Special Check Services

The Cramerton Police Department offers special check services to residents and business owners who plan on being away from their property or have special concerns about their property.  Interested residents or business owners are encouraged to utilize the Cramerton Police Department's Special Check Request Form (available here in PDF format). You may also have the form completed by calling the police department (704.824.7964) and providing the information via telephone. Once the information is received at the police department, officers on all shifts are notified of the request so that the location can be closely observed during the requested period.  This service does not provide a “crime free” guarantee but does allow the officers to be extra aware around the property. Residents should consider requesting the service when planning to be on vacation or away from home for two or more nights, or when having specific problems regarding their property (frequent trespassers, domestic concerns, etc.).  Business owners should consider utilizing the service when they are planning to be closed for longer than usual periods of time or when they have concerns of criminal activity on or around their property. If you have any questions about the special check service contact the police department at 704.824-7964.

For a Special Check Request Form CLICK HERE.    

 
 
False Alarm Reduction Program

Cramerton Board of Commissioners passed a Burglar Alarm Ordinance at their August 7th regular meeting. The Ordinance will become effective at midnight on November 1, 2007. The Cramerton Police Department will administrate the Ordinance through its newly formed Code Enforcement Unit. The Ordinance was passed in response to a rise in the number of false burglar alarm calls that are being responded to by the police department. “False alarms place an undue burden on police resources and affects the department’s responses to more serious calls,” said Cramerton Police Chief Greg Ratchford. The Ordinance includes provisions for registration of current and future residential and business burglar alarm systems, graduated fine structures for excessive false alarms, new equipment standards, and suspension of police response to chronic false alarms. Residents and business owners will have until November 1st to register their alarm at no cost. Alarm systems registered after November 1st will be subject to a $25.00 fee. Officers responding to alarm calls after November 1st will be issuing citations to alarm system owners who have not registered their alarm. Failing to register an alarm system will result in a $50.00 penalty being assessed.

For a copy of the Town of Cramerton Burglar Alarm Ordinance CLICK HERE
For an Alarm Registration Form CLICK HERE
 

North Carolina Sex Offenders Registry

The North Carolina General Assembly created the North Carolina Sex Offender and Public Protection Registry in January 1996.
This law outlines registration requirements for persons living in North Carolina, non-resident students and non-resident workers.You can sign up to receive e-mail alerts when an offender registers at an address in your community, or to track a specific offender. You can also map all offenders' addresses up to five miles away from any site you choose, such as home, school, child care center or park.

The Registry serves as a resource to help protect and inform the public. "The North Carolina Sex Offender Registration Program", a publication of the North Carolina Department of Justice, provides more detailed information about the state’s Sex Offender Registry.
 
 
Identity Theft
In the course of the day you may write a check at the drugstore, charge tickets to a concert, rent a car, call home on your cell phone, or apply for a credit card. Chances are you don’t give these routine transactions a second thought. But others may. Identity theft is the fastest growing crime in America, affecting half a million new victims each year. Approximately 286,000 North Carolinians have their identity stolen annually. A typical victim spends on average $800 and 175 hours over 23 months to clean up his or her credit and erase $18,000 in fraudulent charges. Identity theft is also bad for business, costing businesses billions per year.Identity theft is the taking of a victim’s identity to obtain credit and credit cards from banks and retailers, steal money from a victim’s existing accounts, apply for loans, establish accounts with utility companies, rent an apartment, file for bankruptcy, or obtain a job or services using a victim’s name and personal information. Thousands of dollars can be stolen and the victim may not know it for weeks, months, maybe even years.
 
How Does Identity Theft Occur?
 
All an identity thief needs is any combination of your Social Security number, birth date, address, and telephone number. This makes it possible to fake a driver’s license and then pose as you in order to apply for credit or obtain services. Once an identity thief opens one account opening the second and so on is much easier. Identity thieves can get information about you from doctors, lawyers, schools, health insurance carriers and many other places. They may pick up your discarded mail which may contain personal information. They may hack into your computer and take your Social Security number and credit card information. They may send you an email message asking you to “update” your account information and link you to a bogus website so they can steal your personal information.
 
How Do I Prevent Identity Theft?
 
  • Do not give out personal information over the telephone, through the mail, or over the Internet unless you have initiated the contact or know with whom you are dealing.
  • Shred all documents, including pre-approved credit applications, insurance forms, bank checks and statements you are discarding, and other financial information.
  • Protect your computer from Internet intruders – use “firewalls.” Also use anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date.
  • Create hard-to-guess passwords that cannot be found in any dictionary. Select passwords with at least eight characters and that include a mix of numbers and both uppercase and lowercase letters.
  • Minimize the identification information and the number of cards you carry. Take with you only what cards you will actually need.
  • Do not put your Social Security number on your checks or your credit receipts. If a business requests your Social Security number, give them some sort of alternate identifier instead.
  • Be careful when using ATM machines, point-of-sale machines, and long-distance phone cards. Someone may be looking over your shoulder to see your PIN.
  • Make a list of all of your credit card account numbers and bank account numbers with customer service telephone numbers, and keep it in a safe place.
  • Never submit your credit card number on a web site unless it is encrypted on a secured site. Look at the bottom of the screen for a padlock symbol. Do not select to save your information on the site for future reference.
  • Pay attention to your billing cycles. Follow up with creditors if bills do not arrive on time. A missing credit card bill could mean an identity thief has taken over your credit account and changed your address with the company.
  • Cancel all credit cards you have not used in the last six months.
  • Order your credit report at least twice a year from the three major credit bureaus: Equifax (www.equifax.com), Experian (www.experian.com), and Trans Union (www.transunion.com). The Fair Credit Reporting Act allows you to get one free credit report from each of the three major credit bureaus once per year. You can also visit www.annualcreditreport.com.
  • Correct all mistakes on your credit report in writing. Send a letter to the credit reporting agency identifying the problems item by item, include a copy of the credit report, and send the letter return receipt requested.
 
What Do I Do if I Am a Victim of Identity Theft?
 
  • Close the accounts that you know or believe have been tampered with or opened fraudulently. Use the ID Theft Affidavit available at www.ftc.gov.
  • File a police report. Get a copy of the report to submit to your creditors and others who may require proof of the crime.
  • File your complaint with the FTC at www.consumer.gov/idtheft. The FTC maintains a database of identity theft cases used by law enforcement agencies for investigations. Filing a complaint also helps the agency to learn more about identity theft and the problems that victims are having so that it can better assist you.
 
Jury Duty Scam
 
The following is not a new scam, it seems to be resurfacing as of lately. Local news channels have reported on consequences for individuals not appearing for jury duty when summoned, making this an opportunity for criminals.

Victims receive a telephone call where the caller claims to be a jury coordinator, advising the victim that they have failed to appear for jury duty and a warrant for arrest has been issued. When you tell the caller that you never received a jury summons, they offer to correct the problem asking for personal information such as your address, social security number, and date of birth to "verify" the error and cancel the arrest warrant. Once you haven given this information, the caller has everything they need to steal your identity.
The scam has been reported so far in 11 states including Oklahoma, Illinois, and Colorado. This scam is particularly insidious because they use intimidation over the phone to try to bully people into giving information by pretending they're with the court system. The FBI and federal court system have issued nationwide alerts on their websites, warning consumers about the fraud.
Check it out further on the FBI website: http://www.fbi.gov/page2/june06/jury_scams060206.htm