Garrettsville – The Garrettsville Police Department would like to take this opportunity to pass along some news important to the citizens and business owners of the Village of Garrettsville. In the past several months this area has been the victim of numerous burglaries and theft offenses. These offenses have victimized private residences, vehicles, and business locations, both in the Village of Garrettsville, and in the surrounding Townships. While the Garrettsville Police Department and the Portage County Sheriffs Office have been successful in apprehending and prosecuting several individuals that have been responsible for these acts, there are still incidents occurring. You can be assured that we continue to proactively pursue the individuals that are responsible for these crimes, but we require your assistance in ensuring that your property will remain safe and secure.
If you are a resident of the Village of Garrettsville, or a surrounding area, you can take multiple steps to assist law enforcement in attempting to deter criminal activity and apprehend suspects. Some of the steps are as follows:
1.Please take the time to secure your residence, garage, out-buildings, and vehicles. Never leave keys in a vehicle.
2.Notify neighbors that you trust, or a family member, to keep an eye on your property if you anticipate leaving the area for any length of time. If you live in the Village of Garrettsville, you can request a “house check” by contacting the police department.
3.Take inventory of all valuable items by photographing them and recording serial and model numbers in case they are stolen. This will allow law enforcement to enter those items into a national database to alert other agencies that they are stolen.
4.Remove items of value from areas where they may be observed. Place these items in a secured location when not in use.
5.Secure any documents containing personal information in a secure location. Do not carry items such as social security cards, vehicle titles, account information, billing slips, password slips, etc. in purses or in vehicles. Only carry those documents that are required to be produced upon request by a law enforcement officer, governmental agency, or your workplace. Memorize social security numbers or other important numbers.
6.Use of lighting in your residence or on your property is highly beneficial, even if it is just low voltage landscaping lights.
7.Display your address on your residence in a place where it is clearly visible to safety forces responding to a call for service. Green reflective signs on posts or mailboxes are extremely helpful as well.
8.Dial 911 if you feel there is an emergency, or you can call the Garrettsville Police Department emergency line at (330) 527-2414. Do not feel as though you are causing an inconvenience by reporting something you think is suspicious. The Garrettsville Police Department is here to assist you by providing 24-hour service 365 days a year.
If you are a business owner or operator in the Village of Garrettsville, or a surrounding area, you can take multiple steps to assist law enforcement in attempting to deter criminal activity and apprehend suspects. Some of the steps are as follows:
1.Do a security evaluation of your building and your premises. If your business is in the Village of Garrettsville, the Garrettsville Police Department would be happy to assist you in this endeavor by having an officer come out to your location and offer some recommendations.
2.Invest in a security system. The most beneficial systems might include video surveillance with night vision capabilities along with a silent or audible alarm. The system should be able to record in a manner that can be easily made available to law enforcement and the recording device itself should be located in a secured area of the building.
3.Lighting of the interior of the building as well as the perimeter of the building is helpful.
4.Secure items of value, or currency, in a highly secure location when not in use.
5.In areas where currency is kept or stored, try to wipe these places clean at the end of the business day in case illegal entry is made into the business. Doors and handles should be wiped as well.
6.Proper inventory records should be available and documentation and photos taken of valuable items.
7.Make sure all areas of the business are checked to ensure that someone is not hiding inside waiting for employees to leave. Double check that all doors and windows are secure prior to leaving the premises. Is the alarm set?
8.If a bank drop is necessary at the end of your business day, and your business is in the Village of Garrettsville, you can call the Garrettsville Police Department to escort you or your employees to the drop location.
9.Dial 911 if you feel there is an emergency, or you can call the Garrettsville Police Department emergency line at (330) 527-2414. Do not feel as though you are causing an inconvenience by reporting something you think is suspicious. The Garrettsville Police Department is here to assist you by providing 24-hour service 365 days a year.
These are just a few helpful tips that citizens and business owners can use to protect their property and assist law enforcement in the event that your security is breached. If you have any questions or information relative to crimes that have occurred in the area, you are encouraged to call The Garrettsville Police Department or your local law enforcement agency.
In the event a citizen should observe any activity or incident which they may not be comfortable with, do not hesitate to contact law enforcement to have it investigated. Law enforcement officers are here to serve you and to apprehend and prosecute violators of the law. In the event of an emergency dial 911. The Garrettsville Police Department emergency line is (330) 527-2414. The Garrettsville Police Department non-emergency line is (330) 527-4717. You can also visit the Village of Garrettsville website at www.garrettsville.org/police.shtm.
Chief of Police Anthony Milicia and the men and women of the Garrettsville Police Department thank you for your support and wish you and your family that happiest and safest of holiday seasons.
