Citizens get News Direct from BPD via E-Mail

Boise, April 24, 2009 - Boise Police are now offering citizens the opportunity to have public safety news sent to them directly via e-mail news alerts!

The subscription based alert system is designed to keep citizens aware of public safety issues in our community by getting the information sent directly to their home, business, cell phone or other mobile device via e-mail.
"We know citizens want and need solid, reliable public safety information. With our busy lifestyles, we as a police department need to get that information to citizens as quickly and directly as we can," said Boise Chief of Police Michael Masterson.

"Maybe most important, information direct to citizens from Boise Police includes the background, crime prevention information, even legal definitions that explain to citizens why officers took the actions they did. That context is something media sources often don't have time or space to provide." said Chief Masterson. "We hope citizens chose to use our e-mail alerts as another valuable option in their efforts to stay informed about their community."
How Boise Police E-mail Alerts Work:

When a news release is issued via the Boise Police website, an e-mail alert with a brief description of the topic will be sent directly to the subscriber. If the topic is of interest, the alert contains a link directly to the complete article on the Boise Police website.

How to Sign Up:

• It's easy and secure, through what's called "verification", or a "double opt-in" process.
• Log onto www.boisepolice.org and clink on the BPD E-mail Alert System icon.
• You'll be asked to provide a name and valid e-mail address.
• A follow up e-mail will then be sent to that address to verify and confirm the person with that e-mail address wishes to subscribe to the alerts.
• Alerts also include links to unsubscribe at any time. Anyone may sign up for the alerts anonymously, and personal information will not be gathered for use by the department.
  
  Information in the Alerts:
• Citizens subscribing to the Boise Police E-mail Alerts will receive information a variety of public safety topics.
  Daily arrest and overnight crime reports; information on crime trends.
• Opportunities for citizen involvement in neighborhood or public safety events.
• New Boise Police policies or procedures, or new or changed Boise City ordinances that deal with police or public safety issues.
• All information provided by Boise Police follows Idaho Code and department policy on the public release of criminal investigation information.

Boise Police E-mail Alerts are up and operational. Sign up now!

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Hi All,

Late Thursday night/early Friday (3/20/09) morning we had 5 or more vehicles in our neighborhood that were broken into, and miscellaneous items stolen.  In addition, there were numerous other unreported or unknown cases of unlocked vehicles that were searched through possibly by the same suspects.

I did not find out about this until late Friday evening and tried to contact as many of you as possible.

Oddly enough, I had left home at about 4:15am Friday morning, and did see a vehicle driving very slowly down Ridge Point near Stone Point.  From what I could tell in the dark, it appeared to be a light colored 4 door 1994-2001 Acura Integra, or a 1997-2001 Toyota Camry.  The reason I am specifying these vehicles are because of the tail lights on the car (see attached pictures).  I circled the block to get a better description, but never did
find the car again.  I did pass this information onto the police Friday night.

From talking with neighbors, it appears the actions these suspects took were well planned out, and not just some amateurs.

So please be on the look out for any suspicious activity during all hours of the day.  If you see anything, don't hesitate to call the police.  Gather as much information as possible as to the description of the suspect(s),
vehicle(s), activity, present location (specific address is best), and direction of travel.  The more information you have, the better informed the police will be in locating the individuals.

I also requested that any information the police may have as far as specific things to look out for, to please contact me so I can pass it out to all of you and the rest of the Mesa residents.

Also, please see the email below that I received from Charlene Miller of the Boise Police Department.

If anyone has any questions or more information, please contact me at 869-8093 or via email.

Thanks,

Aaron

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-----Original Message-----
From: Charlene Miller [mailto:CMILLER@cityofboise.org]
Sent: Friday, March 20, 2009 6:39 AM
To: Charlene Miller
cmiller@cityofboise.org
Lynn Hightower 3/19/2009 4:44 PM
Officers Called to Burglary in Progress
Increase - again - in daytime burglaries
Officers Urge Citizens to Report Suspicious Activity
 
Boise, March 19, 2009 - Boise Police were called by a citizen to a possible burglary in progress at a home near Rosehill and Latah at 1:02 p.m. this afternoon. When officers arrived, less than two minutes later, they
believe the suspects, who had entered the home, had slipped out a back door.
 
Officers who work in the area, as well as those throughout the city, say daytime home burglaries appear to be on the increase once again.
 
