Community Roll Call

If you are going to be leaving town for a vacation of a few days or more please follow these tips to help keep your home safe and secure:

• Notify a trusted neighbor of your trip and also leave a key for them.
• Make sure the mail and newspapers are stopped or someone is picking them up for you.
• Put various lamps on timers throughout the house.
• Put talk radio on a timer to provide the sound of voices in your house.
• Make sure lawn mowing is taken care of if you are away more than 5 days.
• Install low voltage or solar landscaping all around your house that will operate during the hours of darkness.
• Install photo electric cells on your outdoor lighting around doors and windows so that they come on during hours of darkness.
• Make sure all doors and windows are locked, including those on garages and garden sheds.
• Notify the Police Department of your trip and at a minimum give them the following information:
• Name and phone number of a keyholder.
• The dates you will be away.
• What vehicles are okay to be in your driveway while you are away.
• Name of who may be checking on things in and around your house.
• A phone number to contact you in case of an emergency.

If you follow these simple tips you will make it more difficult to allow the bad guys the opportunity to turn you into a victim. This in turn should allow you some peace of mind while you are away unwinding and decompressing.

As always these items are merely suggestions and all of the ideas may not work for you. There is also no guarantee that following any or all of these steps will prevent you from becoming a victim.

1. Be a Wauwatosa resident or own a business, work for a business or own real estate in the City of Wauwatosa.
2. Be at least 18 years of age.
3. Be of good moral character.
4. Submit to a brief background investigation

Just a quick reminder since good biking weather has finally arrived, and that is to secure all bikes when they are not under the actual physical control of someone. By securing I mean locking with a chain or cable through the wheels and frame to a sturdy and secure object or bike rack, locking it in a shed or garage or bringing it into the house. It only takes a few seconds for someone to take your unlocked bike and you may never see it again.

Wauwatosa Ordinance 11.48.090 states that it is illegal to operate an unregisterd bike in the City of Wauwatosa and that it has to be licensed in Wauwatosa or by another jurisdiction.

Wauwatosa Ordinance 11.48.100 states that every Wauwatosa citizen should register their bike with the police department. This is a free service where all of the bike's information is gathered for entry into a data base and a non expiring license is issued and affixed to the bike. Besides registering at the police department you can also register at any Wauwatosa fire station and at Johnson's Cycle and Fitness located at 6916 West North Ave in Wauwatosa.

Besides being a requirement to register, should your bike be stolen, having it registered will increase the chances of it being returned.

The Wauwatosa Crime Stoppers are offering a CASH REWARD OF UP TO $1,000.00 for information leading to an arrest in the vandalism incidents at 7720 Harwood Avenue, the newly remodeled Little Red Store. All information is anonymous and callers remain anonymous.

On May 2, 2009 and again on May 17, 2009 unknown Actors threw rocks through two windows of the building . Anyone with knowledge about either incident is asked to call the Wauwatosa Crime Stoppers at 414-771-TOSA (414-771-8672) to make an anonymous tip. If the tip leads to an arrest the tipster may be eligible for a cash reward.

On Thursday April 30th, 6:00 PM at the Muellner Building in Hart Park, 7300 Chestnut, a panel moderated by Wauwatosa Mayor Jill Didier will address underage drinking issues, focusing mainly on parents hosting underage alcohol parties. The timing for this panel presentation is not by accident as proms and graduations are fast approaching and that is why Tosa United has made the efforts to organize this event.

Besides the Mayor the panel will consist of Mr. Tom Swittle, Associate Prinicpal at Wauwatosa East, Rebecca Huenink of Tosa United, Jeanette Kowaliak, MPH, of the Wauwatosa Health Department and yours truly, Officer Don Semega of the Wauwatosa Police Department.

All area parents are encouraged to attend with their high school aged children as this issue is discussed from many angles and view points. This promises to be an eye opening and extremely educational event so bring your questions and note pads. No pre registration is required.

On behalf of this panel I hope to see you there. 

