Thwart Crime!!

Note: This was written by the President of the Upper Monroe Neighborhood Association. I thought it was well written, so I am posting it here, as EVERY neighborhood should heed this smart advice! Thanks, Bill! ~ Pam


The dog days of summer are upon us. Unfortunately, this is the time that theft and other crimes tend to rise in frequency across our community. LONA would like to remind you to lock your cars at night and be watchful for suspicious activities. If you see ANYTHING amiss, please do not be afraid to call the police via 911. By calling in all suspicious activities it sends the message to would be criminals that our neighborhood has a zero tolerance attitude towards crime.
See you in the neighborhood.



Note: This was forwarded to the folks on the east side of town, but just the other night, we had a strange "door-to-door" salesman appear here in Lyell-Otis! I wasn't the one who spoke with him, but I thought I'd share this information, in case this is the same man, or a copy cat criminal working in our NW area. Thanks UMNA, for sharing this information! ~ Pam

Neighbors:

The “scam artist”, or extortionist, we previously notified you of is still active in our neighborhood. We started receiving reports of him at the beginning of June and have just had another incident in the Dunkin Donuts parking lot on July 1. We have also had reports of this same man working the same scam 6 to 9 months ago in other areas of the city, including the downtown library.

Here is his description:

He may use the name Gregory Smith.
He dresses nicely and carries with him a cell phone and brief case.
He is about 5'8 to 5'10, thin, petite frame, medium black skin.
He may approach you at your home, on the street, in a parking lot, or anywhere else.
He will give you a hard luck story – none of which is true – and ask for money.
He seems to favor approaching women who are alone.

Following is a bulletin from the Rochester Police Department about this man and how to handle the situation if you are approached.


Crime Prevention Bulletin

We have received some calls regarding a person going door to door and asking for money or otherwise engaging the resident of the home in conversation. Please consider the following when someone asks you for help:

1) Never let a stranger inside your home. Tell them you would be glad to call the police (911) for them and the officer will be able to help them. If they do not want to speak with an officer, they are not in true need of assistance.

2) Report suspicious activity to the police immediately. If you observe something that seems like criminal activity, call 911. If you are mistaken in your assessment of the situation, no harm is done by the police looking into it. On the other hand if you are right….you just might prevent a crime or even help to apprehend a criminal!

3) TRUST YOUR INSTINCTS! Whether you are at work, at home or engaged in your favorite pastime, you will usually know what people and actions seem out of place for the situation. If it feels "wrong" to you, it probably is! Get away from any potential danger immediately and call 911.


Note: This info came from the South East Neighborhood Service Center 846 S. Clinton Ave.
Our contacts here in LONA are in the North West Neighborhood Service Center (known as NBD) 1099 Jay St, Bldg D, Suite 200.

Please let us (LONA) know, after you have called 911, if you are approached by this man. We want to keep track of how many people are being targeted in our NW area. Send an email to NiceNRG@aol.com.