Community Briefing

PREPARE for the trip;

• During daylight, rehearse maneuvers slowly on the ice or snow in an empty lot
• Steer into a skid
• Know what your brakes will do, stomp on anti-lock brakes.
• Stopping distances are longer on water-covered and normal ice.
• Don’t idle for a long time with the windows up or in an enclosed space.

The Brown Deer Police Department encourages citizens to be alert and cautious while shopping, especially during the holiday seasons. Don’t become a crime victim this Christmas season. Here are some important safety tips to keep in mind:

➤Shop with friends or family members in numbers.

The Brown Deer Police Department is proud to announce that it is scheduled for an on-site assessment to achieve accreditation through the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Accreditation Group (WILEAG).  The on-site assessment is scheduled for the week of December 15, 2008.

The accreditation program requires agencies to comply with state-of-the-art standards in four basic areas: policy and procedures, administration, operations, and support services.  The program consists of 234 standards that incorporate the best police practices; agencies are evaluated every three years.  The Brown Deer Police Department is applying for our initial accreditation status. 

As part of the on-site assessment, agency employees and members of the community are invited to offer comments at a public information session on Wednesday, December 17, 2008 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.  The session will be held in the Earl McGovern Board Room at Brown Deer Village Hall, 4800 West Green Brook Drive.

If for some reason an individual cannot speak at the public information session but would still like to provide comments to the assessment team, they may do so by telephone.  The public may call 414-371-2942 on December 17^th between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. or December 18^th between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m.  A member of the Assessment Team will be available to take your comments. 

Telephone comments as well as appearances at the public information session are limited to ten minutes and must address the agency’s ability to comply with WILEAG’s standards.  A copy of the standards is available for review at the Brown Deer Police Department.  For further information contact Lieutenant Nimmer at 414-371-2900.

Persons wishing to offer written comments about the Brown Deer Police Department’s ability to meet the standards for accreditation are requested to send those comments to the Wisconsin Law Enforcement Accreditation Group, c/o David Steingraber-Secretary
4760 Schneider Drive, Oregon, WI 53575.

The Brown Deer Police Department will be offering its Citizens Police Academy for area residents.  The Academy will begin on Wednesday, February 4, 2009.  The nine week course, which meets from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., provides insights into police operations and includes a variety of presentations from members of the department.  Applications are available at the Department, 4800 West Green Brook Drive.  Stop by today and pick yours up, we look forward to seeing you there!

Recently the crime information line that had been in place until late last year was resurrected.  Citizens who wish to obtain current information concerning crime and other criminal activity that may affect them can be obtained by calling:

This information is updated weekly.

How often do you see late night infomercials and advertisements that promise a big return on very little investment?  We all know better than to readily accept that so much can be gained when there is minimal effort involved.  Most of us function under the understanding that, “If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably isn’t.”   However, I happen to know of at least one program that through your minimal effort a significant gain can be made.  The program that provides this opportunity is known as the “Neighborhood Watch Group.”

The Neighborhood Watch Group functions under the understanding that the level of safety and security one experiences in a community is directly related to the involvement of its citizens with the local police department.  Neighborhood Watch members are citizens who make a very small “pledge” or “commitment” that they will take a few moments of their time and look at what is going on around them when they are out and about in their neighborhoods.  If they observe something suspicious or that seems otherwise unusual, or if they witness an actual crime in progress, they understand that it is their duty to call the police immediately and report the details of the circumstance. 

Looking around you while you are out in your neighborhood and training yourself to look more closely at unusual occurrences or for the presence of unusual and unknown people in your neighborhood is, truly, a minimal commitment that one can make.  Those people who have made this pledge in the past and have had the experience of calling in activity that resulted in the successful disruption of a criminal event or the apprehension of a suspect, know the rewards their effort has paid to themselves and their neighbors.

