NOT ALL THIEVES ARE STUPID

 

1.LONG-TERM PARKING
Some people left their car in the long-term parking at San Jose while away, and someone broke into the car. Using the information on the car's registration in the glove compartment, they drove the car to the people's home in Pebble Beach and robbed it. So I guess if we are going to leave the car in long-term parking, we should NOT leave the registration/insurance cards in it, nor your remote garage door opener. This gives us something to think about with all our new electronic technology.

2. GPS
Someone had their car broken into while they were at a football game. Their car was parked on the green which was adjacent to the football stadium and specially allotted to football fans. Things stolen from the car included a garage door remote control, some money and a GPS which had been prominently mounted on the dashboard. When the victims got home, they found that their house had been ransacked and just about everything worth anything had been stolen. The thieves had used the GPS to guide them to the house. They then used the garage remote control to open the garage door and gain entry to the house. The thieves knew the owners were at the football game, they knew what time the game was scheduled to finish and so they knew how much time they had to clean out the house. It would appear that they had brought a truck to empty the house of its contents. Something to consider if you have a GPS - don't put your home address in it... Put a nearby address (like a store or gas station) so you can still find your way home if you need to, but no one else would know where you live if your GPS were stolen.

3. CELL PHONES
I never thought of this....... This lady has now changed her habit of how she lists her names on her cell phone after her handbag was stolen. Her handbag, which contained her cell phone, credit card, wallet, etc., was stolen. Twenty minutes later when she called her hubby, from a pay phone telling him what had happened, hubby says, "I received your text asking about our Pin number and I've replied a little while ago." When they rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn. The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to text "hubby" in the contact list and got hold of the pin number. Within 20 minutes he had withdrawn all the money from their bank account.
Moral of the lesson:

Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list. Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mom, etc....

b. And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked through texts, CONFIRM by calling back. 

c. Also, when you're being texted by friends or family to meet them somewhere, be sure to call back to confirm that the message came from them. If you don't reach them, be very careful about going places to meet "family and friends" who text you.


4. PURSE IN THE GROCERY CART SCAM
A lady went grocery-shopping at a local mall and left her purse sitting in the children's seat of the cart while she reached something off a shelf... Wait till you read the WHOLE story! Her wallet was stolen, and she reported it to the store personnel. After returning home, she received a phone call from the Mall Security to say that they had her wallet and that although there was no money in it, it did still hold her personal papers. She immediately went to pick up her wallet, only to be told by Mall Security that they had not called her. By the time she returned home again, her house had been broken into and burglarized. The thieves knew that by calling and saying they were Mall Security, they could lure her out of her house long enough for them to burglarize it.

WATCH AS WELL AS PRAY

Quasimodo and Esmeralda sought sanctuary in the Cathedral. We too seek the protection of the Church in times of tribulation & great fear. But God dwells in our hearts, that is where He truly makes His home, not in a building. This is why we must not be confused about the safety of our houses of worship. The house of The Lord has the same needs as our domiciles. The bills must be paid to keep the utilities turned on. The grounds must be kept and the repairs made. The church, however Holy, will not clean itself - someone must vacuum and dust.

So; that stated, why is it that we put bars and alarms on our homes and expect God to work over-time keeping the church safe from thieves and vandals? The church is valuable property and should be protected as such. 

In the dusty-country, where I live, most houses of worship have no plans in place to thwart theft, fire, violence, molestation or any other calamities that are increasingly befalling modern-day sanctuaries. What’s worse is the lack of thought given to fact that it could happen to any of us at any given time. Rarely are such issues discussed in board meetings. Yet we are appalled when the headlines read of tragedy in a neighboring county/town.

Taking a stand for safety in the church is a pro-active and productive move. People are frightened and it’s only good leadership to alleviate those fears by implementing measures to combat church-place crime before it arises.

Here are some helpful links for educating your parish, family and community.  Remember…it’s not weakness to protect the ones you love - it’s smart.

ADT Seurity Services

Help Kids Stay Safe

National Crime Prevention

Keep Church Safe

Safe Church

ADT Security Service specializes in meeting the security needs of homes, industries, businesses, schools, farms and…yes - Churches too.

WHEN OPERTUNITY KNOCKS

There is no such thing as a “Victimless Crime.” Wrong doing always leaves someone worse off, than had the crime not been committed.  There are three types of criminals:

The Opportunist. 

