Police Department

The Greencastle Police Department has been approved by the State of Indiana to become a Permanent Fitting Station. The Permanent Fitting Station is a not-for-profit program that allows all residents of Putnam County who qualify to receive a free child restraint seat through the Greencastle Police Department. The Permanent Fitting Station is available to all residents of Putnam County.

There are two ways that residents from Putnam County can qualify for the Permanent Fitting Station. If they receive assistance from one of the two following Government Assistance Programs, which are Hoosier Health Wise and or WIC, then they qualify. A person who qualifies must meet the following criteria to receive a free child restraint seat. Their current child restraint seat could be damaged or broken from use or from an accident; expired; on the recall list (in which the Police Department keeps a current recall list available); the child has outgrown its current seat; the history of the seat is not known (meaning it could have been purchased at a yard sale which is not recommended to do); and if a woman is currently pregnant and is within four weeks of delivery and she brings in a note from her doctor stating she doesn't have a child restraint seat.

It is recommended for those residents of Putnam County who qualify and need a child restraint seat to call the Greencastle Police Department at 653-2925 Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4:30 pm and set up an appointment to have the child seat installed in their vehicle. The Police Department currently has three Certified Child Restraint Techs on staff that can install child restraint seats into vehicles.

Also, any resident of Putnam County can make an appointment through the Greencastle Police Department to have their current child restraint seat inspected by one of our three Certified Child Restraint Techs. This inspection will determine if their seat is installed correctly and safely in their vehicle along with making sure the child is properly restrained in the child restraint seat. These appointments can also be made Monday through Friday from 8 am to 4:30 pm.

The Indiana Child Passenger Laws currently require children less than 8 years of age to be restrained in a child restraint seat that meets federal safety standards. Children from the age of 8 up to 16 must be restrained in a child restraint seat or vehicle safety belt. This law applies to all seating positions in all vehicles including cars, vans, trucks, and SUVs.

If anyone has any questions about the Permanent Fitting Station or if they have any questions pertaining to Indiana's Laws regarding child restraint seats they can call the Greencastle Police Department at 653-2925 Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 4:30 pm.

What is a Neighborhood Crime Watch Program

• Teaches citizens techniques to reduce the risk of being victimized at home and in public
• Trains citizens on the importance of recognizing suspicious activities and how to report them.
• Teaches participants how to make their homes more secure and properly identify their property.
• Allows neighbors to get to know each other and their routines so that any out-of-place activity can be reported and investigated.
• A cohesive body of concerned citizens addressing issues that concern their neighborhood and the entire community.

Who Can Join a Neighborhood Crime Watch Program

Any resident of a Community can join a Neighborhood Crime Watch. It can be in an apartment complex, townhouse complex, office building complex, neighborhood, trailer park, or a marina.

Getting a Neighborhood Crime Watch Program Started

• Contact law enforcement officials who can aid in training members in home security, reporting techniques and for criteria on local crime patterns.
• Select a coordinator and block captains who will be responsible for relaying information to members and for organizing meetings.
• Recruit people and keep status on new and old members. Involve everyone in your neighborhoods; elderly, working parents, single adults, and young people.
• Contact local law enforcement and local government to have Neighborhood Crime Watch signs put in place.

Block Captain Responsibilities

• Distributing information, such as a quarterly newsletter or update material they receive from the Community Services representative to members of the watch group.
• Keeping the block map up-to-date, with current names, addresses and phone numbers of people in the block watch program.
• Scheduling the watch meetings and any emergency meetings.
• Along with any volunteers, greeting new neighbors that move into the neighborhood, providing them with neighborhood watch material and updating the watch list.

The position of Block Captain should be a shared responsibility between two or more people. This helps neighbors to learn to work together as a team and become better acquainted, thereby promoting more of a sense of "neighborhood". Everyone in the watch group has equal status and should not expect someone with the title of Block Captain to do all the work. Neighbors should not expect a Block Captain to do their reporting for them, nor should a Block Captain offer to report should a neighbor choose not to get involved.

Sustaining a Neighborhood Crime Watch Program

• People feel a sense of ownership with the program. They invest time and energy into it and it belongs to them. Law Enforcement is seen as a guiding force.
• Citizens take responsibility in the program. They get involved in the planning, implementation, and evaluation along maintenance.
• The program addresses neighborhood concerns such as domestic violence, abandon cars, vacant or run down lots, trash, drugs and gang activity.

Participant Responsibilities

• Learning neighbor's names and being able to recognize them and their vehicles without any hesitation.
• Keeping and maintaining a personal block map with the names and phone numbers of other watch group members.
• Attending all watch meetings.
• Implementing all security measures suggested by law enforcement and having a security survey completed on your home.
• Reviewing the neighborhood watch pamphlets and crime prevention literature.
• Writing down descriptions of any suspicious-looking persons or vehicles and reporting them to the police and to your neighbors.
• Sharing crime prevention information with other family members and your children.
• Not taking any risks to prevent a crime or taking matters into your own hands, forgoing any police intervention.
• Neighborhood Watch is not about you taking police matters into your own hands, it's about being a good neighbor.
• Cooperating with and assisting the Block Captain with any administrative duties of the watch group.
• Be willing to serve as an acting Block Captain as needs arise, or volunteer for the position should the existing Block Captain not be able to fulfill their obligation.

