Thursday, February 14, 2013

Weekly Report 02/08/2013 TO 02/14/2013

WEEKLY REPORT
WASHINGTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
02/08/2013 TO 02/14/2013


The Washington County Sheriff’s Office has responded to a series of requests for service of similar natures over the past few weeks. These requests have included phone and internet scams, roadway accidents, and property alarms.
Unfortunately, we have seen a rise in the number of questions and complaints regarding internet or phone scams. We would like to remind everyone to use caution when receiving requests for personal information, even if the request appears to come from a trusted source, such as your bank or credit card company. All such organizations have customer support telephone numbers available. We urge citizens to call and check the validity of any request for personal information before providing it to a caller.
With the storm over the past week and fluctuating temperatures, road conditions have been poor at times. While the MDOT and local road crews have been great about responding with salt and sand as quickly as possible, we still have experienced a number of calls for single-vehicle accidents and cars off the road. Because black ice can occur even when air temperatures are above freezing, we would like to remind all motorists to use caution at all times. Additionally, a winter emergency kit is an important addition to every vehicle. Kits should include first aid items, as well as blankets and flashlights.
We have also experienced a rise in the number of property alarms in the past month or so. Fortunately, many of these alarms have been false alarms. Cold and wet conditions can cause alarms to register a false trespass. These conditions, however, can also cause an alarm to fail to work in a real trespass situation. Property owners are encouraged, as much as possible, to keep alarm equipment warm and dry. Removing ice and snow build-up from alarm equipment, entry doors, and windows helps ensure that alarms will work properly when needed.