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The Sheriff's
Office Crime Prevention Bureau is..
Helping "Take a Bite Out of Crime..!"
Members of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office Crime
Prevention Bureau are dedicated to helping you reduce your risk for being
a victim of crime. One of the first concerns of Sheriff Cal Henderson as
he took office in 1992, was how could the services of the Crime Prevention
Bureau be increased or existing programs enhanced to better serve the citizens
of Hillsborough County.
Because of these endevors, our organization was selected
as the "Outstanding Crime Prevention Unit"
for the State of Florida by the Attorney General Office in 1994. Listed
below is a guide for the crime awareness and safety programs offered by
our office. Our objective is to help increase your level of awarness and
help you reduce your chances for being a "target of crime." The
best part about all these services is they are free for the asking by calling
(813) 247-8115.
The programs listed below are presented by members of
the Sheriff's Crime Awarness Team (SCAT) who are trained by the Florida
Attorney General's Office as Certified Crime Prevention Practitioners.
The instructions that you will receive will be factual, up-to-date, and
proven methods of prevention which have been developed at the state level.
Click on one of the following for
a brief program description:
Program Descriptions
Neighborhood Watch: The Neighborhood
Watch program is a national, voluntary, self-help crime prevention effort
centered around the community and local law enforcement working together
for the safety and protection of a neighborhood. This two hour program
includes instruction on organizing a Neighborhood Watch group and telephone
communication chain, how to report suspicious incidents to law enforcement,
and residential security.
Business Watch: The Business Watch
program is patterned after the highly successful Neighborhood Watch program.
As with Neighborhood Watch, its purpose is to increase communication and
awareness of crime in the business community.
Apartment Watch: Another modification
of the successful Neighborhood Watch program, Apartment Watch was designed
to meet the needs of apartment communities which tend to be more transitory
that are communities made of single family residences. The goal is to organize
a phone chain of building captains, one from each building, and to educate
them on auto and residential security and the effective reporting of suspicious
incidents.
Youth Crime Watch: Youth Crime
Watch is the young person's component of a Neighborhood Watch group. The
program is a network of students caring enough about themselves, their
friends and their schools to become involved in the fight against crime
and drugs on their school campus.
Home Security: This one hour program
is designed to heighten the homeowner's awareness of burglary and theft.
Proven home security measures which can easily be incorporated in any home
are thoroughly explained using sample locks and a slide presentation.
Auto Theft Prevention: In this
one hour program, vehicle owners are educated about the auto theft problem
in the United States and what they can do to help prevent it. Various anti-theft
measures discussed include steering wheel locks, car alarms, electronic
kill switches, and electronic retrieval systems.
Personal Safety Awareness:
Because one's personal safety is paramount to most people, the Crime Prevention
Bureau offers this class designed to heighten the individual's awareness
of violent crime and how to possibly avoid it. Personal safety awareness
while at home, in the car, at work, or out walking is discussed.
Drug Awareness: As a companion
to the Sheriff's Office Drug Awareness for Children, this program is designed
to educate adults on the deadly effects of drug abuse and alcoholism.
Drugs in the Workplace:
The goal of this one hour program is to educate adults on the dangers and
legal ramifications regarding the use and abuse of controlled substances
in the workplace.
Violence in the Workplace:
Due to increased occurrences of violence in the workplace, the Crime Prevention
Bureau has developed this comprehensive training program. Some of the topics
covered during this 3 - 4 hour seminar include domestic violence, physical
safety and security measures, pre-employment screening, recognizing inappropriate
behaviors, crisis management, and legal obligations of the employer.
Robbery Prevention:
This one hour program is designed to educate citizens and businesses how
to react before, during, and after an armed robbery.
Bank Robbery Training: This
program, designed specifically for financial institutions, includes the
same information as the Robbery Prevention Program but actually goes a
step further. Members from the Crime Prevention Bureau and the Sheriff's
Office Emergency Response Team stage a very realistic "mock bank robbery"
using volunteer tellers from the bank.
Cons and Frauds Prevention:
Most cons and frauds are successfully perpetrated because victims are not
familiar with the con artist's "modus operandi". By the end of
this program, the participants are able to identify several types of scams
to include home repair fraud, bank examiner scheme, the "Pigeon Drop",
land frauds, phony investment scams, and fraudulent lotteries.
Loss Prevention (Shoplifting
& Credit Card/Check Fraud): Retail business losses from shoplifting
and fraud can total billions of dollars a year. These prevention programs
are offered to the business community to raise their awareness of these
types of crimes as well as minimize their risk of becoming a victim.
Residential
and Commercial Security Surveys: Members of the Sheriff's Crime Awareness
Team are available to respond to residences and businesses to conduct on-site
security inspections. There is no fee for this community service.
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