This type of criminal makes choices within blurred moral boundaries, often believing that they aren’t hurting anyone or that their actions are fine as long as they don’t get caught. This person won’t pick your pocket or rob you at gun point. But if he/she finds a wallet, they will keep the money. They won’t break into a house or car, but if the door is open or the windows are down, they may help themselves to any accessible goodies. The Opportunist takes advantage of an unfortunate situation, even at the expense of others.

The Opportunist is also referred to as ( The Petty Criminal ) as their criminal activities are often low in loss value and almost never involves physical harm or danger.

The Hardened Criminal.

Opposite of the petty criminal, the hardened criminal makes judgment calls base purely on criminal intent. 

Breaking and Entering/Burglary…………..Battery

Armed robbery……………………………..Crimes of Passion

Car jacking………………………………....Arson

Pandering……………………………….......Extortion

Bullying..………………………………........Bookmaking

Embezzlement………………………………Vice

Bunko………………………………..............Racketeering 

The hardened criminal engages these activities despite the possible ramifications of imprisonment or even death. They make choices based on perceived needs or desires and consequences are usually weighed only after they have been apprehended.

Masterminds and Psychotics

These types of criminals are becoming more prevalent in society because of the breakdown of the nuclear family and the preponderance of violence in the media which relentlessly depicts graphic gratuitous scenes and hateful lyrics. While mastermind criminals often suffer from schizophrenia and delusions of grandeur, psychotics may suffer pathological tendencies (uncontrollable urges) or lack empathy and other human traits that allow peaceful social adjustment. These are people who genuinely feel they have little or no control over their own actions or the may even feel compelled to do things by forces outside themselves; such as Aliens or hearing voices. 

Urges may evolve gradually. They may plot for years to commit a crime. Or they may simply snap (Go Postal: a catch phrase of the seventies to depict mass shootings in public places).

Pedophilia………………………………...............Terrorism

Serial Killings……………………………….........Genocide

War-Lording/Gang-Lording……………………...Rape

Torture………………………………....................Kidnapping

Crimes of the most heinous nature are often committed by persons with deep mental and emotional wounds/gaps. They lack empathy; the human quality that permits one to understand and identify with the suffering of another. They may be hopelessly entwined in Satanic activity. They may even see their victims as Things and not People. 

It is up to each of us to act in a fashion that improves our own level of personal safety. We must teach our children to watch for the signs of instability in the people around them, lest they fall victims to those who prey on innocence and kindness. The world is full of goodness and beauty, but wickedness abounds and we mustn’t give it an opportunity to take root in our homes or our hearts.  

SIGN OF THE TIMES

Crime is nothing new. After all the first family in history suffered the agony of crime when Cane killed his brother, Able. It may seem as if the world has gone bonkers, but in reality not mush has changed; We simply have a thing called the “Media” that tells us about it all.

Spear gun robbery

Crime is real. And it is our responsibility to conduct ourselves in a fashion that reduces the risk of being the victims of crime, violent or otherwise. It’s important to stop and think:

If I were a criminal, what vulnerabilities could I spot?

What would be the easiest way for a perpetrator to attach/victimize me?

What does my body language say about my ability to defend myself, family, property?

What do I own/have/wear, that criminals might find valuable and what would I do if someone wanted to take it?

Who can I call or where can I go in the event of an assault/crime?  

Questions like these bare thought - before bad things happen; And they do happen…everyday. 

Call me, Mary Kelly: 662-582-1105, or email me: marykelly@adt.com to learn more about how ADT home/business Security can help keep the people and things you care about the most, safe. 

ON THE LOOK-OUT

“Watch as well as Pray.” That’s what the Bible tells us. Staying safe is often a matter of being aware of potential threats and having contingency plans in place to thwart those threats. Nothing can keep us completely out of harm’s way, but we can avoid some mishaps just by keeping our eyes & minds open to them. 

This Holiday Season can be safer by taking a few common-sense step:

Put packages/gifts in the trunk instead of the back seat - out of sight.

Put all wrappings in black garbage bags after ripping then up. Don’t advertise that new 50” TV by sitting the box out on the curb.

Make it hard for intruders to know when your home is empty by keeping a different light on every day.

Choose the ADT Pulse System ( Get Hooked Up )to gain total control of your home/business  via remote monitoring.

Watch for strangers in your neighborhood.

Talk to your family about safety. 

Here are some great videos. And please feel free to call with questions and concerns: 662-582-1105. Happy Holidays…SMILE*

Best Hidden Key

ADT Pulse System