“TOPs” - TOWNWATCH on Patrol

Welcome to “TOPs”, Pennsbury Townwatch’s member newsletter. Townwatch can be reached at 610-388-0785.

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President’s Corner

There’s lots’ going on with Townwatch these days! This TOP’s will give you some of the details, but here’s a quick overview.

Your Board of Directors has been joined by three new additions this year – Pat Bailey, Sandy Desirey and Kathy Howley. Our thanks to retiring Directors Diane Mateson, John McMahon and Cliff Sayre.

Membership in Townwatch is very encouraging this year; at this writing it is running over 16 percent ahead of 2004’s total, and there are still a number of our long-standing members to be heard from. In case you’ve forgotten to join this year, a Membership Form appears at the end of this edition.

Our activities are not only continuing, but they are expanding as well. Kevin’s report tells of our valued Patrol volunteers. The Township Road Department maintains over 50 Townwatch signs throughout the community. Ernie looks at Police activity in the Township. Ron talks about donations we have made, and Mark speaks of an entirely new program to assist our residents in subjects in which they have indicated interest.

These efforts not withstanding, your Board of Directors continues to seek new ways to enhance safety within the Township, and the security of all of our neighbors.

Our thanks to all of you for your generous support – we couldn’t have this fine organization without your help!

Jim Sears, President

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Stop Identity Theft!

By Mark Girardot, Vice-President

People in Line

Recently, based on inputs from a community-wide mailing to Township residents, Townwatch assisted Bob Crandell in a Resident’s Awareness Program in sponsoring

a public information forum on identify theft.fraud? In case you missed this forum, this article highlights some of the important information provided.

The initial part of the forum covered the most common ways that identity how theft or fraud is committed. Due to space limitations, we have elected to exerpt the portion of the forum that gave some practical advice on how to avoid becoming a victim of identity theft.

To reduce or minimize the risk of becoming a victim of identity theft or fraud, there are some basic steps you can take. For starters, just remember the word "SCAM":

S Be stingy about giving out your personal information to others unless you have a reason to trust them, regardless of where you are:

1. Start by adopting a "need to know" approach to your personal data. Your credit card company may need to know your mother's maiden name, so that it can verify your identity when you call to inquire about your account. A person who calls you and says he's from your bank, however, doesn't need to know that information if it's already on file with your bank; the only purpose of such a call is to acquire that information for that person's personal benefit. Also, the more information that you have printed on your personal bank checks -- such as your Social Security number or home telephone number -- the more personal data you are routinely handing out to people who may not need that information.

2. If someone you don't know calls you on the telephone and offers you the chance to receive a "major" credit card, a prize, or other valuable item, but asks you for personal data -- such as your Social Security number, credit card number or expiration date, or mother's maiden name -- ask them to send you a written application form.

3. If they won't do it, tell them you're not interested and hang up.

4. If they will, review the application carefully when you receive it and make sure it's going to a company or financial institution that's well-known and reputable. The Better Business Bureau can give you information about businesses that have been the subject of complaints.

C Check your financial information regularly, and look for what should be there and what shouldn't:

What Should Be There:

1. If you have bank or credit card accounts, you should be receiving monthly statements that list transactions for the most recent month or reporting period.

2. If you're not receiving monthly statements for the accounts you know you have, call the financial institution or credit card company immediately and ask about it.

3. If you're told that your statements are being mailed to another address that you haven't authorized, tell the financial institution or credit card representative immediately that you did not authorize the change of address and that someone may be improperly using your accounts. In that situation, you should also ask for copies of all statements and debit or charge transactions that have occurred since the last statement you received. Obtaining those copies will help you to work with the financial institution or credit card company in determining whether some or all of those debit or charge transactions were fraudulent.

What Shouldn't Be There:

1. If someone has gotten your financial data and made unauthorized debits or charges against your financial accounts, checking your monthly statements carefully may be the quickest way for you to find out. Too many of us give those statements, or the enclosed checks or credit transactions, only a quick glance, and don't review them closely to make sure there are no unauthorized withdrawals or charges.

2. If someone has managed to get access to your mail or other personal data, and opened any credit cards in your name or taken any funds from your bank account, contact your financial institution or credit card company immediately to report those transactions and to request further action.

A Ask periodically for a copy of your credit report.

Your credit report should list all bank and financial accounts under your name, and will provide other indications of whether someone has wrongfully opened or used any accounts in your name.

M Maintain careful records of your banking and financial accounts.