Beyond regularly observing their surroundings, the next level of participation one can make in the Neighborhood Watch Group involves participation in any of the quarterly meetings that the group holds.  During these meetings a citizen has the opportunity to meet some of the police officers who work in their community and become more familiar with them.  The citizen also educates themselves about different crimes, recent activities in the community, and other attempts by those who wish to victimize innocent citizens.  The participant also learns about the different resources available to them so they may stay updated and learn about these crimes and various ploys.

The final level of participation a Neighborhood Watch Group member may engage in is sharing the information they have received with their friends and neighbors.  The sharing of this knowledge can help protect loved ones and friends from falling victim to a criminal – which is one of the most valuable gains one can obtain from their minimal involvement in Neighborhood Watch.

The Brown Deer Police Department is currently making a push to increase the involvement of its citizens in the Neighborhood Watch Group.  Our ultimate goal is to have one person on each block in Brown Deer to be a registered participant in Neighborhood Watch.  Please consider becoming involved in our community Neighborhood Watch Group and help to make Brown Deer one of the best and safest places to live.  The members of the Brown Deer Police Department will welcome working hand in hand with you to accomplish this goal.

If you are interested and for further information, contact Augie Zanowski at 414-354-8599, or Officer Brad Caddock at 414-371-2900

Too often citizens find themselves to be the first person to witness something “unusual” or “out of the ordinary” that may require the attention of the police in order to avoid a crime being committed and another person being victimized.  Sometimes, you may even be the first to observe an actual crime, like a bank robbery, or you may even be the victim of one!  If you happen to ever encounter a situation like this please try to remember  to CALL THE POLICE IMMEDIATELY! 

This may seem like a no brainer; but after having been faced with a stressful or unusual situation, sometimes you may forget that the most important people to contact in order to help you and make you feel somewhat safe again is the police.  The police department would like to remind you that  seconds count when police are responding to a crime and that timeliness in reporting information to the police increases our ability to get to you and help you and to“catch the bad guy.” 

After witnessing and/or being the victim of a crime, your first call should go to the police department!  Remember, if you are using a cell phone your 911 call will automatically go to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department.  If the crime and/or incident occurred in Brown Deer and you call 911 on a cellular telephone, request to be connected to the Brown Deer Police Department. 

Here are some general tips when calling 911:

·                    Try and be calm so the dispatcher can understand where you are and what is happening!

·                    Try to give landmarks instead of direction of travel.  During stressful times, your sense of direction may inaccurate.

·                    Give as much information as possible such as clothing and/or vehicle description.

·                    Stay put! If it’s safe to do so.  Officers will eventually have to find you to obtain a full statement.  Wait for officers to arrive before leaving!

·                    If calling from a cell phone, give the dispatcher your cell phone number in case you get disconnected.  Contrary to belief, this does not automatically register with our computer system.

Witnesses are very important in helping to solve crimes.  If you see something, report it to the police right away!  Recently we had two crimes where a citizen either saw something and only told a business employee or waited for several minutes to call the police.  In the case where the citizen waited, a squad had been in the immediate area of the crime and may have been able to stop the suspect if the officer would have obtained the information in a more timely manner.

If you are a business owner, you may want to review your operating procedures.  In one of the above examples the business employee was required by their policies to call the manager first.  Protocols such as this delay the police response and lessen our opportunity to apprehend criminals fleeing the scene.  If your business protocol is to first call the manager after a crime, please discuss this article with him/her, because when it comes to catching the “ad guy” or recovering your company’s or customer’s assets, time is of the essence! 

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Brown Deer Police Department at 371-2900. 

As we all know, Halloween is an exciting time of year for kids and Trick or Treating is fast approaching.  Here are some tips from the Brown Deer Police Department to help ensure that they have a safe and enjoyable experience:

• When purchasing a costume, ensure that those items have a label indicating that they are flame resistant.

• Consider using non-toxic make-up, wigs or a decorative hat as an alternative to masks. Halloween masks limit/block one’s eyesight.

