Park Ridge Pol ice Depar tment

M A N U P ! P A R K R I D G E P O L I C E V S . F I R E

Winter 2015-2016

Police Department Staff

Chief Frank Kaminski

Acting Deputy Chief Duane Mellema

Deputy Chief Lou Jogmen

Community Strategies Officer Julie Genualdi

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Thank You Park Ridge

2

Youth Commission Dodgeball

2

Chief’s Corner 2

Clicking for Support 3

Holiday Package Thieves 3

Officer Honored 4

Talk It Up 4

Don’t Get Scammed 5

Keep Our Seniors Safe 5

Citizens Police Academy 6

Don’t Ruin the Holidays 6

CERT Needs You! 7

Police Explorers

Recruitment

7

Winter Car Seat Safety 8

Coloring Contest Winners 8

Winter “Survival” Kit for Your Vehicle

2

COMMUNITY STRATEGIES NEWSLETTER

S E L F I E S F O R S U P P O R T On September 15th , the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police launched their “Selfies for Support” campaign. This campaign encour-ages members of the community to take a selfie with a police officer and show your support for law enforcement! By working together, we can make our communities saf-er. Check us out on Facebook, www.facebook.com/ILACPselfiesforsupport/

The Mustache Battle

The numbers are in...The Park Ridge Police Department defeats the Park Ridge Fire Department by 4 votes! In

order to promote awareness for men’s health, Advocate

Lutheran General Hospital hosted a “Movember” mustache

growing competition on social media between the Park

Ridge Police Officers and Firefighters during the month of

November. They put their pride, reputation and manhood

on the line in this competition for the most likes. Visit

www.manupatadvocate.com/ for the latest news in men’s

health.

2016 Where’s the Chief?

B.O.L.O. for the Police Chief Frank Kaminski and his staff as they host several even-

ing “Coffee with a Cop” events around town. Take this informal opportunity to meet with the staff of the Park Ridge Police Depart-

ment and ask questions or discuss your ideas and con-

cerns. Stay tuned for dates, times and locations!

The most recent tragic event in San Bernardino causes us to pause and ask “Can it happen here?” No one has a crystal ball that can predict when and where another violent, senseless attack will occur. Unfortunately, this event seems to be happening more frequently. I keep reminding everyone to be vigilant and report suspicious activities. In the event that a similar situation should occur, remember you have three options: RUN, HIDE, FIGHT. Let’s hope and pray our community stays safe.

Have a Happy and Safe New Year!

Page 2

T H A N K Y O U P A R K R I D G E !

C H I E F ’ S C O R N E R

G E A R I N G U P F O R W I N T E R : V E H I C L E “ S U R V I VA L ” K I T

Cops for Coats: (L to R) Park Ridge Officer Julie Genualdi and Maine

Township Supervisor Carol Teschky. Photo courtesy of Dick Barton.

The 4th Annual Cops for Coats drive held in November proved to be a success! The Park Ridge, Niles and Des Plaines Police Departments send out a big THANKS to all who donated coats to this worthy cause. Over 700 coats were collected and distributed to 110 local residents. The remaining coats were then donated to a local church.

In addition, we would also like to thank the Maine Township staff for hosting the event and the Park Ridge Citizens Patrol and Explorers and Niles VIPS volunteers for all their help.

Winter is coming, and with it white-knuckle driving through dizzying snowstorms on the way to those absolutely epic powder days — or just a trip to a friend’s place out of town. No matter the destination, every winter driver needs to be prepared if something goes wrong. Prep for breakdowns, spin-outs, highway mishaps, or simply getting stuck in the snow with the putting together a winter-ready kit for your vehicle, that includes the following items:

Cell phone charger

Blankets

Shovel

Extra jacket, hat, gloves and boots

Flashlight

Jumper cables

Fuel container

Basic tool kit

Spare tire & jack

Water & snacks

Sand or salt

First aid kit

If you have any traffic related questions or concerns, please contact the Park Ridge Police Depart-ment’s Traffic Coordinator Tom Rechlicz at 847-318-5220 or trechlic@parkridgepolice.org.

