Safe Communities Corner

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…

It's easy to become overwhelmed when considering what kind of home security system will best fit your needs. The system that is right for you will depend largly on how much you want to invest in the equipment and subsequent subscription fees and how "hands on" (or off) you would like to be.If you know electronics and would like to go the most cost effective route, there are many camera/dvr packages available for purchase. Two benefits of this type of sysem are a.) one single up front cost for the system itself and b.) these systems run on a loop…

If reading this article feels a little like deja'vu, yes, you've already read it. We're glad the message got to you. Our blog and the Messenger ads didn't run as simoultaneously as they should have this month. There are a lot of moving parts in getting this information out to you so please pardon the mistake. We want to ensure that as many citizens as possible get the information, so bear with us as we get the Messenger graphic and the blog back in sync. We appreciate your patience. In 2022, Webster County reported a total of 85 residential burglaries. Of…

So you've done everthing you thought you could to keep a burglar out of your home, but somehow it still happened. A burglar is in your home rummaging through your things. Even after  someone has broken into your home, you can still have control over what they manage to get when you know what items they are looking for and what you can do to make it a little more difficult for them.Drug addiction is a major driving factor of property crime. It is highly likely that the burglar is looking for an easy way to get money to feed…

Webster County is no exception to the national trend of a steady decrease in cases of burglaries. In 2012, Webster County reported a total of 241 burglary offenses. Compare that to the 128 cases reported in 2022 and it's easy to see that we are headed in the right direction.  Despite that fact, any single burglary can be devastating to an individual or family whose home has been violated by this crime. Fortunately, there are many strategies available to keep yourself from becoming a victim of this invasive offense. Don't think because you don't own your home you are exempt…

Launched in September, 2019, the Community Camera Program was designed to let community members inform law enforcement that they have camera systems that could potentially catch footage of a crime committed in their area. This knowledge saves valuable investigation time and, since its implementation, it has proven itself to be a crucial tool in investigating and solving various offenses.When you chose to register your camera with the city, it simply tells them that you have that camera and you are willing to work with them.  Those who register will only be contacted if footage from their camera could aid in…

The Neighborhood Watch Program was started in 1972 in response to an increase in residential criminal activity. It is meant to be a preventative measure that encourages the citizens of a community to learn best practices from local law enforcement and other agencies focused on community safety. Neighborhood Watches positively impact neighborhoods in many different ways. Along with fostering a sense of community and strengthening the relationship between  law enforcement and the citizens they protect, Neighborhood Watches help develop a method of  communication between neighbors which aids in the ability to tell when something in the area is suspicious. This also…