 It seems that crime is on an increase in our lovely neighborhhood. Several homes and cars have been burglarized and suspicious people have been hanging around the neighborhood casing the homes. It is common for them to enter the back yard during the day (week days) and break in thru the back windows. If you notice any suspicious activity, notify the police immediately, let them know this is related to the burglaries in the area and give them a description of what the person(s) is wearing and what direction they are heading. IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO REPORT ALL CRIME OR SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY AND MAKE SURE TO GET A POLICE REPORT OTHERWISE THERE WILL BE NO RECORD OF REPORTED CRIMES. Our local police officer is Darrell Nichols Work 305-795-2330 Mobile 305-389-3535 As an added measure, please report any suspicious activities and crimes to Roger Shields, who is our neighborhood crime watch organizer. If you want to participate contact Roger at 305-752-3433. This web page was created to encourage residents to post criminal and suspicious activity that occurs in our neighborhood and post any ideas you may have to decrease the crime in our neighborhood. If we stay alert and pro-active as to what is going on, we can discourage this behavior in our neighborhood. Communication is very important! |
- Crime prevention tipsNeighbors,
I'd like to make some suggestions to everyone as to how we can better protect ourselves now, today!
1. Get to know your neighbors. All of them, especially those on your street and with whom you share a common property line. Get their phone numbers and emails. Discuss your schedules, how they relate and how they differ. What hours they work away from home, if they frequently travel. Find out how many people are in the home and what ages. The more we are able to watch out for each other the better.
2. Make an email list just for your surrounding neighbors to alert each other about potential dangers. If you're like me, I don't check my messages from our google groups as frequently as other emails accounts. Make sure you have emails people look at often throughout the day. I would recommend you copy the google group to alert the entire neighborhood but make sure you are quickly reaching your immediate neighbors.
3. When talking to your neighbors also find out about how they might help in a potentially dangerous situation. Is there a particular door you should run to if you're in trouble. Do they have a dog they can release to chase a potential criminal. Several years ago there a man came through our hedges and was looking through our windows late a night. Our next door neighbor let his dogs out and the man flee, leaving us unharmed. Our kids never even knew anything happened. Please don't discuss this with me if they are around it's best the never know.
4. Use outdoor lights and put them on a timer if you frequently come home after dark. Lights left on during the day can alert people that no one is in the home so it is best NOT to leave lights on all day but if you have a timer that goes on and off at sunset and sunrise you are certain the outside of your home is always lit when you arrive.
5. Leave your curtains open when you're not home. This is the philosophy we follow. You may disagree. When your blinds are open people cannot rummage through your house without being seen. Trust me the more hidden they can be during a robbery, the more enticing the 'job' and the more time criminals have in your home.
6. Hedges do not protect you, they offer great coverage and a place to hide. We have a hedge but you'll notice it's not full. I like to look out my windows and see green and feel as though there is a bit of separation between our bedrooms and the street but I don't want to give anyone the feeling that they can safely hide or take time to break in through a window.
7. Double check all doors and windows when you leave. Now is the time of year when we can all enjoy the fresh air but be sure to close and lock all windows when you leave the house. Criminals often enter through side or back doors and windows that people inadvertently leave open.
I welcome neighbors to add to this list and continue to forward it around.
I want to stress the more people can be vigilant on their own streets, in their immediate surroundings, the safer our neighborhood is as a whole.
GET TO KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS AND WATCH OUT FOR EACH OTHER!!!!
Kathryn
5600 N Bayshore Dr - Security committeeA security committee has been set up by outgoing MCA president Dick Weden. I urge all interested neighbors to get involved with that committee.
Elvis Cruz, Vice President
Morningside Civic Association
- CRIME ALERTFRAN, We have had numerous persons walking into BelleMeade and going door
to door distributing flyiers. I stopped one yesterday morning and one this
morning. They had covered several blocks and no one called the police. I let
Roy know. These subjects are casing the neighborhood and seeing if anyone
calls the police so they can come back later and do it again. Also there is
a white van occupied by three blk Hispanic males that contact homeowners to
provide a lawn and landscaping service. One takes the owner into the rear
yard to show what they can do while the other two break-in to the house.
They are gone before the owners realize what has happened. This has been
happening north of the city so far. - Officer Darrell Nichols selected as Police Officer of the Year!The Morningside Civic Association adds it Congratulations to
Officer Nichols!
Citizens’ Crime Watch of Miami-Dade selected Officer Darrell Nichols during a dinner reception last Friday, May 30th, 2008 as Police Officer of the Year!
And thanks to the Morningside Crime Watch Contingent!
- Citizens' Crime Watch meeting scheduled for MorningsideHi neighbors:
Just an early heads-up that I'm scheduling a Citizens' Crime Watch update meeting for Morningside on Thursday, April 15th @ 7PM at the park building.
With the increased concern about recent crime, the time seems right for a neighborhood-wide meeting. It will be run by Carmen Caldwell, executive director of CCW for Miami-Dade County, will run the meeting. The police are invited to attend and will address any questions or concerns.
More details to come. In the meantime, more information on Miami-Dade County Crime Watch (English and en Espanol) can be found at:
www.citizenscrimewatch.com
--Damian McNamara
Chair, Morningside Citizens' Crime Watch
- Burglars can be tricky, so keep up your guardHi Neighbors,
This article is worth reading.
