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Neighborhood Watch Program 
Neighborhood Watch is a crime prevention program, which enlists the active participation of citizens in cooperation with law enforcement to reduce crime in their communities.
It involves: - Neighbors getting to know each other and working together in a program of mutual assistance;
- Citizens being trained to recognize and report suspicious activities in their neighborhoods;
- Implementation of crime prevention techniques such as home security, security through environmental
design.
If you are interested in starting a neighborhood watch please call us at (209) 854-3737 or email to admin@gustinepolice.com
Crime Prevention Material available online: These are .pdf files. If you don't have Acrobat Reader installed on your computer, you can download it here  , then come back to view these documents.
Burglary Prevention Home Security
Home Security Handbook and Checklist Personal Security
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Gustine Police PAL Program
http://www.calpal.org/local/index.cfm?palID=55
McGruff the Crime Dog, Kids Safe
http://www.mcgruff.org/ Megan’s Law
http://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/ Amber Alert
http://www.amberalert.gov/ |
Burglary Prevention Tips Auto Burglary - Do not leave any personal property lying on the seats of the vehicle.
- Always put personal property away (out of sight), prior to arrival at your destination; place the property under the seat or inside the trunk.
- If you have a pullout stereo, take it with you. If you have a detachable faceplate stereo, take the faceplate with you.
Do not leave money in your ashtray. - Keep your garage door remote out of plain view, and if stolen, change the remote control frequency.
Residential Burglary - Install a motion detector activated light to illuminate the dark areas surrounding your house, yard, parking area or apartment complex.
- Lock interior garage door that connects to the house.
- Lock the pedestrian garage door.
- Lock all screen doors especially when you are home.
- Keep spare keys in one location, and out of sight.
- If you are going on vacation, consider notifying a neighbor you trust to check on your house until your return. Remember to stop delivery of your mail and newspaper making it less obvious you are away.
Install a deadbolt lock to all exterior doors.
Commercial Burglary - Do not keep large amounts of cash in insecure locations like a desk or filing cabinet.
- Be certain the Police Department has your company's current emergency notification information on file.
- Activate your alarm prior to leaving the business every day.
- Limit who has access to the alarm codes and passwords.
- Consider changing them periodically, to reduce the risk of someone misusing them.
In all cases of Burglary, remember not to disturb anything that may contain physical evidence. All smooth surfaces that the suspect may have touched may contain fingerprints.
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What to do if you Discover a Burglary If you return to your home or business and find it has been burglarized, do not touch anything. Cleaning up the scene may destroy valuable physical evidence. Call the police and allow the officer to inspect the scene.
As you walk around the location, attempt to identify any property that has been moved or taken. Attempt to locate any serial numbers or property descriptions (make/model). This information is critical if your property is found and you would like to have it returned to you. Some of this information may be located on the original packaging or from the place of purchase. If your car has been burglarized, again don't disturb anything until it can be inspected for possible physical evidence. If you are able to drive to the Police Department, your car may be processed there for physical evidence. Keep in mind, the point of entry, (like the windows) is a common place to locate evidence. After the officer completes their field investigation, they will give you a police report number. Please retain that number because it will be requested by the detective assigned to your case if you contact them regarding the incident.
Once the Patrol Officer completes and turns in your police report, it takes about 72 hours for it to be distributed and assigned for followup Investigation.
The cases are reviewed by a Sergeant who determines whether or not your case is workable. In order for a case to be workable, there must either be physical evidence or witnesses to follow up on.
If you wish to obtain a copy of your police report, you must wait three working days (Monday through Friday). If you are the victim of the crime, you may then obtain a copy of the report at the Police Department front counter for a processing fee. However, the supervisor must sign a release before a copy of the report may be obtained. Only the parties directly involved in an incident are entitled to obtain a copy of a police report. Front counter personnel will request to see proper identification before providing the report.
It is common to locate additional property that was taken or additional identifying information on stolen property after the Patrol Officer has left. It may be several days before you discover additional losses. There is no need to call each time you discover an additional item missing. Just keep a list and call after you have had a chance to gather as much information as possible. Don't forget to contact your insurance company regarding possible coverage. Depending on your homeowner's and car insurance, part of your loss may be covered. If a suspect is arrested and convicted of the burglary, you may be eligible to receive restitution through the District Attorney's Office for your loss. If you have any questions regarding your case, please call us at (209) 854-3737 or (209) 854-1010. |
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