• Over 40 million crimes are committed every year in America.
• 90% of the criminals are amateurs who are looking for easy targets and opportunities.
• Household burglary is one of the easiest crimes to commit and prevent.
• Florida ranks second in Auto Theft in the United States.
• Criminals seek out unsightly and uninvolved communities to commit their crimes.
• Crime feeds on apathy. If people simply "mind their own business," their entire community is vulnerable to crime.
• Crime has two victims. One is the person who suffers the loss or injury. The other is the community that person lives in. When faced with rising crime, people retreat behind locked doors, merchants abandon businesses, streets become empty at night. Fear creates isolation, and that increases the communities vulnerability to crime.
• Crime Prevention begins with YOU and your Neighbor. Learn to protect your community against crime!

1. The opportunity created by the victim through carelessness, lack of attention to security and failure to cooperate with his neighbors.
2. The opportunity created by the criminal, by his skill, ruthlessness and daring.

1. Anyone forcibly entering a car or home.
   
2. Someone running from a home or through the complex under unusual circumstances.
   
3. Someone carrying a weapon.
   
4. Someone screaming.
   
5. A stranger offering gifts to children.
   
6. A loiterer who doesn't belong in the area.
   
7. A person walking around the complex with items that may be stolen.
   
8. Person looking into cars or windows of residence.
   
9. Strange vehicles parked in your area.
   
10. Anything that makes you uncomfortable or seems out of place.

1. If you witness a suspicious incident that is in progress, call the Plantation Police Department at 797-2100. If the incident is an emergency call 911.
2. Identify yourself to the dispatcher, give your name, address, and telephone number.
3. Explain type of incident or crime.
4. Where it is occurring, be as specific as possible.
5. Give good detailed descriptions of the suspect(s) and any vehicles. Write down as much information as possible.
6. Give a direction of travel.
7. The longer you stay on the line the better chance the police will have to catch the suspect(s).

• Always lock your car and use a anti-theft device such as a steering wheel lock or alarm. Don't leave bags or property visible when leaving your car parked.
• Try to park your car in a well lighted area. When you return to your car, have your keys in your hand ready to open the door, look around your car to insure no one is waiting for you.
• Be observant of what is going on around you, stay alert, and use good judgment to avoid becoming a victim. If you look distracted or unsure about yourself, you increase your chances of becoming a victim.
• Always lock your home, even when you are home. Never open the door for a stranger. Ask for identification, or verify who they are before letting anyone in your home.
• When you leave your home, lock all of your doors and windows. Leave a light, T.V., or radio on to appear someone is home.
• Don't give out personal information on the telephone. Never give anyone your credit card number, social security number or driver's license number over the telephone. Anyone getting this information from you can assume your identity and destroy your life.
• When walking in public, don't wear a lot of visible expensive jewelry or display large amounts of cash.
• Take only the items necessary to conduct your daily business. Keep your purse securely tucked under your arm.

Most criminals are opportunists. Create an opportunity and the criminal will take advantage of it. Most business crimes like burglary can be prevented if the merchant is aware of the potential for crime and takes common sense precautions to make the business a "Target Hardened Environment."

Here are some precautions that the merchant can implement to create an environment which will reduce the potential for crime:

Lights - Proper lighting eliminates shadows, which burglars use as cover. Light up all points of entry. Leave lights on inside just as you would at home. Install lighting at the front and back in addition to any side doors of your business.

Doors - As with windows, check for signs of any structural weaknesses. Use heavy and solid constructions, and material that is drill-resistant. You can also reinforce the backs of doors with crossbars. Be sure the door frames cannot be easily be jimmied. If the door hinges are on the exterior of the door, fix the hinges so the pins cannot be removed and the door taken off the frame.

Locks - Secure doors, windows, skylights and other openings with the best possible locks. No lock is burglar proof, but the longer and harder the burglar finds to break in, the more likely they simply give up or be caught. Use deadbolts and be sure to change the locks every time an employee with access to them leaves employment. Be sure to also improve the integrity of the door frames by using at least 1 1/2 inch screws on the strike plates and use strike plates of heavy construction and extended face plates to prevent prying.

Windows - Check window frames to see if they are loose or rotting, and ensure that the windows offer visibility. Arrange merchandise so that a passerby can see into the store. The store employee needs to be able to notice dangers outside and let witnesses see trouble inside. So keep windows clear of obstructions, from stacked boxes on the floor to high shrubs beside the walkways. Covering windows with burglar resistant window filming provides the same protection as mentioned with stronger locks. Although the filming will not stop a forced entry it will be harder and take longer for the burglar to enter the business. One type of film that can be used is an Armorcoat Glass Protection. This is a polyester film (4 mils or thicker, with a scratch resistant surface) designed to be applied to the inner surface of any smooth glass. Using the proper adhesives can provide increased energy dissipation ability and resiliency, thereby increasing the inherent strength of the original glass by approximately 300%. This filming is very effectively as a "bomb-proofing" and "smash and grab" deterrent.

Safes - Reduce how much cash you have on hand after hours. If you have cash or other valuables, keep them in a safe anchored to the floor. Change the combination if staff who are familiar with it leaves. Install and use a drop safe. Limit how much cash is in the register and post signs saying that a drop safe is used and registers have only limited cash. Leave registers draws open at night so a potential burglar can see the registers are empty.

Store Displays - Keep your expensive merchandise away from the windows, towards the center of the store.

Alarm System - Install an alarm system. At least an alarm offers a measure of peace of mind. It is a deterrent to burglars, or forces them to get out quickly if they happen to break in. Insure you have a loud audible siren inside and outside of the business. Post warnings in clear view.

Business Watch Program

Nationally, businesses are robbed ten times more often than individuals, they experience more nighttime burglaries than homes and they are the sole target of shoplifters. As a result business owners and managers welcome the assistance of Law Enforcement in helping them decrease their losses and increase their bottom line.

One of the most effective business crime prevention programs is a Business Watch Program. This program which is similar to the Neighborhood Watch Program is designed to enhance community security through heightened awareness and open communication between police and citizens. It helps reduce crimes in commercial areas, particularly shoplifting, theft, burglaries, purse snatching, drug dealing, and vandalism.

The Business Watch Program helps build relationships between store owners and employees within a particular geographic area. By watching out for each other, businesses can maintain a safer working and shopping atmosphere within and around their establishment. A communication system, such as a fax network, or computer link between businesses should be established to pass on information about suspicious persons or activity.

For more information on this program and how to get it started, contact:

CRIME PREVENTION UNIT
(954) 916-5601

Commercial Security Surveys

The Plantation Police Department's Crime Prevention Unit also provides a free service to businesses in Plantation. A commercial security survey can help businesses to identify security weaknesses and reduce their vulnerability to crime in many ways.

Security measures like updated locks, lighting and alarms can make any establishment a less attractive target for criminals. These surveys are conducted by Crime Prevention Practitioners who are certified by the Office of the Attorney General and are free of charge. To have your business checked, just contact the Crime Prevention Unit.