Eyes and EarsCitizens and the Police Working Together For a

Safer Community

Purpose•Enlist support from Residents and Visitors to aid the Police Department in the reduction of crime.

•Residents and Visitors vigilance can significantly impact the safety and security of the community.

•To enhance the responsibilities of our Citizens and Visitors who help create a sense of neighborhood security

•Positively impact neighborhood environments in a way that maintains the safety and well being of our citizens and visitors.

Protocol: Tips and Techniques

•The Eyes and Ears program enlists Residents and Visitors to aid the Police Department in a non-confrontational program

•Citizens and Visitors are the eyes and ears of the Police Department, not police officers

•Participants of the Eyes and Ears Program enhance our crime prevention strategies by identifying suspicious persons, activities, and potentially unsafe situations.

Suspicious Behavior?

• Determining and defining “suspicious behavior” is probably confusing for most people. Without proper training, each individual will rely on their own understanding based on their life experience.

* Suspicious Behavior is any behavior enacted within a specific environment that is not "normal" for that environment. Basically, if the behavior is not commonly a part of a particular environment, then it may be viewed as suspicious. It's important to realize that we only identify behavior as suspicious.

What is the Situation?

What am I watching?

Burglary, Theft, Suspicious Circumstance.

How do I describe to the Police where and what is taking

place?

What If I don’t know the address of my location.

Why does dispatch ask me certain questions?

In a high stress incident, how can I calm myself to make

the 911 call?

Risk

•Is your life worth the risk to obtain information for the Police?

•Should I involve myself in stopping a crime?

•Only you can answer these questions.

Describe a Suspect• Hair color• Hair length• Absence or presence of facial hair, and if

present, facial hair color• Eye color• Approximate age• Approximate height• Approximate weight• Distinguishing characteristics, such as

visible scars, tattoos, piercings or deformities.

• Clothing, including pants/shorts/skirt/dress, shirt sleeve length, presence of coat/jacket, wearing/not wearing hat or glasses, color of all articles of clothing.

REGARDING SUSPICIOUS VEHICLE

• License plate number and state• Vehicle make/model• Approximate year of vehicle• Vehicle color• Number of doors on vehicle• Any visible bumper stickers or window stickers, including their size, color, placement and content

• Any visible damage to vehicle, such as paint damage, body damage, broken/missing glass, damaged or non-working head or tail lights

Suspicious Activities• Occupied vehicle sitting idle or parked• Individuals taking photos of a potential target facility (landmarks, public buildings, power plants, water treatment facilities, etc.) from inside a vehicle

• Individuals taking "panoramic" or multiple-shot/multi-angle photos of a potential target facility

• Individuals taking detailed or extensive notes outside a potential target facility

• Individuals videotaping a potential target facility from inside a vehicle

• Individuals shooting long, continuous video of a potential target facility, or videotaping a potential target facility from multiple angles

Sharing Information

• On a scene of an incident the police want unbiased information.

• Do not share your information with other witnesses

• Do not compare notes• Do not be persuaded by others to change what you have seen.

Things I must do!

•Beware of your surroundings at all times.

•Makes you a good witness.•Could prevent you from becoming a victim.

Questions?