The Holidays are a special time of year,

but they’re also a time when busy peo-

ple become careless and individuals

are especially vulnerable to theft and

other crimes. Here are some tips to

make your holidays safe and happy.

OUT AND ABOUT

• Even though you’re rushed and

thinking about a thousand things,

stay alert to your surroundings and

the people around you.

• Lock your car and close the win-

dows, even if you’re only gone a

few minutes. Lock packages in the

trunk.

• Wait for public transportation or

rides from friends in busy, well lit

places.

• Teach your children to go to a

store clerk and ask for help if you

become separated in a shopping

mall. They should never go into

the parking lot alone.

• Avoid carrying large amounts of

cash. Pay for purchases with a

check or credit card when possi-

ble.

• Be extra careful with purses and

wallets. Carry a purse under your

arm. Never hang a purse on the back

of a chair in public. Keep a wallet in

an inside pocket.

AT HOME

• Be extra cautious about locking doors

and windows when you leave the

house, even for a few minutes. Leave

lights and a radio or television on so

the house looks occupied.

• Don’t display gifts where they can be

seen from a window or doorway.

• If you go away, get an automatic timer

for your lights. Have a neighbor watch

your house and pick up your mail and

newspapers. Request a vacation

watch by the police at www.

parkridgepolice.org or stop by the

department to pick up an application.

YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

• Help keep the holidays happy for eve-

ryone. Share these tips with your

neighbors.

• Get your neighbors together and go

caroling. Don’t forget the elderly and

other people who might be especially

lonely during the holidays.

Holiday Safety for a Safe & Happy Holiday

Community Strategies Newsletter

PARK R IDGE POL ICE DEPARTMENT

Winter 2011

Driving Tips 2

Chief’s Corner 2

Personal Safety 3

Did you know…? 3

Citizens Police Academy

4

Home Safety 4

Seniors Beware! 5

Department Info 6

Just For Kids 6

Inside this issue:

Police Department

Staff

Chief Frank J. Kaminski

Commander Lou Jogmen Administrative Division

Commander Dave Keller

Patrol Division

Commander William Polka Detective Division

Officer Julie Genualdi Community Strategies

GENERAL GUIDELINES

· Don’t warm up vehicle in enclosed

spaces like garages.

· Gas tank should be half full to avoid

gas lines freezing up.

· Tires should be properly inflated.

· Make sure all lights, wipers, and

defrost system are in working order.

· Keep windshield wiper fluid full.

· Let someone know your route and

estimated time of arrival.

· Try not to travel alone.

· Avoid driving if fatigued or impaired.

· Always wear a properly adjusted

seatbelt.

· Children under 8 years of age need

to be in a restraint system and in

the back seat (if possible).

· Do not use cell phones or other elec-

tronic equipment while driving.

DRIVING IN SNOW AND ICE

· Clean off all ice and snow from vehi-

cle before driving. Snow blowing off

your vehicle is a hazard to others.

· Drive as slow as conditions dictate.

YOU CAN RECEIVE A CITA-TION FOR DRIVING TOO FAST FOR CONDITIONS.

· Accelerate and decelerate slowly.

· Leave extra room from the vehicle in

front of you and for stopping.

· Use headlights for added visibility.

· Don’t stop when driving up hill.

· If possible stay home or use public

transportation. DON’T ADD TO THE

PROBLEM. Running errands is not

worth your life.

· Have a phone, water, and warm

clothes with you in your vehicle.

IF YOUR VEHICLE BECOMES DISABLED

· Stay with your vehicle.

· Only run engine and heater for short

intervals.

· Crack window to avoid carbon mon-

oxide build up.

Welcome to our new quarterly

newsletter. On behalf of all the

men and women of the Park

Ridge Police Department, I would

like to wish you a safe and joyous

holiday season.

I hope you will take some time to review our

programs and services to see if we can better

serve you. We also hope you will consider join-

ing in many of our Partnership efforts.

Toys for Tots

Winter Driving Tips

Chief ’s Corner

The Park Ridge Police Department is, again, coordinating citywide efforts to

assist the United States Marine Corps Reserve in their annual Toys for Tots

campaign. Toys for Tots distributes toys, games and educational items to

thousands of underprivileged children and teens throughout the Chicago

metropolitan area and throughout the nation every holiday season. “We are

excited to participate again this year. I think that our efforts this holiday

season are even more important given the increased number of families

affected by the troubled economy” said Chief Frank Kaminski. “We ask

everyone who is able, to dig deeper this year and help extend this program

out to more and more families” he added.