RUN.HIDE.FIGHT. is a Department of Homeland Security Grant Funded Project of the Regional Catastrophic Planning Initiative. Produced by the City of Houston Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security. Visit the link below to watch the education video:

www.RunHideFight.com

Mark your calendar for the 8th Annual Park Ridge Youth Commission Dodge Ball Tournament

Saturday, March 5, 2016 Registration: 6:00pm –6:45pm Tournament starts at 7:00pm

Park Ridge Community Center 1515 West Touhy Avenue

Co-ed teams composed of up to 6 players

Middle School brackets for 6th, 7th and 8th grades & High School Brackets: Frosh—Senior

Entry fee: one canned good food item or $1 per player.

All proceeds benefit Maine Township Food Pantry.

Prizes for 1st and 2nd place in each bracket

Winners from each bracket compete against members of Public Safety Team.

Free refreshments! Spectators welcome! Contact the Park Ridge Park District at 847-692-5129 or email jared-

skiba@allegromusiccenter.net for additional information.

Illinois RoadwayIllinois RoadwayIllinois Roadway

Traffic Fatalities Traffic Fatalities Traffic Fatalities

to Date:to Date:to Date:

December 9, 2015

Fatalities: 927*

Last year at the same time:

December 9, 2014

Fatalities: 877* Change: +50Change: +50Change: +50

* IDOT* IDOT* IDOT

See You There!

C L I C K I N G F O R S U P P O R T C O U L D C O S T Y O U

Community Strategies Newslet ter Page 3

No!

The next time you get a message offering to fix a supposed problem with your computer, you might keep this in mind: “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” Because there’s a good chance that call is a tech support scam. Today, the FTC announced a case against Click4Support, charging the company with fleec-ing people out of up to thousands of dollars per consumer. Here’s how it worked, according to the FTC: the company used search engine results and pop-up ads, which seemed to come from well-known tech companies, but did not. Those ads drove people to telemarketing centers. If you called, the Click4Support reps would get remote access to your computer to – ahem – identify and resolve issues. Then the reps would make you believe your computer had a virus, spyware, mal-ware, or was otherwise compromised. But the FTC says those claims were false. Then, according to the FTC, the company sold their tech support “service” to consumers. That meant anything from a one-time “fix” to a long-term services plan, and cost from $69 to thousands of dollars. The FTC estimates these fees added up to more than $17.9 million for Click4Support. And what did consumers get? Big charges for unnecessary so-called repairs – which, in fact, sometimes damaged computers, according to the FTC. If you see a pop-up, an ad, or get a call for tech support services, here are some ways to keep your money to yourself:

Don’t give access to your computer to anyone who contacts you.

Never give your credit card or financial information – or your passwords – to anyone who calls asking for them.

Hang up on anyone who pressures you to pay for a computer security product or service. If you have concerns about your com-puter’s security, call a reputable computer security company using a number you know is really theirs. If you need to check a com-pany out, search its name online with words like “review,” “complaint,” or “scam.” Courtesy of the Federal Trade Commission

3 T I P S T O P R O T E C T Y O U R H O L I D A Y P A C K A G E S F R O M P O R C H T H I E V E S

It is becoming an all too familiar sight: thieves stealing packages right off the porches of homes in neighborhoods. Authorities are calling the trend “porch piracy” and say it is happening more and more this time of year in conjunction with the rise of online sales during the Holiday season. In order to protect your home from these package pirates, follow these tips: Require a signature - Ask the shipping company to require a signature upon delivery when receiving a package. This ensures that the package will be

passed directly from the postman to you. While it is difficult to schedule a time to receive a package when the majority of Americans are working during the drop-off time, it is worth it to not let the postman simply leave the box on your front step.

If you are not able to be home to sign for the package, most third-party shippers will leave the box at a local store if it was unable to be signed for three times in a row. While this errand to the local shipping shop may seem unnecessary, you’ll be thanking yourself for not having to go through the headache of reporting a package stolen.

Send it to your office-If you work in an office building that allows you to receive personal packages, have it sent there instead of your home. Boxes that are dropped off at office buildings are often seen the minute that they arrive and are distributed almost immediately. You’ll have a higher chance of receiv-ing your box when it hasn’t been sitting unattended for multiple hours outside your front door.

This option is especially great for those who live in apartment complexes. Often, apartments do not have anything sitting in front of the door that could obscure a package. While postmen are taught to try to hide the package from plain view, it is hard to do when there isn’t anything in front of your door besides a shared hallway.

Install a security camera - If you know you won’t be home to sign for a package and it isn’t an option to send it to your office building, install a camera on your front porch that can be your eyes for you. Place the camera at an angle so that it can capture as much of your front porch as possible. If you do get a package pirate on your stoop, you can easily identify who the culprit is and turn the footage over to the police.