The Wauwatosa Crime Stoppers is hosting it's Seventh Annual Pancakes With Mom on Sunday May 10, 2009 at the Muellner Building in Hart Park, 7300 Chestnut in the City of Wauwatosa. They will be serving from 8:00am until 12:00pm and everything on the menu is all you can eat including pancakes, Klement's sausage, fresh fruit and Starbucks Coffee as well as other items.

Advance tickets are still available at the Little Red Book located at 7603 W. State Street in Wauwatosa; $6.00 for adults, $3.00 for children 3 and older. You may also purchase tickets at the door on the day of the event. In addition to free door prizes we will be holding a raffle for some very nice items. All proceeds will benefit the Wauwatosa Crime Stoppers and allow them to pay cash rewards for tips that lead to arrests for crimes committed in Wauwatosa.

All rewards are paid with funds obtained from donations and fund raising, Crime Stoppers receive no tac dollars. Being able to offer cash rewards to anonymous tipsters is an extremely effective crime fighting tool. In 2008 the Wauwatosa Crime Stoppers received 8 separate tips which resulted in 8 arrests and solved 4 crimes. During 2008 the Wauwatosa Crime Stoppers disbursed $2,400.00 to anonymous tipsters. So far in 2009 they have received 2 tips that have resulted in 2 arrests, solved 1 crime and the dispersal of $175.00 in reward money.

So the Wauwatosa Crime Stoppers are asking for you to support them by your attendance at this very worthwhile event. You may also lend support by volunteering to help out anytime between the hours of 7:00am and 1:00pm on the day of the event. All volunteers will receive a free breakfast as well as one for that special "Mom" in their life. If you wish to volunteer please contact Officer Don Semega via email at dsemenga@wauwatosa.net or by calling 414-471-8430 Ext. 5114. Make sure you leave a name, call back number and mailing address.

Also take a look at our new website, www.tosacrimestoppers.com 

This comes to us from our friends at Prevention Works with some additional input from me.

According to the Center for Media Research, "Most parents in the United States estimate that their children spend about two hours a month on the internet. In reality, kids and teens are spending upwards of 20 hours a month surfing the Web. 41% of US teens claming their parents have no idea what they are looking at online. The most popular online activities are online dating - 23%, social networking - 50% and playing games - 72%."

Facebook and MySpace are two popular Internet sites used by children and adults that have become social getaways to chat, blog, post pictures, join groups and make friends.

With a few clicks of the mouse, people can present their personal information and thoughts for anyone to see. What many people new to the Web do not realize is that there are risks involved and that they need to understand them before they post this kind of information. Teachers, employers, predators and basically anyone who knows how to use the Internet can go online and find information about you. Have you ever done a Google search on yourself or others?

It is important to be aware of the risks of social networking in this cyber world we live and work in. It is important to remember not to post personal information, that no information is truly personal information and anything you post and delete can still be found.

Sure, many social networks have an age verification required, but it is easy to go online and lie about one's identity. Law enforcement agencies now search these social outlets posing as who they are not as a way to catch online predators. They are also, in cases, legally able to obtain passwords and hack into computers. While realistically this is good, be aware that it is easy for anyone with a basic knowledge to steal your password, log in and be you for a day.

Understand, teach and protect. Do each of these to create a safe haven for you and your loved ones. The last thing you want to do is share information with the cyber world that you cannot take back. Also, never allow a minor child to be online when they cannot be monitored non stop.

The Wauwatosa Police Reserve Unit aids the Wauwatosa Police Department by responding in times of emergency, assisting at parades, Tosa's Night Out, Hart Fest, Tosa Fest and many other events  where supplemental manpower is needed. In addition the Reserves are involved in outreach work that includes visits to Children's Hospital, raising funds for the American Cancer Society and assisting the Wauwatosa Crime Stoppers in their many fund raising events. The Reserves are uniformed Officers who receive training similar to that of a regular Police Officer and perform many of the same duties. The typical Reserve Officer falls into one on of two categories , a young person with a interest in pursuing a law enforcement career ; many of our former Reserves are now serving proudly as regular Officers throughout the Country and credit the Wauwatosa Police Reserves with their success. The second category is a more mature individual who is set in their career outside of law enforcement and just wants to give to the community.

