Act to prevent being crime victim

I’ve spent 12 years in dispatch in Boulder City, heard a lot of things, and I still have trouble imagining a life of crime! I was raised by a black-belt cop who ran an excavation company and had no time for monkey business. I behaved myself knowing fully that if I didn’t — there wasn’t a place he couldn’t find me.

You respected and valued your elders — that holds true for me still today. All adults held “invisible rights” to discipline at will and dial the phone to ensure that you had more than your celestial judgment day to fear once you got home.

That brings me to my topic of the week: scams. They aren’t meat in a can, mistaken identity, accidental or happenstance. They are real and they can be expensive and deadly.

Unfortunately, we live in a world where everything is, or should be, suspect. People of all ages are being taken for a ride by thieves; but it appears the main target is the elderly. They care if their credit is shoddy or their name is tarnished.

Don’t copy your bank records for a loan you thought you’d paid off years ago, call a number back (that they have given you), or log onto a website they gave you, or any of the things you’ll regret after you’re the victim of a crime.

Don’t give them your home address. Don’t let them inside your home. People knock on residents’ doors asking for donations, requesting money for services you never ordered, or even begging for crisis assistance. The Internal Revenue Service is not going to call you for money to prevent a warrant. Your grandkids are not visiting Erzickastan and need bail. You haven’t won a zillion dollars and (for a mere phenomenal fee) you can collect.

If it doesn’t sound right, it probably isn’t. Don’t meet people you don’t know anywhere but the police station. Their tactics rarely work, but sometimes they do.

Don’t line up to be a victim — think!

You live in Boulder City for a reason. We’re small — very small. We don’t have the resources, human or financial, to track phone calls, penetrate Web snarls, drone into call centers, or crack codes on bank drafts. The burden of crime prevention rests with the potential victim. Don’t expect something for nothing.

Let’s see what has been happening …

Dec. 4. Suspicious: Reports of receiving a call from Officer John Parker, from an overseas number, needing the resident to call him right away at 11:38 a.m. in the 1000 block of Arizona Street.

Wanted: A subject is wanted for violation of his probation. Parole and Probation provide new silver bracelets at 7 p.m. in the 800 block of Joy Lane.

Suspicious: Report of a male running through a yard wearing dark clothing, causing some minor damage, and vaultinig the back wall at 10:57 a.m. in the 400 block of America Court.

Theme for the day: Evidently overseas officers don’t like speaking to U.S. law enforcement.

Arrests 2; medical 0.

Dec. 5. Threats: Report of an argument between neighbors. The reporting party wants a written apology and wants us to make the neighbor comply at 10:51 a.m. in the 1000 block of Arizona Street.

Suspicious: Report of a male taking an alcohol-induced nap against fence at 10:15 a.m. in the 800 block of Del Sol Drive.

See Person for Info: A subject in the lobby to report that he obtained a confession from an offending party at 6:19 p.m. in the 1000 block of Arizona Street.

Theme for the day: If you’re going to become a private detective, you better make sure you don’t have warrants of your own.

Arrests 3; medical 2.

Dec. 6. Family disturbance: There are several calls to the same address regarding a loud argument. One subject was provided alternate accommodations for the night at 2:20 a.m. in the 1000 block of Nevada Highway.

Threats: Parents are reporting threats were exchanged between two juvenile boys in regard to a love interest at 9:50 a.m. in the 300 block of Yuma Court.

Suspicious: There are reports of parking issues and noise from a party in the neighborhood at 11:55 p.m. in the 1000 block of Broadmoor Circle.

Theme for the day: If you are going to party when your parents are away, you better live far out in the country and hope your parents don’t find out.

Arrests 1; medical 6.

Dec. 7. Welfare check: Request for another jurisdiction to check on an owner in regard to a possibly missing vehicle at 12:49 a.m. in the 1000 block of Cheyenne Court.

Burglary: There is a report of a vehicle and cellphone theft by a former spouse at 3:01 a.m. in the 600 block of Avenue C.

Petty theft: It is reported that two bikes were taken that weren’t locked up at 1:49 p.m. in the 600 block of Christina Drive.

Theme for the day: Sometimes when your vehicle shows up in another state with your ex inside it’s a good thing (especially if they tried to run over you in it recently).

Arrests 1; medical 7.

Dec. 8. Civil: A caller is upset that he didn’t get a receipt from the pump and now can’t access the building because the cleaners are there at 12:48 a.m. in the 1600 block of Nevada Highway.

Assist other: An officer with Metropolitan Police Department is helped with a traffic stop at 10:35 a.m. in the area of Gingerwood Street and Nevada Highway.

Grand larceny: There is a report of items taken by previous tenants at 2:54 p.m. in the 700 block of Fifth Street.

Theme for the day: Officers are sworn to uphold the law in whatever jurisdiction they are in.

Arrests 4; medical 4.

Dec. 9. Family Disturbance: There is a 911 open line with a verbal altercation at 2:22 a.m. in the 1000 block of Nevada Way.

Assist: Officers assist the fire department with a combative individual at 5:34 a.m. in the 1500 block of Mancha Drive.

Accident: There is a report of a single vehicle rollover with female pinned in the vehicle at 4:18 p.m. near mile marker 51 on U.S. Highway 95.

Theme for the day: Maybe try taking the new rig out for a spin before you spend all that money on registration.

Arrests 1; medical 5.

Dec. 10. Family disturbance: A subject reported a battery and wants a temporary protective order at 5:30 a.m. in the 1300 block of Darlene Way.

Destruction of property: A juvenile was reported to be hitting cars with a long rope causing damage at 2:55 p.m. in the 800 block of Del Rey Drive.

DUI: There was a report of a vehicle all over the road traveling from Railroad Pass at 10:37 p.m. in the area of Arizona and Elm streets.

Theme for the day: If you drive intoxicated, we’re going to find you.

Arrests 2; medical 1.

Call(s) of the week: Using the turn lane at Railroad Pass as a passing lane for all those pesky cars stopped for the traffic light can net you some pretty hefty fines.

See you next week.

Tina Ransom is a dispatcher with Boulder City Police Department. She is coordinator of the Boulder City Citizen’s Academy.