These days, a lot of security cameras come with integrated platforms that allow you to monitor your home from a remote location. When your package has shipped, ask the shipping agency to send you mobile notifications when your package has been delivered, then you can check your camera from wherever you are to ensure the package is really there. After that, you can peek in on your package throughout the day to make sure it hasn’t been taken. If it has, you can quickly call authorities and the chance of getting your box back is much higher.

Bonus: Insure your items -Many online retailers this Cyber Monday have offered buyers free shipping this year, so use the money you saved on shipping to insure your bigger purchases. That extra money spent on insurance will look like a really good idea if you, unfortunately, are visited by porch pirate.

Ensure that your front porch isn’t a victim of “porch piracy” with these simple tips.

The Park Ridge Police Department is pleased to announce that Officer Jeff Koller recently received the Cook County Sheriff’s Police Award of Valor. Officer Koller, along with law enforcement officers from across the region, was recognized at an awards ceremony held on November 3, 2015 at Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills. Officer Koller received this prestigious award for his actions on April 30, 2015, when the Park Ridge Police were dispatched to a call for a possible heroin overdose by a subject located in a vehicle in the area of Lake and Stewart. Upon arrival on the scene, he immediately located the vehicle with the male passenger inside. The driv-er of the vehicle informed Officer Koller that the male passenger had overdosed on heroin and had been unre-sponsive for approximately 10 minutes. Officer Koller quickly removed the male subject from the vehicle onto the parkway and noted that he was unresponsive and not breathing. He immediately began to perform CPR. Shortly after, the Park Ridge Fire Department arrived on the scene and assisted him with life-saving procedures. The subject was transported to the hospital in an ambulance and subsequently was resuscitated. Officer Koller’s quick actions, professionalism and his commitment to duty helped give this man another chance at life. The men and women of the Park Ridge Police Department are extremely proud of his efforts and thank Sheriff Thomas Dart for recognizing his life saving efforts.

Page 4

OFFICER RECIEVES COOK COUNTY AWARD OF VALOR

Pictured (left to right):

Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart, Officer Jeff Koller, Acting Deputy Chief of Police Duane Mellema,

and Chief Frank Kaminski.

TALK IT UP Underage drinking. A serious problem in Illinois that carries serious consequences to teens, parents and the State alike. We’re not proud of the fact that the rates of underage drink-ing in Illinois are higher than the national average. However, we are proud of the innovative ways we have developed to address it. Recently, the Illinois Liquor Control Commis-sion has launched a parental responsibility campaign to combat these high rates. Why involve parents? Because our research shows that contrary to popular opinion, kids do listen to their parents. Parents who are involved in their children’s lives on a day-to-day basis, who talk with their kids about good decision-making, who give them the support to say no and provide fun alterna-tives to alcohol have remarkable success rates. And the sooner they start the conver-sation, the more effective they are. That’s why our new campaign, aimed at par-ents of 8th grade students, taps into the power of parents to make positive change. Called “Talk it Up,” it gives parents the education, resources and tools to get talking, and keep talking, with their kids. We are reaching out through a variety of channels—radio ads and TV spots, billboards and bus

cards, social media, blog posts, a redesigned website and all kinds of other methods—to get the word out. Bottom line: Parents know we have their back. Kids know their parents have their back. And together we are building a community that is changing the way we look—and talk about—underage drinking.

However, this is not all we do. As the body entrusted with safeguarding the health and safety of the people of Illi-nois, ILCC representatives travel the state, talk with schools and communities and build partnerships with groups with a similar mission. We stay on top of the latest research, and use it to create evidence-based best practices, strate-gies and interventions. In fact, the Talk It Up! Campaign is in direct response to the most recent Illinois Youth Survey. Whether you are a parent or teacher, community member or interested citi-

zen, we invite you to join us in helping to prevent underage drinking. Visit www.TalkItUp.com for more information. Source: Illinois Liquor Commission.

Got Drugs? Turn in your unused or expired medication

24 Hour Drop-Off Service |Park Ridge Police Department, 200 South Vine Avenue

PLEASE NOTE: NO LIQUIDS, OINTMENTS, SHARPS OR EMPTY CONTAINERS.