Anyone interested in donating toys, games and books, should insure that

they are not wrapped in holiday paper, are new and that they are in origi-

nal, unopened condition. Donations will be accepted at the following loca-

tions beginning November 25, 2011:

Park Ridge City Hall 505 Butler Place

Park Ridge Fire Station #36 1000 N. Greenwood Ave.

Park Ridge Fire Station #35 901 W. Devon Ave.

Park Ridge Police Department 200 S. Vine Ave.

Park Ridge Public Library 20 S. Prospect Ave.

Park Ridge Public Works Center 400 N. Busse Hwy.

Page 2 Community Strategies Newsletter

Chief Frank J. Kaminski

As part of PACT – Police And

Community Together, the mem-

bers of the department value de-

veloping partnerships, fostering

community engagement and

working together to solve prob-

lems.

Find out who’s your Beat Officer!

Look for them in your neighbor-

hood.

Awareness: Your first line of defense.

• Be aware of your surroundings and do not develop tunnel vision.

• Walk with confidence and a pur-pose.

• There is power in numbers. Whenever possible walk in a group.

• Use your “gut instinct”. Avoid a person or situation which does not “feel” safe-you’re probably right.

• Walk on the street facing oncom-

ing traffic. This will prevent a car from sneak-ing up on you.

• If you suspect someone is fol-lowing you:

1. Cross the street

2. Change your direction

3. Vary your pace.

4. Turn around and confidently ask ”Are you following me?”, this shows you are aware and unafraid.

Did You Know...

Who’s your Beat Officer?

The City of Park Ridge is divided

into five Patrol Beats. Each Beat

has one designated Beat Officer

per shift. This Officer coordinates

with fellow officers to ensure that

the needs of their patrol beat are

met. They are proactive in dis-

covering problems and innovative

in solving them.

Page 3

Personal Safety On the Street

To receive the Community Strategies Newsletter electronically, please contact Officer Julie Genualdi at 847.318.5233 or via email at jgenuald@parkridgepolice.org and you will be added to the list.

If you are attacked: Escape is always your best option. • Run to safety as you are yelling for

help. • If the offender is after your bag or

material item, throw them in the op-posite direction you are running.

• If you are in a physical altercation,

aim for the eyes first, throat and groin.

• Consider carrying a whistle, as weap-ons are not recommended.

Learn more about the Park Ridge Police Department.

The Citizen’s Police Academy (CPA) is a ten-week in-

teractive program where citizens get the opportunity

to learn the various facets of the Park Ridge Police De-

partment. The purpose of the

Academy is to provide an envi-

ronment that fosters trust be-

tween the police and the com-

munity. It also helps citizens

have a greater understanding of

our mission and vision for the

department. The experience is

not limited to the classroom lecture alone. You will be

given the opportunity to participate in a patrol ride-a-

long, practice firearms training, mock traffic stops,

and mock hands on evidence collection.

We hope you will consider joining our up coming ses-

sion in the Spring. Classes are one night a week for

ten weeks. You must be 21 years of age and live or

work in Park Ridge.

For more information or an application call Lt. Duane

Mellema 847.318.5263 or visit www.parkridgepolice.

org

The Citizen Police Academy

CPA Graduation

May 2011

Page 4 Community Strategies Newsletter

Together we can

“Keep the wreath

RED” and have a safe

Holiday season city-

wide.

- If you have a fresh Christ-mas tree, keep it well wa-tered.

- Inspect holiday lights for damage to cords or plugs prior to use.

- Be careful not to overload electrical outlets and cir-cuits

- Test your smoke detectors monthly to assure they are working

Holiday Decoration Safety For many people, decorating the Christmas tree is a favorite part of the holiday season. The Park Ridge Fire Department would

like to offer some safety tips to make sure your holiday decorations are safe from hazards.

The Park Ridge Fire Department would like to remind residents to “Keep the wreath RED!” The City’s fire stations have a wreath hanging in front. This wreath is covered in Red lights. If a holiday related fire occurs, a red bulb will be taken out and replaced with a white bulb. Below are some tips to a fire safe Holiday season.

- Be sure to extinguish can-dles before going to sleep or leaving the house. It is recommended that you use battery operated candles for decorative purposes.

CITY O F PAR K RIDG E FIRE DEPARTMENT

901 W. DEVON AVE PARK RIDGE, IL 60068

TEL: 847/318-5283 FAX: 847/318-5314 TDD: 847/318-5252

www.parkridgefd.org

If you are age 60 or older—and especially if you are an older woman living alone—you may be a special target of

people who sell bogus products and services by telephone. Telemarketing scams often involve offers of free

prizes, low-cost vitamins and health care products, and inexpensive vacations.