What Happened: Boise Police dispatch received a call from a neighbor at 1:02 p.m. this afternoon. The citizen told dispatchers he had watched two men walk up to a home and knock on the front door. When no one answered, the citizen watched the two men walk around to the back of the house. The citizen then saw the two suspects inside the home through a front window as they closed the blinds. The citizen thinks the suspects may have seen him on his cell phone watching their activity. He did not see them leave the house.
 
When Boise Police arrived, officers quickly surrounded the home, not knowing if the suspects were still inside. A Boise Police K9 joined officers in a thorough search of the home, but found no one still inside. Officers
believe the suspects did indeed see the neighbor on the phone and left through the back door. Officers did find evidence that the suspects had been inside the home. Officers called the homeowner, who confirmed no one was to be inside the house. So far, the homeowner has not found anything missing, although officers think the suspects were in the home for only a few moments before they got spooked.
 
The suspects are described as two light-skinned males with shaved heads.
 
"The neighbor did exactly the right thing," said Officer Cory Stambaugh of the Boise Police Department.
 
"By this neighbor being alert, calling police the minute he suspected something was suspicious, it looks like he prevented his neighbors house from being burglarized." said Officer Stambaugh.
 
Increase in Daytime Burglaries:  

Boise Police do not have statistics (those are being compiled), but officers throughout the city who work daytime patrol shifts report seeing another increase in daytime residential burglaries similar to a trend the city experienced last fall.
 
At this time, officers are working to identify suspects. It's unknown if the suspects are working as individuals or in groups, but their methods are similar:
 
Subjects case the neighborhood, either by sitting in parked cars watching who leaves their home, or knocking on doors to see who answers.   If no one appears home, they go around to the back and find entry through an unlocked door or window, or force entry.   If someone does answer the door, witnesses say they appear to make up a story, for example, that they're selling magazines, even though they don't have a selection of magazines with them.  Some witnesses have reported the subjects are dressed in what looks like "business casual" attire, collared polo shirts and slacks.   Happening in neighborhoods throughout the city.
 
"We want people to know this is happening, so they can watch out for themselves and their neighbors," said Officer Stambaugh.
 
Officers Urge Citizens to Report Suspicious Activity:   "Even postal carriers or delivery people can keep an eye out for this type of suspicious activity in a neighborhood. We'd much rather get a call and find everything's okay, than to find that someone saw something but didn't call, and a crime occurred." said Officer Stambaugh.
 
Officers have spoken to residents recently who say they saw something suspicious, but didn't report it until contacted by police who were investigating the burglary of a neighbor's home. Other citizens say they waited and reported the suspicious activity to a neighbors before calling police.
 
What Are Thieves Taking? Officers report thieves are taking items that are easily resold, like lap tops, jewelry, cameras, and home electronics.

Prevention:

Boise Police urge citizens to help officers by keeping an eye out on their neighborhood, and take measures to protect their own homes: Private Home Security: Install a high quality dead bolt locks on doors and use them!. Officers have found stronger, better quality dead bolts can sometimes prevent a suspect from easily kicking or breaking in a door. Something as simple as a rod in a window or patio door may prevent entry. Even a secure home may be burglarized. Keep valuables hidden or locked away, even inside your home. Boise Police recommend a fireproof safe for valuables and important documents. Use a digital camera to photo or video your valuable items, including jewelry and electronics. Serial numbers, when available, are also helpful for officers in tracking and locating stolen items. Keep your home well lit, and your landscaping trimmed, in both front and back, so doors and windows are easily seen at all times at all angles. Consider keeping a radio on when you're not home.

Neighborhood Security:

Call police (911) anytime you see anything potentially suspicious, even in the daylight! We might not consider something suspicious at 2:00 p.m. that we might suspect at 2:00 a.m., but remember, burglaries are happening in the daytime!

Watch out for your Neighbors! Call police immediately if you spot something or someone suspicious around a neighbors home. Something suspicious might be a parked car with people sitting inside who aren't known to neighbors; someone walking down the street looking into windows; or someone walking up to a neighbors home who you know is on vacation. Start a Neighborhood Watch Program! Knowing your neighbors and knowing how
to contact them at work or on vacation can be crucial to neighborhood safety. To learn more about the Boise Police Department's Neighborhood Watch Program, please call 577-3851.