APD November 2013 News Updates

Received from APD:

Albuquerque Block Captain Association conference:
Thanks to the Foothills Area Command’s Neighborhood Watch Block Captains and interested community members who attended the fall conference. It was great to connect with you and share information to bring back to your block watches.

Operation Hope (Holiday Food Boxes):
I will be sending more information to the Foothills community about APD’s annual Operation Hope holiday food box project as it comes in. Details are being worked out and the distribution date is Saturday, December 14th.

Holiday Crime Prevention: Going away for Thanksgiving? Use these tips to reduce your odds of being a crime victim!

Gifts: Gifts under the tree are wonderful to see, but go outside your home and look inside from an offender’s point of view. Can you see gifts displayed from the street, windows, front door? Don’t advertise the fact that you bought or received a new big screen TV by leaving the box on the curb for trash pick up! Break down the boxes and take them to a recycling location.

Decorations: Make sure your holiday decorations don’t obscure your home’s sight lines (home to street, street to home), block porch or exterior lights, or present trip or fall hazards for guests and visitors.

Going on Vacation: Have a trusted neighbor check on your home and pick up mail, newspapers, door-hangers, etc.
Come by the Foothills substation lobby to pick up crime prevention brochures on this topic Monday – Fridays from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.

Periodic Watch Requests: Our Foothills substation front office staff can place a request for extra patrols in your area if you call 332-5240. Your request will be placed in our blotter book for up to 2 weeks and all Foothills officers will make every attempt to do extra patrols in between their dispatched calls for service.

Holiday Shopping: APD wants you to be safe!

Situational Awareness: Maintain your focus! Be aware of your surroundings. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted in aisles, parking lots, or by texting or talking on your cell phone.

Purses: Leave the purse at home and only carry what you need to complete your errand on your person (pocket, try a wristlet, etc). Never leave your purse resting in a grocery cart. Don’t risk being injured or drug through a parking lot by carrying a purse that a strong-arm robber would view as a target.

Parking Lots: Lock up! Have your vehicle keys ready before you walk out of the store. Keep your vehicle locked and windows rolled up. Ask retailers for an escort to your vehicle. Don’t leave valuables in in sight when you exit the vehicle. If you must lock a purse or parcel in your car trunk, do it before you arrive at your destination. When leaving the area, get in your vehicle and lock up and then get settled to your vehicle to exit the area.

Movember:
The APD has established teams throughout our 6 area commands to support Movember. For the month of November men will be growing mustaches to support prostate and other cancers that affect men. Men with mustaches, or Mo Bros, will serve as walking, talking billboards for the 30 days of November to support this cause. If you want to learn more, go to www.movember.com. APD officers will be sporting mustaches to support this cause.

Neighborhood Watch Success Story: Way to Go!
Just a week or so ago, one of our Foothills citizens was able to provide surveillance video to our detectives to aid our investigation of his neighbor’s residential burglary case. Neighbors witnessed the burglar when they heard glass breaking and went to check on their neighbor’s home. The burglar gained entry to the home by using a rock to break a glass door. Although the burglar got away, the descriptions and video surveillance the neighbors were able to provide to our officers was valuable. Thanks to the excellent vehicle description provided by the neighbors who witnessed the first burglary committed by this burglar, our officers were alerted to a suspicious vehicle matching the description provided by alert citizens in another section of the Foothills. This burglar and his look-out were both caught red-handed by our officers while burglarizing another home in the Foothills. This is another example of neighbors helping neighbors and partnering with local law enforcement.

Neighborhood Watch works!
To request a Neighborhood Watch Starter Kit call Steve Sink, APD Crime Prevention Manager at 924-3600.

Vacant Homes: Please keep extra eyes on vacant homes on your blocks. Vacant homes are vulnerable to burglary. These homes are targets for stealing equipment, appliances, and wiring. The last week of October 750 square feet of tile was stolen from a vacant home in the Foothills. From 10/25 to 10/28 we had 8 residential burglaries in the Foothills; of those 8 burglaries, 4 were to vacant homes. If you see suspicious activity at a vacant home, please call 242-COPS (2677) from a safe place to report it.

Auto Theft Information:
With winter and cold weather arriving, please do not leave your vehicle unattended warming up! We have teams of offenders who look for just this type of opportunity to steal a vehicle. I have auto theft prevention information in the lobby at the Foothills Substation – please come by and pick up my flier with facts about vehicle thefts, Vehicle Information Cards and read up on how to protect your vehicle and reduce your odds of being an auto theft victim.

Winter Road Information: As we transition into winter, please keep these numbers handy to check on road conditions.

New Mexico Roads:
NM Dept of Transportation Road Advisory Hotline: Call 511
Updated road conditions: http://nmroads.com
To get email/text alerts via mobile app: http://m.nmroads.com

Bernalillo County Roads:
Call 848-1503 for status reports about county roads or to submit a county road request; for unincorporated areas outside city limits

City of Albuquerque Roads:
Call the Citizens Contact Center: Dial 311
For status reports about city roads or to submit a city road request

Text Alerts about Road Closures and Weather Conditions:
Sign up at www.Nixie.com

To receive Emergency Notifications from Bernalillo County:
www.bernco.gov/emergency-notification-opt-in/

Stay Safe,
Jill Garcia, Crime Prevention Specialist
Foothills Area Command, APD
12800 Lomas Blvd NE
332-5240