Be well,
~Elvis Cruz, President
Morningside Civic Association
Posted on Fri, Jun. 18, 2010
Burglars can be tricky, so keep up your guard
BY CARMEN GONZALEZ CALDWELL
Special to The Miami Herald
Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful fathers in Miami-Dade. May your day be a blessed one.
This week I want to share with you an e-mail that I received from a detective who works in a burglary unit, who read my column on summer safety and wanted my readers to know a little more about the importance of being vigilant when people knock on your door and why you need to call the police.
According to him, the current trend by burglars, either on foot or with a vehicle, is for one of them to knock on the front door/windows and ask for a fictional name or one obtained from your mail box, so you will think they are a neighbor from down the street, for example, and relax your guard. What they are actually doing is determining if anyone is home.
If no one answers, they assume the coast is clear and they signal for an accomplice to either kick in the front door or enter through the side yard and break in through a sliding glass door or window. The original person remains out front as a lookout.
If the resident decides to remain quiet, they risk a confrontation with the burglars as they break in. It takes just a few minutes for help to arrive after dialing 911. If you have that funny gut feeling about the person's intentions, go with your gut and dial 911 as the suspicious person is knocking on the door or looking in through the front window.
For some reason, residents assume the suspicious person at the door will simply go away if ignored. Initial appearances should also raise red flags: Are they thuggish/creepy looking? Are they young? Are they looking side to side?
I tell residents to let the unknown person at the door know by whatever means that the residence is occupied and that you have already called police. If you have doubts about the visitors and deem them suspicious, then immediately call police and give them a description of the strangers and their vehicle, even if they leave your front door.
This week I also want to share some great efforts that have happened in the last couple of weeks. First, I want to congratulate Biscayne Park for their involvement in Citizens' Crime Watch by training their city employees in what to look for when they are out and about doing their jobs. They are now going to have lots of ``eyes and ears'' protecting their citizens.
We also had the French HBO come and tape our Crime Watch meeting at Islandia Black Point led by Elisa Toruno, because they were interested in showing how neighborhood watch is dealing with foreclosures and abandoned houses, curtailing crimes in communities. I have a lot of other groups that have truly been exceptional and will share them next week. Until then be safe, stay alert and stay involved.
Carmen Caldwell is executive director of the Citizens' Crime Watch of Miami-Dade. Send feedback and news for this column to her at carmen@citizens
crimewatch.com, or call her, 305-470-1670.
© 2010 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved.
http://www.miamiherald.com
Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/18/v-print/1687259/burglars-can-be-tricky-so-keep.html#ixzz0rCZl5TTd
- Out of control car-----Original Message-----
From: Al Sasiadek
Sent: Monday, August 2, 2010 11:34 PM
To:
Subject: Re: Out of control car... >>RE: Morningside 257
If you remember the original post from Jane Pittman on July 25 about an out of control car, follow the threads from Veronica at 50 State and finally Officer Nichols concerning the '257' hit and run.
They have the tag number and charges are pending.
Al Sasiadek
From: Nichols, Darrell
To: Al Sasiadek
Cc:Bcc:
Date: Mon, Aug 2, 2010 4:33 pm
Subject: RE: Morningside 257
It is being handled as a hit and run. Because we have tag information the Hit and Run detail investigator will follow up on the report. Charges will be pending.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Al Sasiadek
Sent: Monday, July 26, 2010 9:53 AM
To: Nichols, Darrell
Cc:
Subject: Fwd: Morningside 257
Officer Nichols, we do have a tag number. Will the police followup? There was a tree in the neighborhood that was run into.
Al Sasiadek
-----Original Message-----
From: Veronica McDaniel
To: Al Sasiadek
Sent: Mon, Jul 26, 2010 7:38 am
Subject: FW: Morningside 257
Good Morning,
Here is the email reference the out of control vehicle on 07/24/10. I will pickup the report from the security officer on duty at the time of incident today.
Thank you,
From: Doris Smith
Sent: Sunday, July 25, 2010 5:47 AM
To: Veronica McDaniel
Subject: Morningside 257
Good Morning!
This is to advise that at 2325 S/O M. Hopewell advised that a female driving a white Chrysler drove through the gate and appearing to be intoxicated without stopping . He was only able to get a partial of the tag at that time being 944.
At 2332 S/O M. Hopewell reported that the female hit a tree and fled. She left behind bits of her front end. He said that some residents were able to track her to the end of 57th Street. Tag# 944TRM. Was, also reported to S/O Hopewell. PD was advised of this information. Inspector Woodard arrived after this occurred and stayed on scene to see damages done. 258 was also advised to be on the lookout for this vehicle. At 0015 S/O M. Russell reported that the Car just left through his gate and reported that it was a White Chrysler Mark 300 Tag # 944TRM . he said at that time there were two Hispanic females with black hair inside the car. He also reported that the car was headed southbound Biscayne Blvd. towards 36th Street. At that time I advised PD of the latest information. PD arrived at 0030 to area 257. S/O Hopewell has a full report. Bobbie Vasquez
-----Original Message-----
From: Jane Pittman
To: morningside
Sent: Sun, Jul 25, 2010 1:08 am
Subject: Out of control car...
Hi All... I pulled into 50th. Terr. Morningside around midnight, Saturday... Last night. A white newer sedan nearly ran my car and another car off the road. It was going about 50mph. And the drivers side front was smashed... Headlight gone, and it bolted out of the neighborhood nearly also hitting a tree. It looked like it was running from something... They seemed drunk or drugged or both... And I called 911 right at that moment. I didn't catch the plate as as they shreaked by me.
Just giving notice...
Jane
