|
"Be
Wise with Your Eyes"
By
Sheriff Ted Mink
In April, the entire community benefited when a woman noticed Earl Moore --
the suspect in the attempted bombing at Southwest Plaza -- drinking coffee
in a Boulder grocery store. She recognized his face from news stories.
Although she wasn't sure it was him, she reported it. Police moved in
quickly to arrest him. Just like that, one of the country's top fugitives
was behind bars.
"Be
wise with your eyes" is a phrase we use when teaching safety to
elementary school students. It's part of a lesson in awareness and
responsible reporting. Although the language is simple, the idea transcends
age groups. Whether it's for your own personal safety or to be a help to
others, we encourage you to be wise with your eyes.
The
Tip of the Iceberg
People often feel guilty about reporting something that seems fairly minor
-- something that's "probably nothing." But there are many
examples of a gut feeling leading to deputies making an arrest, solving a
case, and preventing further crimes:
Wire
Fraud Prevented
In Februrary, a wire fraud theft was averted when a Western Union employee
grew suspicious about an elderly woman's wire transfer. He thought the
arrangement seemed strange and he intervened, revealing an attempted wire
fraud plot that would have swindled the woman out of thousands of dollars.
Dairy
Queen Break-In Solved
At around 2 a.m. on March 8, a resident called 911 to report two men on the
street outside banging on a metal box. The caller couldn't tell exactly
what they were doing, but found it suspicious and reported it. It turned
out that the box was a cash drawer that the men had stolen minutes earlier
from a nearby Dairy Queen. Police pulled up before the suspects could get
away, and arrested them. Later, investigators were able to link the
suspects to an earlier burglary at the same store. The one phone call
helped our agency solve two burglaries that happened weeks apart.
Prolific
Prowler Caught
On February 17, a resident on South Flower Street called the Sheriff's
Office to report a person who appeared to be trying to open car doors. The
first deputy on scene recognized the man -- he had been arrested in
November for multiple car prowls in south Jeffco.
Back
in November, he had been found in possession of laptops, digital cameras,
iPods, and GPS units. In all, he had more than 80 electronic items.
Investigators believe he stole everything from residents in the southeast
Jeffco area.
This
time, he had new property in his possession. He was again arrested.
Fortunately, the call came early enough that the suspect had only taken a
few small items when he was caught. He didn't have the chance to steal
thousands of dollars in property, as he had done in November.
Awareness
for Your Safety and Others'
Be aware of what's going on around you. Don't get so wrapped up in
shopping, or pumping gas, or chatting on the phone that you don't know
what's happening right behind you.
If
you witness suspicious activity, try to remember as many details as you
can, and report it to the Sheriff's Office right away. Reporting it
immediately gives deputies a chance to confront the situation in progress.
What
may seem like "nothing" could be nothing. But it could also be
something big. When in doubt, report it.
Neighborhood
Watch
Starting or joining a Neighborhood Watch group can give you the tools to
identify, report and prevent crime in your neighborhood. Please contact our
Crime Prevention Unit for more information. North Jeffco: 303-271-5363;
south Jeffco: 720-377-2002; Jeffco's mountains: 720-497-7860.
|