Community Strategies Newslet ter Page 5

D O N ’ T G E T S C A M M E D

What’s the fastest way to get community alerts? Sign-up for Nixle at www.parkridgepolice.org

Or “Like” us on Facebook at Park Ridge Police Department

If you are like most Illinoisans, your home is your most valuable financial asset. Performing upgrades on your home in the form of a new roof, new kitchen, or addition can increase its value, but home improvements can also be needlessly expensive and frustrating if you pay for work that is not performed, work that does not meet the building codes in your town, or work that is of poor quality. For these reasons, it's important to take extra care when you hire someone to work on your home. Each year the Office of the Illinois Attorney General receives thou-sands of complaints involving disputes between home owners and home repair contractors. Home owners can protect themselves by following some important rules and asking the right questions.

Common Home Repair Scams

Complaints received by the Office of the Illinois Attorney General demonstrate that unscrupulous home repair contractors use some common techniques to gain the confidence of home owners. Unscrupulous contractors might tell you they have "leftovers" from a larger job and can do the repair work for you at a discount. They might attempt to frighten you by claiming that your house contains health hazards or code violations that must be fixed right away. They might claim to be a representative of your insurance company in an attempt to get you to agree to work they say your insurance policy will pay for. You might be offered a "free furnace cleaning" by a heating and cooling company as an excuse to sell you a new furnace you do not need. In general, consumers should beware when a home repair contractor:

contacts you or comes to your home uninvited

tells you that you need to make repairs immediately or your safety may be in danger

pressures you to sign papers today or talks too quickly, attempting to confuse you

tells you that he or she is doing work in your neighborhood and claims to have "extra materials" left over from another job

quotes a price that's out of line with other estimates

offers to drive you to your bank to withdraw funds to pay for his or her work

can be reached only by leaving messages with an answering service

drives an unmarked vehicle or has out-of-state license plates

asks you to pay for the entire job up front

The Park Ridge Police Department encourages you to DIAL 911 if you have questions or concerns about possible scams in your neighborhoods.

SEE IT, HEAR IT, REPORT IT!

When the cold weather strikes, our elderly and disabled neighbors may need extra assistance. Here are some of the ways you can help them stay safe and sound:

Offer your phone number for emergency calls and check on elderly loved ones and friends regu-larly to make sure they're safe.

During severe weather, see if they need transportation to and from medical appointments or to the grocery store.

Make sure they have emergency supplies on hand.

If loved ones are cognitively or physically disabled, arrange for someone to stay with them during a weather emergency.

The “Good Neighbor Initiative” in Park Ridge is committed to identifying individuals, especially those who are elderly or isolated and in need help after a flood, utility shut-off or just general assistance by providing them with direction to resources through local non for profit agencies that serve our commu-nity. We can all make a difference by being a Good Neighbor. Please remember the Health Division can be a great conduit to sev-eral agencies that are dedicated to helping residents. Call Laura Dee at 847-318-5319 if you have any questions or concerns.

K E E P I N G O U R S E N I O R S S A F E I N E X T R E M E W E A T H E R

tions, crime scene investigations, narcotics, range instruction and other related fields. Through educa-tion, the academy provides a bridge between the officer in the car and the citizens in the field. In the end, graduates are better equipped to assess safety issues and share with others their knowledge of law e n f o r c em e n t p r a c t i c e s a n d p o l i c i e s . If you would like to be part of this great experience, please visit www.parkridgepolice.org and download an application. Applications are also available at the police department. For additional information, con-tact Commander Jason Leavitt at 847-318-5263. Applicants must be 21 years of age to participate.

Page 6

Get a look at law enforcement in Park Ridge…

FROM THE INSIDE

Join us for a ten-week course that provides citizens with an understanding

of the police department’s operations.

DON’T RUIN THE HOLIDAYS...DRIVE SOBER OR GET PULLED OVER

The concept of the Citizen's Police Academy in-volves a partnership with the citizens of Park Ridge and the Park Ridge Police Department. The bene-fits of such a partnership can only help strengthen the entire community in terms of public safety and quality of life. The Park Ridge Police Department Citizens Police Academy offers members of the community, a unique opportunity to become familiar with the op-erations of the police department. During the 10-week course citizens learn from police department personnel who are specially trained in the areas of patrol operations, traffic laws, criminal investiga-

April 7—June 9, 2016 Thursday nights from 7:00—9:30pm

Park Ridge Public Service Center

Citizens Police Academy

The holidays are merry and bright—unless you’re drinking and driving.

For many Americans, “holiday cheer” involves drinking alcohol at holiday parties and events. That means, unfortunately, there’s a spike in drunk-driving crashes each December.