On Saturday March 7, 2009 the Wauwatosa Police Department, Mayor, Common Council and Fire and Police Commission honored the Wauwatsoa Police Reserves at their annual awards banquet. The Wauwatosa Police Reserves are a volunteer unit of men and women who give to the community through their service as Police Reserves. This year was a record year in the number of hours that Reserves gave which totaled 5,126. I personally have the honor and privelage of working with this outstanding group of people and on behalf of the Wauwatosa Police Department want to personally and publicaly thank all off the Reserve Officers and their families for their efforts. Every Reserves gives selflessly and seeks nothing in return except the ability to continue serving Wauwatosa.

In 2008 the Reserves had 15 members volunteer between 100 and 200 hours and 5 who topped 200 hours. The top performers were Reserve Platoon LT Katie Halopka with 204 hours, Reserve Officer Kellen Williams with 204 hours, Reserve Executive LT James DeValk with 330 hours, Reserve Captain Michael Jamrozy with 367.5 hours and Reserve Platoon LT / Treasurer Matthew Bohmann with 606 hours.

The next time you see one of our fine Reserve Officers please take the time to thank them for their unselfish giving and express your support. If you think you would be interested in being a member of the Wauwatosa Police Reserves you can contact Patrol Specialist II Paul Leist by calling 414-471-8430 Ext. 5113 or emailing him at pleist@wauwatosa.net. The requirements are simple, be at least 18 years old, have a vaild WI driver's license and be of good moral character; there are no residency requirements.

Recently there has been some thefts of wallets from purses. The thefts seem to be taking place in local restaurants when attention is turned away from the purse and it is left hanging on the back of chair or stool. Often the theft is not noticed until after the thieves have already made purchases with credit or debit cards.

Please remember to keep your purse not only close to you but within your direct line of sight at all times; it only takes a matter of a few seconds for someone to reach into your purse and take your wallet or other items. Leaving a purse hanging on the back of a chair, in the shopping cart while looking away at items to purchase or anywhere that has you take your eyes off of it is asking to be the victim of this type of crime.

In the recent incidents the following general descriptions were given of possible suspects:

1.) Black male, 6'2", 220 - 250lbs and wearing a large diamond earring.

2.) Black female, petite and wearing "Dollar Sign" earrings.

3.) Black female, petite and last seen wearing a knit hat.

The Wauwatosa Crime Stoppers are proud to announce that they have found their way onto the web! Although the web site is still being fine tuned and still has some test and example areas up we invite you to take a look. Please visit www.tosacrimestoppers.com and take a look around. Stop back every week and watch as we continue to add useful information.

The Crime Stoppers are hoping that this web site will evolve into a great crime prevention / crime solving tool all in an effort to help maintain Wauwatosa's reputation as a great community to live, do business and raise a family in!

An employee of the City received a fax at work that was seen for what it is, a scam. The heading is "Charity Foudation" and originates from Mother Helena Daline. The fax goes on to explain she is a childless widow on her deathbed and is looking for someone to manage her nearly ten million dollar estate once she passes and promises one million dollars if you are willing to help.

It goes on to state that should you be willing to help to contact her attorney, who by the way does not return my calls or emails. Should you receive such a fax, please disregard it and just throw it away.

With the recent cold snap and the non-stop weather coverage I noticed many media outlets reporting that some communities have ordinances prohibiting the practice of leaving your vehicle running unattended. And yes, Wauwatosa is one of those communities.

Wauwatosa Ordinance 11.32.370 reads No motor vehicle shall be left standing on any street in the City of Wauwatosa with the motor running except when attended by some person comepent to operate the same.

This of course does not preclude you from starting your vehicle to warm it up while you are on private property but I do want to caution you because it does leave your vehicle at a high risk of theft. It does not take long for a person walking up or down your street to jump in your running car and drive away. If you do have to warm up your car please consider having spare keys so that you can lock your vehicle as a little bit of a deterrent to theft; but a better bet is a remote starting system that allows the car to remain locked while started and will shut down if the vehicle is shifted into gear without the proper key in the ignition.

The Wauwatosa Crime Stoppers Presents The Glen Gerard Magic Show Friday, January 30th, 2009 Longfellow Middle School 7600 W. North Avenue, Wauwatosa Show Time, 7:00 p.m. All Seats $6.00 advance / $7.00 at the door Children five and under free.

