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HomeNeighborhood Watch Committee
Bill Calhoun, Chair
Cheryl Collins
Ritu Parashar
Shelly Petrilli
Gina Hueston
Travis Boyd
Pat Puich
Mark Wilson
Al Maguire, Board Liaison
Neighborhood Watch
Stay In The Know
NEWPORT NOTIFIED replaces NIXLE
By April 12, 2024, NBPD will no longer send out alerts via Nixle. You will need to sign up for Newport Notified to continue to get crime alerts, traffic advisories, community updates and emergency notifications.
PACKAGE THEFT PREVENTION
Always track your package deliveries so that you know when they are estimated to arrive at your home. Click these links to register:
Make sure that someone is home to receive the delivery or that a trusted neighbor is available to receive the package on your behalf.
Never leave your deliveries unattended on your front porch.
Always require a signature when having items delivered.
MAIL THEFT PREVENTION:
Always use a US Postal collection box or deposit your mail inside your local post office.
Whether you have a home mailbox or use a post office box, you should always collect your mail on the day it is delivered. Never leave it in your mailbox overnight.
Mail thieves look for bank statements and credit card bills, which can be used to create counterfeit checks or fake identifications.
Thieves also look for personal checks enclosed in utility bills or other payments. Thieves take these stolen checks, remove the ink, and then fill out the blank check with their name and desired amount.
Never send cash or coins through the mail.
When reordering checks have them sent to your bank.
When you travel, ask a trusted friend or neighbor to pick up your mail.
If you don’t receive a check, bill, or other mail you are expecting, contact the issuing agency immediately.
Report all suspicious activity or if you are a victim of theft, to the Newport Beach Police Department by calling (949) 644-3717.
(Click headline for link to USPS)
My USPS™ lets you:
Track your incoming domestic packages in one place from your desktop or smartphone without having to enter tracking numbers.
Give specific instructions on where you’d like packages delivered.
Request incoming packages and mail to be held while you’re away.
Receive optional text and email notifications on the status of incoming domestic packages.
Avoiding Solicitors
What to do when that door-to-door solicitor rings our doorbell? The City has received complaints about such solicitation in residential neighborhoods throughout Newport.
The First Amendment does not require that residents have unwanted communications imposed on them in their homes. However, before allowing penalties for otherwise legal solicitations, courts require that the solicitors be notified that the resident does not want the communication.
The easiest way to give the required notice is to display a “no soliciting” sign in a location where solicitors can see it. Here's a SAMPLE.
"Do Not Solicit" Registry
It is a violation of the Newport Beach Municipal Code (NBMC) to solicit or deliver handbills to any residence on the “Do Not Solicit” list.
Newport Beach residents can join the City's “Do Not Solicit” registry at any time during the year and must renew their registration on an annual basis. On December 31, one year ends and residents will need to sign up again in January of the next year.
To Register, Click HERE
Registration for Commercial Solicitors
Some residents worry that solicitors may become a neighborhood safety concern. The NBMC requires that commercial solicitors register with the Newport Beach Police Department, and all commercial solicitors must carry registration cards when they solicit within the city. If a resident is being solicited, he or she has a right to ask to see the commercial solicitor’s registration.
Federal law does not allow the City to require noncommercial solicitors (including volunteers fundraising for noncommercial organizations or causes) to register.
For more information, visit the City of Newport Beach website Solicitation page HERE
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(Click for link to monthly reports)
NBPD reports 97% of crime in Newport involves cars and home robberies. As one lieutenant said - if everyone in Newport Beach would lock their car, remove anything of value, and lock their doors we would have about zero crime in this town!
Scroll down to the Eastbluff section of the report.
Note how many are NSFE (No Signs of Forced Entry), meaning these doors & windows were UNLOCKED!
Newport Beach Police Department
In case of
life-threatening emergency
Dial 911
NONEMERGENCY CALLS
949-644-3717
This includes:
Suspicious Activity
Loud Noise/Party Disturbances
Coyote Sighting or Attack
Questions regarding criminal activity
Vacation Check Requests
949-644-3681
Alarms
949-644-3723
Traffic
949-644-3742
Code Enforcement
949-644-3215
Calls for Service
www.nbpd.org
Newport Beach Police
WANT you to CALL!
Have you ever seen something strange, out of place, or suspicious in your neighborhood? Have you thought about calling the police... and then talked yourself out of it? Well, this month, we're hoping you'll break that habit.
If you see something or someone suspicious, call the NBPD's nonemergency line at 949-644-3717.
Make your call descriptive and timely - don't wait until you get home, or finish your errands, or until you’ve mulled it over for an hour. With that phone call, you may prevent a burglary, theft, or other crime from occurring... or it may turn out to be "nothing", and we'll continue on our way. Either way, it’s a win/win situation.
(It's also a good idea to program the 949-644-3717 number into your cell phone. If you ever need us, you'll be able to reach us quickly.)
Home Security Tips
Always lock your windows and doors when you go out, even if for only a few minutes.
All windows should have two locks.
Place a wooden metal stick in all sliding door and window tracks or place a security pin (a large nail will also work) through the frame.
Keep the landscaping around your home trimmed down around doorways, windows and light fixtures.
Keep your porch lights on dusk to dawn.
Give the same importance to garage doors as you would your front door. Make sure they are of a solid core construction and have a deadbolt lock.
