Security Tips
Home Security Tips
Vehicle Security Tips
What is Operation Identification
Crime Information
How to Report an Incident to the
Police
Safety Information
Forest Lakes Safety Message
Traffic Circle Navigation
The Security Tips were developed based on information
from the
Albemarle County Police.
Going on vacation?
Going to be away for awhile?
Make your home look occupied!
- Lock all outside doors before you leave or go to bed.
- Lock all windows.
- Leave lights on when you go out. A radio playing is a good
burglar deterrent. If you are going to be away for any length of
time, connect some lamps to automatic timers so that your lights
turn on at dusk and go off at bedtime.
- Keep your garage door closed and locked. An empty garage is a
good sign that no one is at home.
- Don't allow daily deliveries to accumulate when you are gone.
Cancel them in person or by phone or ask a neighbor to take care of
the mail, newspapers, and advertising circulations. Never leave
notes that can tip off burglars to your plans.
- Arrange to have your lawn cut in the summer and walkways shoveled
in the winter, if you are going to be away for an extended period of
time.
- Lower the bell on your telephone so the ringing cannot be heard
outside.
- Never leave keys under flower pots, door mats, inside unlocked
mailboxes or in other "secret" hiding places, burglars know them
all.
- If you are going on vacation:
a) notify the police at (434) 296-5807 and tell them how long you will
be gone, who has a key to your home and where you can be reached;
b) ask your neighbors to keep an eye on your house and leave them a
key so the home can be periodically inspected and ask them to vary
the position of the shades and blinds from day to day; and
c) don't publicize your travel plans and don't tell strangers about
them.
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Vehicle Security
Tips
- Always lock your vehicle(s).
- Never Leave anything valuable in your vehicle. This includes:
-
- Cell phones
- Money
- Backpacks
- Wallets
- Purses
- Packages
- Etc.
- If you must leave something in your vehicle, lock it in your
trunk.
- When possible, park in a well-lit area.
- Report all suspicious vehicles and activities. If possible, write
down license
plate
numbers.
- Coordinate information and activities with your neighbors. A
good neighbor is the best crime prevention tool.
For more information, please call the Albemarle Crime Prevention
Office at 972-4079.
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Operation Identification
Operation I.D. is a nationwide program designed to discourage
burglary and theft of valuables and provide an easy way to identify
stolen property. Most burglars steal property for re-sale.
With proper identification, the burglar will be unable to sell the
property to others for profit. Electric engravers are available to
Albemarle County residents free of charge on a loan agreement. All
necessary forms, equipment and additional information can be obtained by
called Albemarle County Police Department at (434) 296-5807.
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Crime
Information
Call "Crime Line" for residential crime information in Albemarle
County. Call the "Crime Line" at (434) 296-5880 and choose "option
#1 - Sector C" for Forest Lakes.
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How to
Report an Incident to the Police
(emergency or non-emergency)
- Call 911
- Give your name and address
- Briefly describe the event - what happened, when, where, and who
was involved.
- Describe the suspect(s): sex and race, age, height, weight, hair
color, clothing, distinctive characteristics such as beard,
mustache, scars, or accent.
- Describe the vehicle if one was involved: color, make, model,
year, license plate, and special features such as stickers, dents,
or decals.
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Forest
Lakes Safety Message
Our many lakes, trees, and paved trails help make Forest Lakes
special. However, all these attractions have inherent hazards.
Please note the following:
- Stay off any ice on the lakes.
- Wear reflective
clothing if you walk, run, or bike in the dark. Use
head and tail lights on your bike.
- Wading and swimming in the lakes is forbidden.
- Residents who put boats into our lakes do so at their
own risk.
- Paved paths are not perfectly flat due to tree roots and
terrain. Recognize this and take care when walking,
jogging, and riding bikes.
- The paths cross roads at many points. Be alert for
traffic!
- During high wind conditions, trees can suddenly fall.
Be alert when in close proximity to trees during these
conditions.
- Avoid construction sites, which can have dangers that
are not always obvious.
- When driving, watch for the many pedestrians and
bicyclists in Forest Lakes.
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Traffic
Circle Navigation
You've probably traveled through the traffic circle at the entrance
to Springridge.
VDOT has begun using traffic circles
(roundabouts) to improve safety and traffic flow and
you'll be seeing more of these in the County. In a traffic circle,
vehicles and bicycles in the circle have the right-of-way.
Cars entering the circle must yield to cars in the
circle.
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