Magician and Illusionist Glen Gerard is bringing his large, old time magic show to the Longfellow Middle School on January 30th, and proceeds will benefit Wauwatosa Crime Stoppers. Show time is 7:00 P.M.

Glen Gerard has appeared all over the world, including Disney and Norwegian Cruise Lines, and in Las Vegas with the Smothers Brothers. Gerard also headlined the Las Vegas Comedy Festival. This all age’s show will feature sleight of hand, large stage illusions, and plenty of audience participation. This program is reminiscent of the big, old fashioned, touring magic show, as performed by Blackstone, Thurston, and Houdini. Acts in the show will include the classic “Blade Box”, whereby a woman is placed in a casket and nine steel blades are thrust through the box, from every possible angle. Also included in the show will be the “Houdini Escape Trunk “. The program is 90 minutes of magic, comedy, and mystery that is fun for the whole family.

Proceeds benefit Wauwatosa Crime Stoppers, the anonymous crime tip-line that offers cash rewards leading to the arrest of offenders and the capture of fugitives. Wauwatosa Crime Stoppers works in conjunction with State and Local law enforcement, and is the fastest, most effective way to apprehend criminals and recover stolen property. Tipsters can get a cash reward without ever giving their name. The Wauwatosa Crime Stoppers Tip Line number is 414-771-TOSA (8672).

Tickets are sold to local residents and businesses by phone. When we call, say “yes “to tickets, and support Crime Stoppers. For further information, contact our box office at 262-255-2442 Magic Show Web Site www.magic4you.com Crime Stoppers Web Site www.wicrimestoppers.org/local_events.html City of Wauwatosa Web Site www.wauwatosa.net Contacts: Cindy Datka, Crime Stoppers Secretary 414-443-0027 Glen Gerard, Magician & Illusionist, 262-250-1234 Your help in the form of advance press coverage will greatly help Crime Stoppers- a non-profit, community, law enforcement support organization. Thank you!

Two years ago the Wauwatosa Police Department's Community Support Division instituted a business email alerting system in which we will send out an email alert containing important law enforecment information to the businesses in Wauwatosa. Just today I sent out an email alert containing information from my last blog about the Fire Inspector Imposter and to my disappointment I received over 100 "Undeliverables" in return. This means that over 100 businesses that signed up for this service did not receive this information. This system is great when the information needed to send the alerts out is current!

If you are already enrolled and did not receive this latest alert or if you would like to enroll please email me at dsemega@wauwatosa.net and in the subject line put "Business Alert - New" or "Business Alert - Change" and then in the body of the message all I need is a contact name and the proper email to send the messages to.

Regards,

Don (Officer Donald M. Semega)

Recently a person has taken cash from several businesses in the greater Milwaukee area by impersonating a Fire Inspector. He arrives at the door and verbally identifies himself as the Fire Inspector and states he needs to check fire extinguishers. He is allowed into the business and left unescorted and not long after he leaves the business discovers that he has taken cash that is left in an unlocked safe or otherwise unlocked and unattended.

The most recent reported incident took place in Brookfield where he was described as a black male, mid 30's - mid 40's, 6'2", 180lbs, wearing work style clothing and left in a late 1990's to early 2000's white Cadillac Deville after taking $600 in cash.

In Wauwatosa our Fire Inspectors all wear white shirts, have a badge on their shirts and will present an official picture ID card upon request.

Please consider the following simple steps for anyone conducting work or inspecting not only your business but your residence as well:

• Never leave any cash out in the open
• Keep safes locked at all times
• Never leave any valuables out in the open
• Never leave any banking or credit documents out in the open
• Never leave any personal identifying information out in the open
• Never leave inspectors / contractors unescorted in your business or home

The so called "Black Friday" is a week away and even with the down turn in the economy lots of you will be Christmas shopping. With that in mind here is my annual blog with some tips to help you keep safe while shopping.

