I think most people would consider their homes safe havens, dwellings that provide privacy and security from the dangers of the outside world.  But what we commonly do not realize is that sometimes the hazards triggering our greatest fears remain unhampered by the walls of our houses.

 Although secure locks on our doors are certainly necessary, they won’t protect us from the predators and scam artists who can reach us and our children with the Internet, via the telephone and straight through our front doors under the right disguise.

The final weeks of winter are the perfect time to prepare your home for spring.  But instead of just sprucing it up, why not place an extra emphasis on safety by incorporating the following tips into your household. 

1. Light up your property! Make sure your porch, entrance and yard are well lit at night or when you are arriving home after dark by installing or setting timers.
2. Use a wide-angled peephole, installed at your height, to identify people who come to your front door.
3. Consider purchasing a driveway alarm to warn you when a person or vehicle enters your driveway.
4. Ask all service and sales representatives for identification before granting them access to your home.  It is always a good idea to call their employer for verification first.
5. Remove all address tags from your key ring and do not hide spare keys under your doormat or in nearby flowerpots.  It is typically the first place intruders look to break into your home. 
6. Establish a buddy system with a neighbor.  Agree to keep a watchful eye on one another’s properties when one of you is away on vacation or even away for the afternoon. 
7. Immediately hang up on harassing or obscene telephone calls.  If they persist, immediately call the police and the phone company.
8. Finally, do no let mail pile-up in your mailbox or in your home.  Review letters on a regular basis and address problems immediately.  It can be easy to avoid mail delivering bad news.  But ignoring problems, especially when confronting mortgage foreclosure, only aggravates circumstances. 

But what about the Internet.  Since the majority of us can now employ the computer to pay our bills, balance our checking accounts, connect with vast networks of friends and shop, perhaps the easiest way for perpetrators to access personal and financial information or scam is through the Internet.  Here are some guidelines to help you and your family enjoy the Worldwide Web, without compromising safety. 

For Adults

1. Try to commit all passwords to Online banking and email accounts to memory.  Never write them down and carry them in your purse or store them in your cellular phone. 
2. Pay the seller directly and with a credit card when participating in Online auctions.  That way if merchandise is misrepresented or not sent, you can dispute the charges.
3. Adopt a healthy attitude of skepticism toward Websites boasting free prizes and giveaways.  Chances are, all that’s been “won” is the opportunity to buy something you didn’t want in the first place.

For Families

1. Select a commercial Online service that offers parental control features.
2. Set-up rules clearly specifying the time of day, length of time and appropriate sites your child is permitted to visit when Online. 
3. Discuss with your child the importance of keeping personal information strictly private.  Tell them to abstain from giving any unknown “Online friends” their name, address, telephone number, school name or description of their physical appearance. 
4. Advise children to never respond to messages that contain bad words or appear suspect.  Ask them to alert you immediately if any messages seem scary or make them feel uncomfortable.
5.  Tell your children to never post or send pictures of themselves to anyone without your permission.
6. Ensure your children know that they are never to make arrangements or agree to meet face-to-face with someone they meet Online without discussing it with you.  If you decide that it is okay for them to meet their cyber-friend, the meeting should take place in a familiar, public setting in the presence of a trusted adult.

Sometimes our biggest threat is simply the unsafe storage and keeping of firearms.  The tragic repercussions of this neglect have recently been highlighted on the local news and in the local papers, leaving families in our community forever changed and affected.  These types of incidents are almost always 100% preventable.  Here’s how:

Gun Owners;

1. Store guns in a location completely inaccessible to children and other unauthorized individuals.  Gun shops and sporting goods stores sell a wide variety of safes, cases, security devices and locks. 
2. Unload all guns before placing them in their safe, lock box or locked cabinet or drawer.  Ammunition should be locked and stored in a separate location. 
3. Conceal or stow the keys to your firearms and ammunition in another secure place unavailable to children and other individuals. 

For Families:

1. Speak openly and candidly with your children about the dangers of firearms.  Even if your family does not own firearms, it is important to address gun safety with your kids at an early age.  Talking with children is more effective than ordering them to “stay out of the gun closet”.  Such statements stimulate a child’s natural curiosity to investigate further.
2. Explain to children the difference between gun use on television and gun use in real life.   Many times children see television and movie actors killed on-screen only to appear in another movie or show blurring their perspective between entertainment and real-life.  Do not assume that children know the difference.
3. Warn children that they are to NEVER pick-up a gun in your home or outside of the home.  If they encounter a firearm tell them to:

• STOP!
• Don’t Touch.
• Leave the Area
• Tell an Adult.

The Sheriff’s Office also wants to meet you in your efforts to make your home a safer place.  Task Force Deputies have been working on critical investigations in the Braddock, Clairton, Hazelwood, Homewood and McKeesport areas.  Deputies are credited with dismantling key gang and drug networks — including the largest street gang in Allegheny County history — influencing the ascension of crime in these regions.  The investigations also enable the Office to secure Asset Forfeiture monies utilized to purchase equipment and fund a variety of educational and training opportunities addressing topics like prisoner transportation and specialized courtroom security tactics.

            The Sheriff’s Office is on the verge of apprehending its 100th fugitive from tips phoned in from viewers of the Comcast Fugitive Files on Demand program.  Since its inception, the show has achieved major results.  This is all because of you and the public who have enthusiastically partnered with us to identify absconders living within our region. 

            I hope you’ll continue to read about the many ways Sheriff’s Office employees bring excellence to their duties.  Stop by our Employee of the Month page to learn about our honorees.  We’ve also added an awards page to underscore employees who have gone the extra effort to help others or have demonstrated quality law enforcement work.

            Despite facing a challenging year ahead – we will have to work with a curtailed budget during this difficult financial time –  the Sheriff’s Office was able to generate a total of $6,155, 574.88 in  revenues for Allegheny County in 2010.

REVENUES

Firearms License Fees	$212,104.50
Recording and Filing and Other Fees	$3,164,795.48
Act 47 Computer Fees Fund	$391,978.61
Act 47 Special Sheriff’s Revenue Fund	$2,386,696.29

As you can see, 2010 was an industrious year for the Sheriff’s Office and we could not have had so many achievements without your support.  It is the people that make Allegheny County such a unique and special place and the reason our duties are as important as they are.  We expect 2011 to present our region with new challenges, new experiences and new prospects for growth.  The Sheriff’s Office stands ready to embrace these opportunities.  I truly hope you will continue to follow our progress by regularly visiting our Website for updates.