Sleep well

The Goochland sheriff’s department is on the job

Goochland County is a pretty safe place. That’s no accident.

On Wednesday, November 18, alumni of the Citizens’ Academy, an educational program sponsored by the Sheriff’s Department, were reminded of the superb law enforcement organization that keeps our county safe during a reunion.

U. S. Postal inspectors D. M. McGinnis and M. J. Romano spoke briefly about identity theft, one of the fastest growing crimes in the nation.

They explained that, in this digital age, it is very easy for criminals to obtain private information and use it to set up accounts in your name that they control without your knowledge.

A regular check of your credit at www.anualcreditreport.com, which is a free and secure service, can catch any irregularities before your hard-earned credit record can be destroyed.

They outlined some simple measures to safeguard personal information. Deposit outgoing mail only in large blue boxes such as those in front of local post offices. Raising the flag on the mail box in front of your house displays a “steal me” sign for anyone looking to obtain financial information McGinnis explained.

“No one writes letters anymore,” he said. “Most outgoing mail is bill payment.”

Those envelopes contain signed checks, which offer a wealth of opportunities for identity thieves. In addition to obtaining the electronic codes for your bank account, a check can also be “washed” and rewritten for the benefit of the bad guys.

Be very careful about giving out personal information including your name, date of birth, social security number (only intended for payment of benefits), your address, mother’s maiden name and account numbers over the phone or internet.

Banks do not lose your personal information, said Romano, and will not call or email you to ask you to help them restore their records. Never give any personal information over the phone unless you initiate contact such as ordering from a catalog.

Shred all credit card receipts and other documents with personal information on them to prevent thieves from going through your trash and obtaining the information.

Preapproved checks from your credit card company and any preapproved credit card applications should also be shredded.
Internet commerce on sites that display a padlock symbol or that have https in the url line are very secure.

You email, however, can be accessed by identity thieves so be very careful what sort of information you transmit that way.

The Goochland Sheriff’s office is part of the Metro Richmond ID Theft Task force. Because ID theft is such an ethereal, anonymous crime, it can be difficult to catch and prosecute its perpetrators across jurisdictional lines, said Romano. By joining forces, law enforcement agencies in the Richmond Metro region are able to pool information and follow criminals as they target different parts of the area. The task force has been very successful in apprehending identity thieves and bringing them to justice.

This is one of many strategies employed by Sheriff Jim Agnew and his superb team to leverage limited resources and provide excellent law enforcement services for Goochland citizens.

Mike East, an investigator with the Goochland Sheriff’s office, is our county’s member on the task force. Its website www.richmondidtheft.com has comprehensive information about identity theft and contact information.

Romano and McGinnis are available to speak to all interested groups. Their presentation is interesting and offers good information.

Citizens Academy alumni were also treated to a display of some new equipment the sheriff’s department has obtained through Homeland Security grants.

Perhaps most noteworthy is the communications trailer complete with a telescoping 110 foot antenna mast and state of the art digital radio equipment that creates a “tower of un Babel.” This equipment permits agencies from many jurisdictions to communicate with each other on a common radio frequency during emergency operations. This is a vital component of successful and effective response to widespread disasters be they weather-related or man made. The breakdown in communications caused by the lack of common frequencies was deadly during the 9/11 response in New York.

This is a huge step forward for emergency communications in the region and quite a feather in Goochland’s cap that the communications trailer was located here.

Other implements that protect deputies while gathering information about criminals was also demonstrated. This will undoubtedly be part of the next Citizens’ Academy, which Sheriff Agnew said will begin in early 2011.

This is a very interesting and worthwhile program that gives ordinary folks a look into law enforcement operations in Goochland.

Sessions include: speakers from the Goochland Courts and Commonwealth’s Attorney’s office; a visit to a local jail; a trip to the firearms’ range and a ride along with a deputy to understand first hand the challenges of keeping the peace in all of Goochland’s 295 square miles.

Vigilant citizens are a vital component of effective law enforcement. If you see something in your area that looks out of place or odd, inform the Sheriff’s office.

Recently, an observant citizen in the Fife area reported suspicious activity in the neighborhood. Deputies investigated and arrested a person casing Goochland homes who had committed break-ins in Henrico. Call 911 for an emergency or 556-5349 for the non-emergency line. The Sheriff’s Office is the only county department whose phones are answered by a real person 24/7.

Visit www.goochlandsheriff.org for more information about the Sheriff’s Department.

Sleep tight, Goochland, we’re in good hands.