or two away to try again.

               If you don't answer the door, they go into the back yard, knock again, and if no answer, they kick in the door. Once in, they may open your garage to pull their vehicle inside or just carry everything to their car (usually a borrowed or stolen car, often taken during a previous burglary.)

               If someone knocks on your door, please try to look out and see the vehicle they are driving. It's up to you whether you answer the door; however, if you don't answer and they go to the backyard, CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY and stay on the phone with the 911 call-taker! People with legitimate business do not wander off into strangers' backyards. If it's a meter reader, he won't knock and he should be carrying a clipboard or more often, a digital meter reader machine.

               We have recently arrested an entire crew of young men who were using this technique and recovered several stolen vehicles from them. The stolen gray 2014 Dodge Charger they were using was traded for drugs and we haven't yet found it. Please don't leave your keys in the car (even a spare set).

               One vehicle that we are interested in finding is a white, 2001 Ford Expedition, bearing Ark License 277-TZD. We believe this vehicle is being driven by James Foley who is well known to us. He uses the same tactics as described above, sometimes accompanied by his girlfriend. If you see this vehicle, please call the police and report it as suspicious.

One last thing, we've learned that many of our young thieves are selling their stolen electronics on the street to passers-by. So, if you pull onto a parking lot and see someone selling TV's or X-boxes, or other electronics from their car, please write down the license number and car description and call 911, or call or email me. Don't confront them, just let us know so we can start some follow-up. Being our eyes and ears out there is extremely helpful.
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Be on the lookout for a white 2000s GMC Yukon extended model (looks like a Suburban) lurking in your neighborhood. On Monday there was one parked outside a house on Amherst for at least an hour occupied by two people just watching the world go by. The homeowner called the cops and watched the officer come and go. This same person (while running at 6:15) saw a vehicle of the same description on Apache Road in Briarwood near Sun Valley stopped in front of a house, shining a flashlight into the flower beds of a house. When this person passed in front of the headlights a few yards ahead, the car started moving and sped off after the stop sign. The police were notified.  It was the same body style and had rear privacy glass but no tinted windows in the front, just like the car that had been seen on Monday.
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Final quarterly Neighborhood meeting for 2014

Northwest Division Meeting, N.W. Substation, 10,001 Kanis Rd. October 23^rd

Time: 6:30 P.M.

 

 

Dwight Davis

 

Important news: Entergy Warns Customers of Scam Efforts.

Entergy Warns Customers of Scam Efforts.   Entergy Warns Customers of Scam Efforts. There have been multiple reports of a scam targeting Entergy customers through out the entire Energy service area including small businesses. The con artist gives you a call and says that your electric bill payment is past due, and that your service will be disconnected within the hour if you don't pay up. Then you are directed to transfer funds electronically, sometimes through the system known as "MoneyPak." Entergy doesn't want you to fall victim to this scam and reminds you: •   Entergy NEVER demands immediate payment from customers. •   While you may pay your Entergy bill by phone or credit card, it is ONLY through BillMatrix, a third-party vendor we use for this purpose. •   You shouldn't give your personal information to strangers. If a call sounds suspicious, call 1-800-ENTERGY (1-800-368-3749) to speak with an Entergy customer service representative. Also, you can manage your Entergy account and review account alert options to stay better informed by downloading the free Entergy smart phone app or visiting entergy.com to register for myAccount. You should only use authorized methods and legitimate banking information to pay your Entergy bill. We offer several convenient ways: •   Pay online — For no additional charge, you may securely log in to myAccount at entergy.com to conveniently pay your bill online. •   Pay by phone — You may pay your bill by credit card, debit card or electronic check by calling Entergy's pay-by-phone provider, BillMatrix, at 1-800-584-1241. BillMatrix charges a $2.95 service fee. •   Walk-in payment centers — Want to pay in person? You may pay your bill by cash, check or money order at an authorized Quick Payment Center in your community, or at one of the two Entergy Customer Care Centers in New Orleans. A convenience fee may apply. •   Bank draft — You can avoid late fees by having your Entergy payment automatically deducted from your checking account each month. Entergy will mail a monthly billing statement to you for your records, showing the bill amount and bank draft date. •   Pay by mail — You can send a check by U.S. Mail to the remittance address shown on your bill. If you believe you're a victim of this scam, you should notify the proper authorities, such as the local police or the state attorney general's office. If you believe your Entergy account has been affected, call 1-800-ENTERGY (1-800-368-3749) to speak with an Entergy customer service representative. This email was sent by Entergy Arkansas, Inc. 425 W. Capital Ave., Little Rock, AR 72201. To manage your preferences, visit our preferences page.

Sequoyah Center Event

The University District Senior Network and AARP is sponsoring a preview of the new exhibit at the Sequoyah Center.

The Exhibit is entitled:  Toy Tipis and Totem Poles: Native American Stereotypes in the Lives of Children

Saturday, September 6

10 to 11:30 a.m.

Sequoyah National Research Center, University Shopping Center

RSVP by calling 501.217.1628

Refreshments included.

Please plan to attend and also invite your friends and neighbors. 

 

Alert from LRPD

Please READ the following safety tips...

 

Monday, August 25th, 2014 Watch your purses! VOW Residents: Below is a message from Lt Scott Timmons with LRPD.  Please read and take appropriate precautions.  As Lt Timmons says, please contact LRPD if you see anything suspicious.  I would also encourage people to sign up for anextdoor.com account and let fellow VOW residents know if you (after contacting police) to keep your neighbors on alert.  The more people we have communicating the safer our neighborhood will be. Thanks! ****   Folks,                We are seeing some indications that a group we call the “Florida Felony Lane Gang” is back in town. This group (originating in Florida) travels across the country breaking into cars to steal women’s purses. They then use the checks and ID in the purses to drain a bank account through the use of wigs and disguises to make one member look like the account holder (usually based on Driver’s License pictures). They then go to a bank, using the farthest drive up lane away from the teller (known to bankers as the felony lane), pretend to be the account holder and cash large checks.                This group is very prolific and comes through Central Arkansas 2-3 times a year. We have arrested a number of their members, but they seem to readily replenish their ranks. They generally target cars at shopping centers, gyms or fitness centers, parks, etc. We have seen multiple cases where they target joggers at the Big Dam Bridge and Two Rivers Park.                They generally use upscale rental cars from out of state, particularly Mercedes Benz Sport Utility Vehicles with extremely dark window tint.                We think they are back in the area, so please follow a couple of guidelines:   1.       Don’t leave your purse in your car. Not in the passenger compartment and not in the rear cargo area. These folks watch women park their cars and then hit the car after the owner is inside and out of sight. If they see a woman put her purse in the rear cargo area, they will go there. 2.       Unlike most car burglars, these folks are not afraid to break windows as they are generally out of the area within seconds of the break-in. Just locking your car doesn’t stop them. 3.       Take your purse with you and keep it close, don’t leave it in the shopping cart while you are two aisles over looking at merchandise. 4.       If your purse is stolen, call 911 immediately and then notify your bank. These thieves will hit in 20 or 30 minutes sometimes after stealing a purse.   If we get some pictures of these people’s vehicles, I’ll get that out to you.   As always, if you see someone acting suspiciously, please call the police.   Lt. Scott Timmons LRPD NW Division