In the single month of December 2013, a staggering 733 people lost their lives in crashes involving a drunk driver.

Drunk driving will cost you more than you think.

Some DUI offenders say the rea-son they drove drunk was because they didn’t want to spend money on a cab. The average DUI costs

$10,000. Wouldn’t you rather pay cab fare?

Keep the holidays full of cheer—find a sober ride home.

Make a plan for a safe way home before you attend that office party or holiday event. If

you plan on drinking, desig-nate a sober driver ahead of time and leave your keys at home. You can also program the phone number of a friend or local taxi service into your phone.

All it takes is one drink to im-pair your judgment and reac-tion time and increase the risk of getting arrested for driving drunk—or worse, crashing your vehicle.

If you see someone driving drunk, call 911 when it’s safe to do so, and give a description of the vehi-cle to law enforcement. It is your business. Getting drunk drivers off the roads saves lives.

Community Strategies Newslet ter Page 7

W E N E E D Y O U !

The City of Park Ridge will be hosting a Community Emergency Response Team class for the Winter/Spring 2016. Interested persons should contact Phil Falson for more information at parkridgecert@gmail.com or 847-774-4231. The classes will be held Wednesday nights, Febru-ary 3rd through March 16th from 6:30 p.m. until approximately 10 p.m.

The Park Ridge Community Emergency Response Team (PRCERT) Program educates people about disaster preparedness for hazards that may impact the Park Ridge area and trains them in basic disaster response skills, such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organi-zation, and disaster medical operations. Using the training learned in the classroom and during exercises, PRCERT members can assist others in their neighborhood or workplace and the City of Park Ridge following an event when professional responders are not immediately available to help. PRCERT members also assist the City of Park Ridge during large community events. PRCERT may also be requested to assist local or regional agencies during major incidents and be able to assemble into small teams ready to be deployed.

LawEnforcementExplorerNI‐RIDGEPost911isRecruiting!

The Park Ridge Police Department is teaming up with the Niles Police Department to form a joint Law Enforcement Explorer Post.  

Interested in Law Enforcement?  Join us and learn more about becoming a  

NI‐RIDGE Police Explorer!  

Develop skills in crime scene investigation, observation, & conflict resolution!

Have fun at events like scenario training, leadership seminars, & service projects!

Meet and learn from real police officers in your community.

Get a kick start on job experience and add to your resume.

Assist the police departments at community events.

Make friends and create memories, all while training for your future!

All area teens are welcome, ages 14 (graduated 8th grade) through 20.

For additional information, contact Officer Julie Genualdi at jgenuald@parkridgepolice.org / 847-318-5233 or Officer Peter Daoud at pmd@vniles.com / 847-588-6408.

NEW

200 South Vine Avenue Park Ridge, Illinois 60068

Park Ridge Pol ice Department

W i n t e r We a t h e r a n d C a r S e a t S a f e t y

Phone: 847.318.5252 Fax: 847.318.5308

Police And Community Together

We’re on the Web! www.parkridgepolice.org

To receive the Community Strategies Newsletter electron-ically, please contact Officer J u l i e G e n u a l d i a t 847.318.5233 or via email at jgenuald@parkridgepolice.org and you will be added to the list.

Police Department

Tours!

Learn More About the Park Ridge Police Department!

Tours of the Park Ridge Po-lice Department are available for scouts, school groups and

other organizations.

For more information and to download a request form,

visit: www.parkridgepolice.org or

contact Officer Julie Genualdi at (847) 318-5233

Page 8

COLOR BY NUMBER

The Park Ridge Police Department held its Annual Bicycle Safety Color-ing Contest this Fall, focusing on the importance of wearing a bicycle helmet. We received over 300 en-tries from local school children in grades K –3rd. The winners were honored at the December 7th City Council meeting and given goodie bags. The Police Department would like to thank all participants.

During the winter months, children in car seats are often buckled in wearing heavy gear. However, this could prove dangerous and increase the risk of injury in a crash be-cause the seatbelt is not as close to the child. This PSA is designed to remind parents and caregivers to buckle their children in without heavy coats, and then put them on when they go outside.

Child Seat Safety PSA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M50gjzrXbzM

WORD SEARCH

Pictured: Chief Frank Kaminski, Officer Julie Genualdi, Acting Mayor Marty Maloney and the 12

winners of the Coloring Contest.