Safety Tip - What to Report

The Richmond Police Department needs the cooperation and assistance of all persons.  They are depending on you to call and report all suspicious persons and activities.

Some people do not call the police because they are not aware that some seemingly innocent activities should be considered suspicious.  Others may notice suspicious activity and be hesitant to call for fear of seeming “nosey” or a “crank”.  Still others take it for granted that somebody else had already called.

Call The Police – 911 – Immediately

about all suspicious activity.  Don’t worry about “bothering” the police because investigating suspicious and criminal activity is their business.  Don’t worry about being embarrassed if your suspicion proves unfounded, but think instead about what COULD happen if you DON’T ACT.

Information Most Often Needed:

• What happened?
• When did it happen?
• Where did it happen?
• Was anyone hurt?
• Description of person…
  Age, race, height, weight, sex, and clothing. Try to observe any unusual characteristics: such as scars, marks, tattoos, missing teeth, etc.
• Description of vehicle…
  license number, make, model, color and direction of travel.  Also, any noticeable damage on vehicle.

Some obvious things to watch for:

Basically, anything that seems “out of place” could be criminal activity.  Some of the most obvious things to watch for and report include:

• Someone entering your neighbor’s home, when it is unoccupied, may be a burglar
• A scream heard anywhere might mean a crime is taking place.
• Offers of merchandise at ridiculously low prices could mean stolen property.
• Anyone removing accessories, license plates, or gas from a car should be reported
• Anyone peering into parked cars may be a thief looking for valuables left inside or for keys left in the ignition.
• Persons entering or leaving a business place after hours could mean burglars
• The sound of  breaking glass or loud explosive noises could mean an accident, burglary or vandalism.
• Persons loitering around schools, parks or secluded areas could be sex offenders
• Persons hanging around the neighborhood could be burglars. Remember, facts indicate that many burglars live in the neighborhood where they commit crimes.
• Anyone forcing entry to or tampering with a residence, business or vehicle.
• A person exhibiting unusual mental or physical symptoms may be injured, under the influence of drugs or otherwise in need of medical or psychiatric assistance.
• Persons being forced into vehicles, especially if juveniles or females, may mean a kidnapping is taking place.
• Open or broken windows at a business or residence whose owners are absent could mean a burglary in progress or already completed.
• A person wearing or carrying bloody clothing could be a suspect or the victim of a serious crime.

Some less obvious things to watch for:

Not every stranger who comes into your neighborhood is a criminal, by any means.  There are many perfectly legitimate door-to-door salesmen, repairmen, and servicemen moving around your neighborhoods all the time. 

But, criminals do take advantage of this by assuming the guise of legitimate business representatives. After all, if a criminal looked like a criminal, no one would have any trouble spotting him.

• Check identification of all solicitors, meter readers, and repairmen prior to allowing entry into your home.  Be suspicious of an alleged deliveryman with a wrong address asking if someone else lives there.  Some specific, less obvious things to watch for are:
• Anyone going door to door in your neighborhood.  If, after a few houses are visited, one or more of the persons tries a door to see if it is locked, looks into windows, or goes into a back or side yard, it could be a burglar. Such actions are even more suspicious if one person remains in front when this occurs or if there is a car following a few houses away.  Call police immediately, do not wait for the person to leave.
• A person running, especially if carrying something of value.
• Someone carrying property.  If the property is not wrapped, as if just purchased.
• Traffic to and from a certain residence, is not suspicious unless it is excessive and occurs on a daily or very regular basis. It could possibly be the scene of vice activities or a fencing operation.
• Any person taking a shortcut through a backyard may have just broken into a home.
• Any vehicle moving slowly, without lights, or following a course that appears  aimless or repetitive in any location. Occupants may be looking for places to rob or to burglarize. They could be drug pushers or sex offenders, particularly if in the area of a school, park, or playground.
• Parked occupied vehicles containing one or more persons, could be lookouts for a burglary in progress, even if the occupants appear to be legitimate.
• Vehicles being loaded with valuables, if parked in front of a closed business or an unattended residence.  Take notice, even if the vehicle is a legitimate looking commercial vehicle.  More and more, professional thieves are taking the time and trouble to customize their vehicles with special signs in order to move freely without suspicious.
• Apparent business transactions conducted from a vehicle, could mean the sale of drugs or stolen property.
• An abandoned vehicle parked on your block may be a stolen car.
• The beam from a flashlight in a neighbor’s home, especially if they are away, could mean a burglary in progress.
• Persons making a quick change of vehicles may be attempting to elude police or abandoning a stolen vehicle.
• While some, if not all, of the suspicious situations described herein could have innocent explanations, your Police Department would rather investigate a crime prone situation than be called when it is too late.

Your call could save a life, prevent an injury, or stop a criminal act.
Be alert
Be a good neighbor
Be aware—become involved
Let’s make crime more trouble than it’s worth!