• Keep your home safe for trick or treaters by removing any debris that a child could trip over.

• A Parent or responsible Adult should ALWAYS accompany young children on their rounds.

• If your children are older and no adult is going along, ensure that your children travel in a group.

• Create a plan with your children, so you can set a time frame and boundaries as to where your children will be trick or treating.

• Carry a cell phone for quick communication.

• SLOW DOWN!!! Watch your speed and remain cautious as you drive through the community.

• Often times children will cross the street without warning. Be sure to watch out for children.

• Do not allow your children to bicycle, roller-blade or skateboard.

• Instruct your children to stay on the sidewalks. If there are no sidewalks in the area, walk on the left side of the roadway facing traffic.

• Never cross the street between parked cars or out of driveways. Walk to the intersection or crosswalk and then cross the street.

• Never enter a stranger’s home or car for a treat.

• Inspect your children’s treats.

In Brown Deer, Trick or Treating will be on Sunday, October 26, 2008 from 1pm until 4pm.

Finally, have a safe and fun time Trick or Treating!!

Be advised that this particular scam has been entering the Milwaukee area with at least one couple having fallen victim to the scam:

The following is copied from "Scamnot.org" For additional information on this and other scams that are being perpetrated please visit http://www.scamnot.org/index.asp

• Contact other family member before sending money, ask if they know of the situation.
• If the grandchild states that they are in jail or in a hospital, ask which one. Contact that institution to find out if the grandchild is actually in that facility.
• Consider where the child wants the money sent. If it is to be sent to somebody else, do not do it. Remember, if the child is in jail, another prisoner could have gotten your information from discussions with the grandchild
• If you send money ask that identification be provided by the receiver before the money is paid out.
• Regardless of the request to not talk to the parents, confirm through another family member that what you were told is true or do not send the money.

With the start of school, the presence of child pedestrians and school buses become common place on the village’s roadways.  Here are some rules for drivers to keep in mind when encounter both.

Motorists must stop on the street or highway 20 feet or more from any school bus that has stopped and is flashing red warning lights.

Ø      This applies to motorists approaching from both the rear and the opposing lanes.

Ø      All lanes of traffic must stop for the school bus except in the opposing lanes if the highway is divided with a center median

Ø      No vehicle may proceed until the bus resumes motion and has turned off the red warning lights.

Ø      The "STOP" arm on the side of a bus is an added communication device, but the lack of an extended "STOP" arm is not reason to pass a bus whose red lights are flashing.

A driver failing to follow these rules can be cited with fines of $235.00 and up to 4 points.  School bus drivers can report an observed violation to the police and citations may be issued based upon that report.  An owner of a vehicle involved in a violation may be cited for the infraction if the driver of the vehicle at the time the violation occurred cannot be identified.

The most important safety tip to reduce pedestrian injuries is to slow down and pay attention.  Remember the speed limit is 15 mph in school zones when children are present.  According to Wisconsin state law, drivers must:

Ø      Yield to pedestrians who have started crossing an intersection or crosswalk on a walk signal or on a green light.

Ø      Yield to Pedestrians who are crossing or waiting to cross the road within a marked or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection where there is no traffic lights or control signals.

Ø      Yield to pedestrians when a vehicle is crossing a sidewalk or entering a driveway

In addition, drivers may not legally overtake and pass any vehicle that has stopped for pedestrians at an intersection or crosswalk.

Drivers who fail to yield to pedestrians legally crossing the roadway may be issued citations with fines ranging from $109.00 to $235.00 (depending on the violation).

Parents and motorists traveling through school zones need to pay close attention as the probability of a child darting out into traffic is much higher.      

With your help and increased police patrols in the village’s school zones we hope to have a safe and enjoyable school year. 