Even though financial institutions are required to maintain copies of your checks, debit transactions, and similar transactions for five years, you should retain your monthly statements and checks for at least one year, if not more. If you need to dispute a particular check or transaction especially if they purport to bear your signatures your original records will be more immediately accessible and useful to the institutions that you have contacted.

Even if you take all of these steps, however, it's still possible that you can become a victim of identity theft. Records containing your personal data -- credit-card receipts or car-rental agreements, for example -- may be found by or shared with someone who decides to use your data for fraudulent purposes.

For further information consult the following website: http://www.usdoj.gov/criminal/fraud/idtheft.html

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Patrol Briefing

By Kevin D. Meloney, Patrol Chairman

As patrol chairman, it is a pleasure to talk with all of our patrollers. I have been able to meet many of you and it is my goal to meet all of our active patrollers over the next six months. First, I want to thank all of the patrollers for a job well done so far in 2005.

The time and effort of our patrollers have enabled us to patrol over 60 times January through June this year. Members are asked to patrol two times per year. A few of our patrollers have been able to patrol more than once during these six months and I appreciate their extra patrol time. We have the means to put out up to 7 patrols per week, please feel free to call me if you would like to schedule an additional patrol at any time.

We started the year with 84 active patrollers. This total includes nine new patrollers added over the past year. We are currently meeting with and training 7 additional residents who have expressed an interest in joining our organization. We have also had 4 longtime patrollers express an interest in retiring from Town watch. We start the second half of the year with a potential of 87 active patrollers.

I want to welcome all of the new patrollers and give a sincere thank you to the patrollers who have retired after many years of volunteering to patrol.

An important and relatively easy part of our patrolling is the parking patrol. According to PennDot, averages of over 28,000 cars travel on the section of Route 1, North and South, through our township on a daily basis. A parking patrol of only fifteen minutes in one of the businesses on Route 1 exposes our Town watch operation to approximately 292 cars. With those numbers in mind, and learning that Route 52 has only a slightly smaller traffic average, we have expanded our parking patrols to include the entrances to many of the streets off Route 52. The thought is to increase our visibility along a major road in the southern part of our township.

I am open to suggestions and comments from patrollers. This year on the advice of a patroller we have added a smaller “Townwatch on Patrol” magnet to the patrol kits. This serves to alert cars behind us that our slower than normal driving is because we are we are on patrol, providing a valuable service to the community. Thank you for you time.

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Townwatch’s Outreach Program in Action

By Ron Majors, Publicity

Through our Outreach Program, Townwatch actively seeks ways to assist those public agencies that service the Township in areas related to safety and security. Last year, we made a donation of an Intoximeter Breath Tester to the Avondale Barracks of the Pennsylvania State Police – an item they use extensively in their DUI program to keep our streets and highways safe. “The donation is just the most recent example of the excellent cooperative relationship between your organization and the Troop J Avondale barracks” wrote Captain Steven McDaniel, Commanding Officer of Troop J.

Earlier this year, Townwatch donated a Lifepak 500 Automated External Defibrillator (AED) unit to the Longwood Fire Department. The AED is designed to be used by first responders to cardiac emergencies. This state-of-the-art unit determines which shock is right for an individual, and ensures safe, simple delivery. The portable Defibrillator was put into service the day it was delivered. “The unit will be used at special events as needed and will be kept on a fire engine at all times for maximum availability” stated Raymond McKay, President of Longwood Fire Department. Who knows, someday you may warrant the services of this important life-saving product that furthers the safety and well-being of our residents.

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Community Resident Awareness Programs

Based on a resident survey conducted early this year, a number of Community awareness seminar programs have been jointly sponsored by Townwatch. One presented by Cory Monthei, of the PA State Police, and co-organized by Bob Crandell covered identity theft, internet security and touched on defensive driving to an interest crowd in the Pennsbury Township Building on April 27. This was followed by a “55 Alive” program presented by the AARP and organized by Art Bielby. This insurance-accredited program was given over two weekends in mid-May and attracted 19 residents. This Fall in September or early October, a CPR course will be sponsored by Townwatch. If you are interested, make a note on the form at the end of this Newsletter and we will contact you for further information when a date is set. Alternatively, leave your name at the Townwatch office, 610-388-0785 and somebody will followup with you.

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9-1-1 Address -- DO YOU KNOW YOURS?

IS IT VISIBLE FROM THE STREET?

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Spring/Summer 2005– Issue No. 8

“TOPs” - TOWNWATCH on Patrol

President’s Corner

Stop Identity Theft!

By Mark Girardot, Vice-President