• Always park in a well lit area
• Write down where you parked
• Keep your vehicle locked at all times
• Walk with authority and always make eye contact with those around you
• Be alert to the surrounding envrionment outside and in
• Shop with friends
• Dress casually and comfortably
• Leave your expensive and even expensive appearing jewelry at home
• Avoid carrying a purse or handbag if possible
• Take only the cash, credit cards and identification you absolutely need
• Carry important items including your cash in your front pockets
• Do not flash your cash
• Always double check your change
• Make sure you get your credit card back after every transaction
• Never allow your credit card to leave your sight
• Do not overload yourself with packages, make several trips to your vehicle
• Never leave packages or anything of value visible in your vehicle
• If using an ATM use one in a busy, well lit area and have a friend along

And from the Better Business Buereau regarding online shopping:

• Shop only at trusted internet merchants; if in doubt visit www.bbb.org
• Remember if it sounds to go to be true, it most likely is
• Check merchant's refund policies before purchasing
• Make sure the merchant is using a secure server
• Refrain from using a debit card, it exposes your checking account to fraud
• Always print and retain any confirmations or order forms
• Frequently check your accounts online; there is no need to wait for a paper statement

As always, if I have missed something or if you have some comments please make a comment or contact me.

Recently there was a series of thefts from vehicles on the east side of Wauwatosa. In each case the cars were left unlocked with some desriable items inside, mostly that loose change often left in the car.

Please review the following tips in an effort to reduce the opportunity for crime:

• Never leave anything of value in your vehicle
• Remove not only your portable electronic devices but everything related to those items as well
• Never keep anything of value in plain sight if you must leave it your vehicle for a period of time
• Get out of the habit of leaving loose change in your car
• Always park in a well lit area, if you park in the driveway at home install sufficient exterior lighting
• Always lock your car

Rembember, if we take away the opportunity for crime then the criminals will have to find somewhere else to try to committ their crime. 

If I missed something please feel free to email me or leave a comment.

Recently the Wauwatosa Block Watch Program welcomed it's 600th organized block watch and a great web story was written by TosNOW staff that can be read by following this link - http://www.wauwatosanow.com/story/index.aspx?id=806903

Officer Leist and I spend alot of time conducting Block Watch and other community meetings and as he mentioned in his story regarding the 600th Block Watch we always encounter people "Afraid to bother the Police". As I have mentioned in past blogs having a person ignore or rationalize suspicious behavior is very frustrating for the Police. Often when investigating a crime we find that a suspicious person and/or vehicle was observed in the area but no call was made to the Police and if a call was made it may have prevented the crime or resulted in an arrest of the "Bad guy".

So what is suspicious? Well a person walking past our home is not, but that same person who makes several passes past the house should warrant a closer look. If that person is looking up and down driveways, into garages, windows or vehicles; that too needs a closer look by police. A vehicle driving past the house is not suspicious but if that same vehicle makes several passes the police should be notified. A strange vheicle in a driveway, sitting occupied on the street, sitting unoccupied with windows down in inclement weather and the service truck parked in an unoccupied home's driveway all should be reported to the Police.

Now this posting does not identify all the possible activities that can be suspicious but use your judgement and never be afraid or hesitant to call the Police to have them investigate, it is our job to investigate suspicious activity. I hope this helps clarify when and why we should call in suspicious things; alert neighbors are a great crime prevention tool and if we continue to look out for each other Wauwatosa will continue to be a great neighborhood to live, work and raise a family.

Recently a robbery took place in the City where a photograph of the suspect was published via the media and a suspect arrested that same night. Of course the judicial system will have to determine if the right person was arrested, but the fact that one picture produced some immediate feedback from the public is truly amazing. I am often asked about the use of security cameras and here is a clear example of how well they can work. Many times the threat of being recorded is a deterrent; but if not a deterrent and the criminal still commits a crime it can be a huge tool in solving the crime.

The key however is to have extremely good equipment. Although I am not an expert in security systems I do have some basic ideas as to what works best. Digital versus tape recording is very superior in quality and allows for non blurred still prints to be captured. Also important is to have a color camera versus a black and white and given your use and needs maybe low lighting issues need to be addressed.

If you think you have a need to install or upgrade an exisiting video surveillance system do some research, find some reputable security firms and speak to more than one professional and go from there.