All sliding glass doors and windows should be equipped with anti-lift protection.
Anti-lift protection can prevent your door or window from being lifted out of its track. A suspect can easily lift a window out of the track even if the window is locked. Install a security pin that slides through both frames securing the window in place or insert a minimum of two screws into the upper track or through the window frame.
Use several timers to turn on interior lights throughout your home. These timers should be used when you are both on vacation and at home.
To keep your valuables safe consider using a safety deposit box at your local bank.
Never leave a house key available under a doormat, in a flowerpot, or on the ledge of a door. These are the first places a burglar will look!
Install a peephole in your front door. NEVER open the door to someone you don't know!
Engrave your valuables with you California driver license number. This makes your property more difficult to pawn and helps law enforcement to identify your property, if it is recovered.
If you will be away for several days, have a trusted friend or neighbor pickup your paper and mail.
Join Neighborhood Watch! The best crime prevention device ever invented is a good neighbor.
REMINDER
Residential burglaries occur in all Newport Beach communities. Residents are encouraged to remain vigilant for suspicious behavior, lock all doors & gates, use alarms and other security devices at all times when leaving home.
A few tips to remember:
- Sign up for Nixle by going online: https://nixle.com/register/
- Support your Neighborhood Watch program by getting involved. Contact Pat Puich or me to sign up.
- Make note in your cell phone of the Newport Beach Police Department’s nonemergency number: 949-644-3717
Please visit the links below for to see Calls for Service, Home Security Checklist or a list of Part-One Crime reports, which are posted monthly.
Use this to evaluate your home's security
- Home Security Plan
- Lock all gates
- Use dusk to dawn lighting around your home
- Add Interactive Security to your plan
- Doorbell Camera
- Wireless security camera that is smartphone compatible – alerts you immediately to movement in your home
The following site is a good resource to learn more about the various products on the market to help add a layer of interactive protection to your security plan:
Bike Security Tips
Click HERE to read
SCAM Alert!
You can also visit the City website for more fraud prevention tips at Scams & Identity Theft.
We were notified by the City of Newport Beach that someone claiming to represent the City with the Senior Housing Assistance Repair Program (SHARP), contacted at least one resident and offered to visit their home to see if the property qualifies for the program.
Please be aware that the caller is not affiliated with the City or our partner in SHARP, Habitat for Humanity of Orange County. We are not “cold calling” residents, offering home inspections.
If you have any questions about someone claiming to represent SHARP or about the program, please call the OASIS Senior Center at 949-644-3244.
Protect Your Identity!
Please be aware that our neighbor witnessed a man rummaging through a trash can in Eastbluff early one Thursday morning before trash pickup. When he reported to the police, they advised that scavengers look for personal information to use in identity theft scams. They recommend that you place your garbage out in the morning on the day of pickup rather than the night before. This gives "Dumpster divers" less opportunity to go through your garbage & keeps Eastbluff looking neat!
Outdoor Activities & Thefts from Vehicles
When participating in outdoor recreation, it’s a common habit for people to leave their valuables in their car. Who wants to carry a bulky purse or wallet with them when they’re going to be on the sports field or hiking trail?
Because this is a common habit, burglars know that the parking areas for these activities can be gold mine for unsecured property. Even if you lock your car (which you definitely should), burglars don’t mind breaking into a car if they know there’s something valuable in there.
With that in mind, please plan ahead when you are getting ready to enjoy your outdoor activities. Here are 4 things you should do:
1. Pack light. Leave anything at home that you don’t absolutely need & that you don’t want to carry with you.
2. Utilize zipper pockets or a fanny pack for essentials. Take small items that you don’t want to leave at home with you if possible – for example: keys, cell phone, ID or credit cards.
3. Hide valuables before you get to your location. If you must leave something in your car, place that item in your trunk (where it is not visible) prior to getting to the parking area. You never know if a burglar is hanging out in that area watching for victims to make it obvious exactly where they stored their valuables.
4. Lock your car. Don’t be an easy target for burglars who are looking for convenient opportunities. Keeping your car locked is one of the best ways to avoid having it rummaged through.
Fumigations
Recently, a home in Newport Beach was burglarized while it was tented for fumigation. Typically, in these types of burglaries, a suspect enters a vacant, tented structure (single family home, apartment complex, or condo) and removes valuables, such as electronics and jewelry.
If your home is being fumigated:
· Remove valuables (including jewelry, electronics, and important financial documents) from your home prior to the fumigation process.
· Talk to your fumigation company about their policies on setting your alarm, leaving windows/exterior doors open, security measures they use/recommend, etc.
· Consider adding additional/temporary security cameras and exterior lighting outside the area the tent will cover.
· Notify your immediate neighbors to be alert and ask them to report suspicious activity immediately by calling the police department’s non-emergency number at 949-644-3717.
· Call Newport Beach Police Department at 949-644-3717 and request extra patrol at your residence during the time your home is tented.
"Lock It or Lose it"
Back in 2011, the NBPD released a video entitled "Lock It or Lose It". The cost figures have become a bit outdated in the past seven years, but the message is still very applicable.
Police track the circumstances around burglaries and thefts from cars and, in the vast majority (around 80%) of all these crimes, no force is used. Remember to take a minute to lock your car, roll up your windows, and remove your valuables - every time you park. Lock it... or lose it.
Video available on YouTube HERE