Knowing Your Neighborhood

Getting to know your neighbors, their families, their habits, the cars they drive, their phone numbers (both home and cell), any medical problems they may have, and what kind of pets they may have is probably one the most important aspects of a successful Neighborhood Watch Program.

Knowing these aspects of your neighbor's lives will allow you to respond accurately and quickly to any emergency situation, and may thereby prevent a crime or save a life.

Block Map

• The block map gives you a visual perspective of your neighborhood. It is an easy reference for who lives in your neighborhood and is used to explain the layout of your block or street when reporting an emergency situation to 911 or police dispatcher.
• The block map shows all of the houses within the boundaries of the watch group. It will show the name, address and phone number of participating neighbors and the house number only of any non-participants.

Funding

Four out of five Neighborhood Crime Watch Programs rely on volunteers. These no-cost or low-cost programs work very well and residents say they are safer than neighborhoods without a Watch Program.

• Poll your volunteers and see what services they can provide. There is a possibility that services could be traded to get the j job done.
• If funding is needed research your local foundations and corporations. Also check with community action departments like drug prevention, public safety, public housing, or economic development.

Educate the Community on Safety

• Get Involved in your community
• Report any suspicious activity or crime to your local Police Department.
• Get involved in a Neighborhood Crime Watch Program
• Volunteer in your Community
• Help the elderly and disable
• Be a citizen on patrol
• Be a tutor
• Mentor teens
• Home Safety
• Install quality locks on doors and windows. Don't hide keys in mailboxes, planters, or under doormats. Leave an extra key with a neighbor, family member, or friend.
• Ask for proper ID from any delivery or service person. Call the company to verify employment.
• Make sure your address is clearly visible for local emergency services.
• Install an alarm system for burglary, fire, or medical emergency.
• Around Town Safety
• Don't go out alone
• Family or friends
• Keep your purse and bags close to your body. Carry your wallet in an inside pocket or front pant pocket.
• Don't carry large amounts of cash or credit cards
• Have monthly checks directly deposited
• Keep car doors locked while driving. Park in well-lit areas and near entrances if possible in parking lots and garages.
• Sit near the driver or exit while riding the bus, subway, or train.
• Don't fall for a con, most common con games include:
  • Pigeon Drop: Designed to get the person to give up a small chunk of money as reassurance for their trustworthiness or for the promise of getting a whole bunch of money back at a later time.
  • Bank Examiner: Con man dresses as a policeman and says that he recovered the chunk of money that you'd lost; but found out that the money was counterfeit. He asks for help in catching the bank teller and needs you to withdraw more money from different bank locations to examine money. Now you're out even more money.

Tips to Protect Yourself From Fraud and Con Games

• Don't fall for any plan that seems too good to be true: free vacations, sweepstakes prizes, high-yield investments such as the "pigeon-drop."
• Never give out your credit card number, bank account number, or social security number over the phone.
• Don't sign insurance policies or sales contracts without reading them carefully and having someone you can trust to review them.
• Contact your local law enforcement agencies regarding any suspicious activity. You can also contact the Better Business *Bureau or the Indiana State Attorney General Consumer Protection Division at 800-382-5516.

Home Education on Security & Safety

Inside the Home Safety Measures

Locks:

• Half of all burglaries occur because of thieves entering unlocked doors or windows
• Deadbolt locks on all external doors
• Sliding glass doors can be better secured by putting a broomstick or dowel rod inside the track to jam the door.
• Never hide keys outside the residence. Give an extra key to a trusted neighbor or family member.
• Always rekey the locks when you move into a new home or apartment.

Doors:

• Use metal or solid wood doors for exterior doors.
• A peephole or wide-angle viewer is a must for all doors. Door chains are easily broken and won't keep out intruders.

Alarms:

• Shop around and see what is offered along with determining what you need.
• Learn to operate your alarm system correctly. Could be fined for repeated false alarms.
• Other alternatives include a sound-detecting socket which plugs into a light fixture and flashes when it detects certain noise, and a motion-sensing outdoor light that turns on when someone approaches. There are also lights with photocells that light up when it's dark and go off when it gets light out.

Outside the Home Safety Measures:

• Install bright motion-sensing lights outside.
• Prune all shrubbery and trees from windows and doors. Don't make it easy for a thief to hide or get to an upper window.
• Make sure your address is clearly displayed making it easy for emergency services to find your home.
• Install light timers when gone on vacation or away from your home for an extended period of time.
• Leave window coverings in normal positions and don't let your mail pile up. Contact your post office and have your mail stopped.
• Keep a list of all your valuables such as TV's, jewelry, firearms, computers, and etc. List their serial numbers and write a description for each item along with taking a photo.

Note: Did you know that if it takes a thief longer than 60 seconds to break into a home; they will leave? It pays to have good-quality locks and good neighbors.

When taking your vehicle in for repairs never leave your house key on the ring. They have your home address, phone number, and access to your home.