Thomas Catri, Chief of Patrol
SunBird Patrol’s July Crime Prevention tip for keeping your home and surroundings safe. The truth is, crime can make its way to any community, no matter how safe it is. There are plenty of preventative measures one can take to protect his/her home, as well as the neighborhood. Know the people within your neighborhood. Being able to recognize who lives in your neighborhood goes a long way in recognizing when there is a suspicious person in the area. Be aware of your neighbor’s habits, such as when they are generally at work or if they are elderly and may need some extra assistance from time to time. This awareness will make the neighborhood a much tighter community, and everyone will be able to better prevent crime.
Last month while on duty, I received a phone call on the Patrol’s phone with a recorded message that sounded like that virtual assistant Alexa by Amazon. Here we go again with one of those IRS tax scams that is always circulating around the country. If you answer the phone or don’t answer the phone, these scammers will leave an urgent callback request stating that if you don’t respond, the local police will be dispatched to your home and you will be arrested. Important Reminder: The IRS will not call you demanding an urgent response, demand payment, nor will they call you about any taxes owed without first having mailed you a bill. They will not ask for any debit or credit card numbers or threaten to dispatch the police to have you arrested for not responding or paying. When in doubt, call the real IRS at 1-800-829-1040.
During the hot summer months, please continue to take extra traffic safety precautions, such as slow down and obey all speed limits and stop signs. Keep an eye out for those in the street while driving and when backing out of a driveway or garage. Safety first!
SunBird Patrol can be reached by dialing 480-797-8605. The Roving Patrol is on duty from 10:00 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. The guard shack at Championship and Riggs Road can be reached at 480-219-0350, and the operational hours are from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., seven days a week.