• Yield to pedestrians when crossing a sidewalk or entering an alley or driveway
• Yield to pedestrians who have started crossing at an intersection or crosswalk on a “walk” signal or a green light, if there is no walk signal
• Yield to pedestrians who are crossing the highway within a marked or unmarked crosswalk at an intersection where there are no traffic lights or control signals
• Not overtake and pass any vehicle that stops at an intersection or crosswalk to permit a pedestrian or bicyclist to cross the roadway safely

• Yield to drivers when crossing a road where there is no intersection or crosswalk or where the pedestrian does not have a green or “walk” signal and where vehicles have a green signal
• Not suddenly move into the path of a closely approaching vehicle that does not have sufficient time to yield for a pedestrian
• Walk on and along the left side of a highway when not walking on a sidewalk.  Note:  This law does not apply to bicycles.  Bicycles operate under the same laws as other legal vehicles on the road and should always stay on the right side of the road.
• Not enter a crosswalk or otherside cross traffic lanes where vehicles have already entered the intersection.  This is a serious advisement to runners and joggers who, even though they are on a sidewalk with a marked crossing or white walk signal, they must make sure a vehicle is not already moving to cross their path prior to them entering the intersection.

Information obtained from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation

West Bend Savings account holders, beware! – a ‘vishing’ scam currently running in Wisconsin is trying to break into your savings account. Using an automated message, the scam may call you at your home with the ruse that your account security has been compromised. You are asked to call at a particular number and key in your account and PIN numbers, to set things right.

Interestingly, while your Caller-Id may say the call is from the local West Bend Savings branch, the caller may actually be sitting hundreds (or maybe thousands) of miles away. Internet-based 262 phone numbers, said to be used by the scammers in this case, can make this thing happen.

The bank’s Chief Operating Officer Rick Larson believes the calls were triggered over the weekend. He pointed out that you don’t have to be an account holder with the bank to receive this call. The bank received thousands of calls from Dodge, Washington and Ozaukee Counties indicating that the fraudsters may be carpet-bombing the Wisconsin area with such calls. Fraudsters are hoping one-in-a-thousand to bite the bait and give away their money.

This is the second time in about six months that the bank has been made the target of this scam. It was December last when the scam first hit the bank. It seems, that attempt was successful enough for the scammers to order an encore.

There is no reason for falling to such scams. Think of it. Why should banks ever call you asking for your Account Number. They already have it.

In any case, if they have your phone number then surely they ought to have your account number as well!

Source: 620WTMJ.com

The Brown Deer Police Department would like to alert residents, specifically the senior citizens, of a current crime spree involving suspects impersonating healthcare workers.  In surrounding jurisdictions, several elderly victims were approached at home by three female suspects.  The suspects were dressed in healthcare smocks, which resembled what a nurse at a healthcare facility would wear.  The suspects identified themselves as “from the hospital” and were at the residence to check on the elderly resident.  In three of the cases the victims were recently treated at a healthcare facility. 

Also, in three of the cases the female suspects convinced the elderly resident and were eventually allowed into the residence. In one of the cases, the females were not allowed into the residence, so they left and then returned to the residence, forcing their way inside of the residence.  Once inside of the residence, the suspects take valuable items from the victim. 

Here are some suggestions to prevent yourself from becoming a victim and/or if you already have healthcare personnel completing at-home visits:

1. If you have healthcare personnel visiting you on a regular basis, verify with the agency if you have a surprise/unscheduled visit.
2. Verify that the subject has identification for themselves and the facility that they are employed with (preferably a photo i.d. card).
3. Do not allow anyone inside your residence that you are unsure of.
4. Look out a window prior to opening your door and if you do not recognize the subject, or are not expecting a visitor, then do not open the door.
5. If in doubt, call the police.

DO NOT ACCEPT ANY $200 Visa Travelers Cheques. If you receive a $500 Visa Travelers Cheque, please contact Visa immediately by calling 1-800-227-6811 (toll-free) to verify the validity of the cheque. DO NOT ACCEPT any $500 Visa Travelers Cheques without first contacting Visa.