Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from everyone at the Warrick County Sheriff's Office. If your festivities include alcohol this holday season, please designate a driver that is not consuming alcohol. We do not want anyone's holiday to be spoiled by an arrest or a horrible crash.

Christmas Scams

Beware of holiday shopping scams that seem to be very popular this time of year. Scams like Santa's Helper, and others that use the names of of large retailers will ask you to cash a check or money order, deposit a small portion of the money into your bank account and wire the rest of the money to them in a foreign country. Then to make is seem like a you are helping someone out at the holidays, they ask you to visit a store and purchase gifts for someone that you know needs financial assistance.

In reality, you lost the money that you spent at the department store along with the money that you wired to them because the check or money order was a fraud.

When someone you do not know sends you a check or money order in the mail, you can bet that the money is not yours to keep.

If your gut instinct tells you that this is too good to be true, it is too good to be true. Enjoy the Christmas Season and give from your hearts.

Winter weather driving

Winter weather will be here before we know it. The first time that the roads get slick it seems that everyone is caught off guard. Make your preperations now and you will be one step ahead of everyone else. Make sure that you have an ice scraper in your vehicle. Check the weather before you go to bed at night, and if they are calling for bad weather make sure you get out of bed earlier to allow for cleaning off your vehicle and the additional time that it takes to make the drive to work. Let your vehicle run while you clean the windows, drive slower than normal to allow for slick roads, keep extra distance between you and the vehicle in front of you, allow extra time for stopping, and never use your cruise control on slick roads.

If you take a few precautions you can make it through the winter weather without having to visit the hospital or the body shop.

From all of us at the Warrick County Sheriff's Office, have a safe and happy holiday season!

Home burglaries and alarms

With the state of the economy being what it is, home burglaries are on the rise. This seems to occur every year prior to the holiday season. Burglers take things of value that they can turn into cash quickly. Small electronic devices, jewelry, handguns and other valuables that can be easily carried or put into a backpack. Several people have asked about the best types of alarm to put in at their residence. It is my opinion that an audible alarm that the neighbors can hear is the best type of alarm. Anything that draws attention to your home when it is being invaded will deter burglars. The alarm also needs to be tied to a telephone line, either with an alarm company or your personal cellphone to notify you of a problem.

Since it is the holiday season, a lot of people purchase gifts from internet sources. When you have them delivered to your home, make sure that they don't set on the porch any longer than necessary. Keep your mail and paper boxes cleaned out, and leave lights on inside the residence when you are gone. This gives the appearance that someone is home, even when you are not.

Find a neighbor that you can trust to keep an eye on your residence, moving a vehicle around in the driveway once in a while also gives the appearance that you are not away for an extended time period. Try to have your dwelling appear as normal as possible both when you are home and when you are away on vacation.

Daytime Burglaries

Daytime burglaries seem to be on the rise. Make sure to lock your house, detached buildings, and any vehicles left at home. If you are going to be away from your house for a few days, get a neighbor to keep an eye on things. It is a good idea to notify your local police department or Sheriff's Office and let them know to keep an eye on things while you are away. You may also give our dispatchers your contact information in case there is trouble. Don't invite trouble. Contact the Post Office and Newspaper and have them stop delivery until you return. There is no better sign of a vacant residence than mail and newspapers stacking up in the mailbox.

There has been at least one burglary in the north end of Warrick County, and a few in the south end. Possible vehicle description is a small white or silver colored Chrysler sedan with unknown occupants. If you spot someone suspicious, get as good of a description as possible of the persons and vehicles and call the police immediately. With the help of the citizens, we can put an end to this string of burglaries.

Criminal activity

Anytime you witness what you believe to be criminal activity, please call and report the activity to the police immediately. On Monday October 17th, there were people in Warrick County that witnessed what they believed to be several young men getting into cars and stealing items. One of the ladys didn't bother to call the Sheriff's Office until about an hour later when she realized that her vehicle was one of them that had been broken into and articles were stolen. We all need to look out for one another, don't stand by and watch a criminal commit crimes against your neighbor, you could very well be the next victim. Your Sheriff's Deputies are out there to protect you and your neighbors. If you witness a crime call the Sheriff's Office and report it so we can do our job. In this case the criminals were caught because another citizen called in when they chased away from their car, and a second person saw them hanging around the area and realized that they shouldn't be there. When good citizens get involved things get done.

Halloween Safety

With Halloween quickly approaching I thought I would pass along a few tips. When picking out your children's costumes, try to get light colored reflective material. Never let your children Trick or Treat without adult supevision, stay in neighborhoods that you are familiar with, and check the Registered Sex Offender list before you head out. Always error on the side of caution and follow your gut instinct. If something doesn't feel right stay away from it. From all of us at your Sheriff's Office have a Happy Halloween.