The Topeka Police Department wants you and your property to be safe. The Crime Prevention Unit is dedicated to helping you take precautions to prevent you and those you love from being victims of crime. For more information, contact Sgt. Lance Feyh at 785-368-9497.

Here are some safety tips from the Crime Prevention Unit:

• Personal Safety
• Walking/Jogging
• Kids
• Home/Property
• Scams
• Vehicle

Personal Safety

• Always be aware of your surroundings.
• Report all suspicious persons, vehicles or activities.
• Trust your instincts. If something or someone makes you uneasy, avoid the situation.
• Cooperate with officers investigating a crime in your neighborhood and be willing to testify if necessary.
• Know your neighbors and look out for one another.
  

Walking/jogging:

• Walk with a friend.
• Don’t wear headphones while jogging/walking.
• Vary your route.
• Stick to well-lit, well traveled areas.
• Carry a purse close to your body and put a wallet inside coat or front pants pocket.
• Have your car or house key in hand before you reach the door.

Kids

• Don’t accept rides or gifts from someone you don’t know well and trust — that includes people you’ve met through the Internet.
• Make sure you know your full name, address and phone number.
• If someone tries to force you to go with them, scream “Help, this is not my mommy or daddy!” and run from the area.
• Stay alert and be aware of your surroundings.
• Trust your instincts. If something or someone makes you uneasy, avoid the person or situation and leave as soon as possible. Talk to a trusted adult.
• Always walk with friends. Walk in well-lit, well-traveled areas and be familiar with businesses in the area you could go to if you needed help.
• Avoid walking or playing in isolated areas such as alleys, wooded areas or vacant buildings.

Home/Property

• Use exterior doors with strong door hinges on the inside of the door with non-removable or hidden pins.
• Every entry door should be well-lit and have a wide-angle peep hole.
• Repair damages to your home and property.
• Use motion lighting.
• Trim trees and bushes to remove potential hiding places.
• Keep doors, windows and garage doors locked.
• Don’t leave property (such as lawn mower, bikes, tools, etc.) lying in your yard. Put them away.
• Don’t leave items of value in your car.
• Keep an inventory of your property and corresponding serial numbers.
• Mark your property with an identifier, such as a driver’s license number (do not use a social security number).

Scams

• Never give out your credit card number, Social Security, or bank account number over the phone. Only give it to people you have called.
• Check your bank/credit card statements frequently for unauthorized charges.
• On auto and home repairs, beware of potential con artists. The con artist may just do part of the work, use shoddy materials and untrained workers or take a deposit and not return. Check references and make sure contractors are licensed. It’s also best to get more than one estimate.

There are also warning signs of potential scams that you should be aware of, they include:

• Pressure to sign or buy something right away.
• Unwillingness to explain the details of a service.
• Tricky wording or vague language.

Who to contact if someone rips you off:

• Topeka Police Department 785-368-9551
• Better Business Bureau of Topeka 785-232-0454
• Kansas Attorney General 800-432-2310
• National Fraud Information Center 800-876-7060

National Credit Bureau Fraud Departments

• Equifax 800-525-6285
• TransUnion 800-680-7289
• Experian 888-397-3742

Vehicle

• Close your windows, lock your door and remove all valuables from your car.
• Park in well-lit areas at night.
• Don’t pick up hitchhikers.
• Leave enough space to pull around the vehicle in front of you when you’re stopped at a light or stop sign.