Community Roll Call

Cordless / Cell Phone Safety


Many of us use cordless and / or cell phones in our daily activities. What we don’t think about is the fact that those types of phones are actually mini radio transmitters. This means that everything you say is transmitted over the air and can possibly be intercepted by people who have receiving or listening devices. Although certain FCC rules prohibit monitoring of conversations that take place with these types of phones, anyone with some basic electronic knowledge can build such a device.

With this in mind you are asked to be very cautious about what type of information you are sharing over cordless and cell phones. Never give any information that you would consider confidential or that may relate to your personal identity. If you do need to relay this type of information over the phone please switch to a good old fashioned hard wired telephone to cut down on the chances of that information being intercepted.

Information considered confidential or related to your personal identity includes:

• Social Security Number
• Drivers License Number
• Date of Birth
• Bank Account Numbers
• Credit Card Numbers
• Banking and Credit Card Passwords or PIN’s
• Medicare / Medicaid Identification Numbers

Also, keep in mind that this information should only be shared with well known and trusted individuals. Never share it with telemarketers and be very leery of people posing as your bank or other service providers.

Frequently we are asked what services the Wauwatosa Police Department’s Community Support Division provides. Below you will find a list of those services.

• Neighborhood Block Watch Program
• Operation Identification
• Residential Security Surveys
• Business Security Surveys
• Park Watch
• Business Email Alerting System
• Retail Theft Prevention Programs
• Fraud Prevention Programs
• Robbery / Witness Identification Programs
• Bicycle Registration
• Representation at Job, Health and Safety Fairs
• Kid Care Identification
• Crime Prevention and Safety Programs
• Specialized Prevention and Safety Programs tailored to your needs, as requested
• Community Video Library
• Police Reserve Program
• Wauwatosa Crime Stoppers
• Crime Prevention literature distribution

In addition we also publish the newsletters listed below.

• “Tosa Watch”
• “Teen Watch”
• “Kid Care”
• “Senior Watch”

All of the services and publications listed are offered free of charge! For more information on these services, or to obtain copies of any of our newsletters please contact us via email or by telephone at 414-471-8430 Ext.111

On Saturday March 3, 2007 the Wauwatosa Police Department honored the Wauwatosa Police Reserves at their annual awards banquet. The Wauwatosa Police Reserves are a volunteer unit of men and women who want to give to the community. This has been proven by the 4,579 hours volunteered by its members in 2006, the Reserves really did give a lot to this City.

On behalf of the Wauwatosa Police Department, I want to take this time to personally thank all of the Reserve Officers and their families. Every one of them gives so much to this community and seeks nothing in return. In 2006 we had four Reserve Officers who responded above and beyond the call of duty; Reserve Officer Matthew Bohmann who volunteered 608 hours, Reserve Officer Thomas Slattery who volunteered 523 hours, Reserve Officer Michael Jamrozy who volunteered 359 hours and Reserve Officer James DeValk who volunteered 232 hours. There were also several other Reserve Officers who served over 100 hours in 2006.

The Wauwatosa Police Reserve Unit aids the Wauwatosa Police Department by responding in times of emergency or assisting at parades, festivals, National Night Out and any other event where supplemental manpower is needed. The Reserves are uniformed Officers who receive training similar to that of a regular Police Officer and perform many of the same duties that regular Officers do. The typical Reserve Officer falls into one of two groups, a young person with an interest in a law enforcement career; many of our Reserve Officers have gone on to very successful law enforcement careers. The second group is a more mature individual who is set in their career outside of law enforcement and interested in giving back to the community through volunteerism. Some of our members have even referred to the Wauwatosa Police Reserves as a hobby.

We are always seeking new people to join the Wauwatosa Police Reserves. Minimum requirements are that you have achieved your 21st birthday prior to appointment, hold a valid Wisconsin driver’s license and be a person of superior integrity. If you are interested in applying please contact us here at the Wauwatosa Police Department’s Community Support Division.