There are warning signs to these scams. If you hear these—or similar—“lines” from a telephone salesperson, just

say "no thank you," and hang up the telephone:

• "You must act now, or the offer won't be good."

• "You've won a free gift, vacation, or prize." But you have to pay for "postage and handling" or other charges.

• "You must send money, give a credit card or bank account number, or have a check picked up by courier." You may hear this before you have had a chance to consider

the offer carefully.

• "You don't need to check out the company with anyone." The callers say you do not need to speak to anyone, including your family, lawyer, accountant, local Better

Business Bureau, or consumer protection agency.

• "You don't need any written information about the company or its references."

• "You can't afford to miss this high-profit, no-risk offer."

Page 5

Seniors Beware! Telemarketing Fraud

Tips for Avoiding Telemarketing Fraud: It's very difficult to get your money back if you've been cheated over the telephone. Before you buy anything by

telephone, remember:

� Don't buy from an unfamiliar company. Legitimate businesses understand that you want more information about their company and are happy to comply.

� Always ask for and wait until you receive written material about any offer or charity. If you get brochures about costly investments, ask someone whose financial advice you trust to review them. But, unfortunately,

beware—not everything written down is true.

� Always check out unfamiliar companies with your local consumer protection agency, Better Business Bu-reau, state attorney general, the National Fraud Information Center, or other watchdog groups. Unfortu-

nately, not all bad businesses can be identified through these organizations.

� Obtain a salesperson's name, business identity, telephone number, street address, mailing address, and business license number before you transact business. Some con artists give out false names, telephone

numbers, addresses, and business license numbers. Verify the accuracy of these items.

� Before you give money to a charity or make an investment, find out what percentage of the money is paid in commissions and what percentage actually goes to the charity or investment.

� Don’t pay in advance for services. Pay services only after they are delivered.

� Be wary of companies that want to send a messenger to your home to pick up money, claiming it is part of their service to you. In reality, they are taking your money without leaving any trace of who they are or

where they can be reached.

� Always take your time making a decision. Legitimate companies won't pressure you to make a snap deci-sion.

� Don't pay for a "free prize." If a caller tells you the payment is for taxes, he or she is violating federal law.

� Be sure to talk over big investments offered by telephone salespeople with a trusted friend, family mem-ber, or financial advisor. It's never rude to wait and think about an offer.

� Never send money or give out personal information such as credit card numbers and expiration dates, bank account numbers, dates of birth, or social security numbers to unfamiliar companies or unknown per-

sons.

� If you have been victimized once, be wary of persons who call offering to help you recover your losses for a fee paid in advance.

� If you have information about a fraud, report it to state, local, or federal law enforcement agencies.

The Park Ridge Police Department is committed to

a policing philosophy called the PACT – Police

And Community Together. Through this philoso-

phy, we as members of the department value de-

veloping partnerships, fostering

community engagement and

working together to solve prob-

lems. I encourage you to be-

come part of the PACT.

Park Ridge Police Department

Each child that collects the complete set of cards (55 to-tal), will win a prize. Contact the Community Strategies Division to claim your prize.

Good Luck! *For your safety, only ap-proach an officer when he or she is NOT in the process of performing their police du-ties.

The Trading Card Program is in full force! We have ex-tended the contest portion of the program to June of 2012. This Program is designed to increase the positive con-tacts between the Police De-partment and the children of the community. Each mem-ber of the Department has a trading card (like a baseball card) and kids, 12 and un-der, are encouraged to col-lect the cards from each member.

Just for Kids

200 South Vine Avenue Park Ridge, Illinois 60068 Phone: 847.318.5252 Fax: 847.318.5308 Prepared by: Officer Julie Genualdi Community Strategies

Stay Connected!

Officer Raitano

We’re on the Web!

parkridgepolice.org

HEAR IT ~ SEE IT ~ REPORT IT!

EMERGENCIES CALL 9-1-1

Nixle - If you reside or work in Park Ridge, or live in the vicinity of Park Ridge, we suggest you to sign up for Nixle. Nixle is used by the Park Ridge Police Department to send out notifica-tions either by text message or email as a sup-plement to Everbridge for emergencies or infor-mational messages to a specific area. Sign-up to-day at www.parkridgepolice.org.

DO YOU NIXLE?

Officer Abbinante

Lt. Mellem

a

Detective McEwen

Cmdr. Keller

Collect

Them All!