Category: Safe Communities Corner

As parents, our natural instinct is to protect our children at all cost. Time and time again, mothers everywhere wake suddenly early in the morning to watch for the rise and fall of their baby's chest when their infant sleeps through the night for the first time. If a father has to brake suddenly with his teenager in the passenger seat, his arm instinctually reaches out to cross in front of his child in the hopes of shielding them from what might come. The drive to protect our children runs deep. As you lock up your home tonight to keep…

How many times do you find yourself picking up your phone to check something and, before you know it, an hour has passed and the only thing you have accomplished is saving 6 recipes you won't ever make, finding 32 Dollar Tree Christmas craft ideas, and found the magic exercise that guarantees you'll be 30 lbs lighter in a month? We've all been guilty of falling down the rabbit hole that is our phones. Unfortunately, so do our kids, and they are spending almost twice as much time behind screens as adults.Loss of productivity, shortened attention span, and anxiety and…

While we are no longer tethered to the kitchen wall by the telephone, can we really say that we have cut the cord? Nobody can argue with the fact that cell phones have had a tremendous positive impact on society. The ability to contact anyone at any time, immediate access to a wealth of information, constant entertainment, the list could go on and on. But, as Peter Parker's Uncle Ben (or Voltaire) says, "with great power comes great responsibility." From the physical design of the phone itself to the apps you install, almost everything about this pocket-sized computer is designed…

You can't please everyone all the time. This phrase couldn't be more true than in times of conflict. Sometimes, even after keeping your cool, maintaining non-threatening body language, speaking with respect, and exhausting every reasonable solution, there is just no compromise to be found. Anger has overtaken logic and de-escalating the situation has escaped your grasp. Knowing when to disengage becomes your next step. Being able to do so is important for the safety of everyone involved. So how do you know when it is time to step away from the attempt to de-escalate? Let's take a look at the…

Yes, what you say matters. Sticks and stones will break bones and words can make or break your attempt to keep someone from escalating out of control. When approaching someone who is visibly upset, even to the point of anger, it is important that you take control of the conversation. Set boundaries on how you expect to be treated. Let them know that you won't belittle or disrespect them and, if you're going to help them, you expect the same in return. Once you've established that you can move on to the next key principles in de-escalation. Remember, what this…

Did you know that human beings subconsciously mirror each other's demeanor? Think about it for a second; what do you do when someone smiles at you? Chances are, you smile back. What about when someone is waving an angry finger at you? It's natural to get irritated and cross, especially if it's undeserved or unexpected. Emotional maturity is learning to control our natural responses and interact with others in a healthy and productive manner (even if they aren't doing the same). Being aware of how we are responding to someone whose mood is escalating to a point of anger or…

On Tuesday, September 10th, you will be asked to vote for or against adding a franchise fee to your Mid-American utility bill. For the average home, this would be about a $6.85 bump in their monthly utility bill. 100% of the money raised by this fee will be poured back into our community in the form of 8 additional police officers. We understand that, for many community members, the idea of voting for an increase in any bill right now might feel unrealistic. We understand that! However, we urge you to think about how this could impact our community and the…

Knowing where you are vulnerable could be your best line of defense when it comes to protecting yourself against fraud. There are risks anywhere, but it should be no surprise that someone wanting to take advantage of your bank account would target you where you are most likely to let your guard down.Young adults (between the ages of 18-59) are most likely to be targeted on social media, websites, and apps.  Have you ever gotten a friend request from a random person with whom you share no mutual friends? Typically their professional profile picture is of a well manicured, good-looking…

Would it surprise you to know that check fraud is still the number one form of bank fraud? Most consumers might assume that, with the rise of electronic banking, check fraud would become obsolete. The opposite is true, however, with check fraud nearly doubling in 2022 and continuing to rise in 2023. The jump in check fraud activity was likely spurred by the amount of government assistance checks that were being delivered throughout the pandemic. These were an easy target for fraudsters because it could be a long time before someone realized their check was missing, and even if the criminal…

Identity theft: Why would anyone want to be me? I don't know about you, but I can think of several personal commitments or duties that I would love to hand over to someone who decides they would like to be me for a day or two. However, my credit card is not one of them. The idea of a perfect stranger with less-than-good intentions getting a hold of our credit cards is frightening and can be downright devastating if it happens. Knowing how fraudsters get a hold of your information is the first step in protecting yourself. Let's take a…