If you have an EMERGENCY (e.g., crime in progress or serious health problem like a heart attack), call 911.
For all other circumstances, call 537-4343.
If you’re on the fence (see something that looks suspicious but don’t know if you should call or not), call 537-4343 and report it. The police may be able to connect your report to others for a fuller picture of criminal activity. Try to get as many specific details as possible, e.g., description of people involved and their clothing, color of car and make, as many digits of the license plate number as you can.
The Kenosha County Sheriff's Web site is at http://www.co.kenosha.wi.us/sheriff/.
Returning lost money (June, 2003)
If a person (usually a man who approaches a solitary woman) comes up to your car window to return money that you supposedly lost, do not open your door or window wide. It may be a ruse to get into your car and abduct you.Crying baby (June, 2003)
If you hear a crying baby outside your window or door at night, be very cautious. Do NOT open the door and go out. Killers and rapists know that women react to that sound. So they record the sound of a baby crying and play it outside women's doors and windows at night. If the woman comes out to investigate, they nab her.
Free or low-cost vacations (Dec, 2002)
From the Kenosha News: State officials are warning residents to beware of recorded vacation solicitations implying free or very low cost vacations to places like Disney World. ... Do not have anything to do with these telephone solicitations. ... recorded solicitations are illegal in Wisconsin ... vacation offers are almost always connected to rip-ffs or misleading offers. For information contact 800-422-7128.eBay (Sep, 2002)
The Kenosha Police Department warns of an email scam. You receive an email saying that your eBay account information must be re-submitted. The email directs you to a Web site where you are to enter your personal information (name, address, Social Security number, driver's license number, credit card number). eBay is NOT sending these emails. It's a scam to get enough information to access your personal accounts.*72 transfer phone calls (Sep, 2002)
You get a (collect) call from someone in prison who asks you to call his sister and let her know that he is in jail but OK. The caller tells you to dial *72 and then his "sister's" number. The *72 transfers control of your phone line to the "sister" who then racks up huge phone bills charged to you.IRS forms and bank correspondence (Apr, 2002)
Suspects circulate a fraudulent IRS form W-9095 titled Application Form for Certificate Status/Ownership for Withholding Tax. The letter attached to the form indicates that it must be completed within 7 days and returned via a fax number only. It says that the IRS is updating the resident, non-resident, and alien file and is trying to determine who is exempt from paying taxes. If you return the form, the suspects use the information on it to withdraw money from your accounts.Area code 809 and others (Aug, 2001)
Do not answer any phone messages or pages or e-mail messages asking you to call area code 809 and certain other 2xx, 3xx, 4xx, 6xx, and 8xx area codes (242, 246, 264, 268, 284, 345, 441, 473, 664, 758, 767, 784, 787, 868, 869, 876). These are islands outside the US. (See page 15 of the Wheatland phone book.) For some time now, scammers in these islands have left messages with urgent sounding information (e.g., "unpaid account," or "family member ill"). When you call, you get someone who speaks broken English or who drags out the conversation as long as possible to run up your phone bill. Since these numbers look like normal area codes but they are really pay-per-call numbers (like 900 numbers), the charges that you incur can easily run into the $2400/minute range. Blocking of 900 numbers and US regulation of 900 numbers do not protect you.Check telephone with 90# (Jan, 2001)No reported cases of this scam have occurred in our area, but it pays to be watchful because it's a long-running trick and it sweeps through the country every so often.
If someone "from the telephone company" calls and asks you to punch 90# (or anything else) into your telephone as part of a line test, do NOT do it. The numbers you press will probably give the person access to your account and the person can then make long-distance calls that will be billed to you.Pizza delivery burglaries (Oct, 2000)
Several burglaries in South Milwaukee have occurred recently under the guise of pizza deliveries. The thieves arrive at a house with a pizza box and ring the doorbell to ensure that no one is at home. They also circle to the back door to "deliver", all the while noting if there are any open windows or other easy entry ways. If the coast is clear, they use the tools in the pizza box to open doors or windows. The pizza box also holds any jewelry or money that the thieves steal. Neighbors who might be watching just assume that some kid is trying to make a pizza delivery.Telephone scam (April, 2000)
The Twin Lakes police report that someone pretending to be a local bank representative is calling people and asking to confirm personal information such as Social Security # and date of birth. Many times these types of questions lead to credit card information. Do NOT give this information over the phone.Mall alert
Inside Edition did a story about how women are lured out of shopping malls into parking lots, where they are assaulted. A person (usuallly a man) approaches a woman and gives her some kind of story about how a TV station wants to shoot an anti-drug public service announcement or a pizza commercial, but they want just plain ordinary mothers to appear in it. If you agree, the person says that you have to go outdoors where the lighting is better. Once you're out of the mall, they assault you.Credit card scam (per the Kenosha News)A scarier version is someone who poses as a frantic father whose baby has stopped breathing. 100% of the women who were approached in this way fell for the bait!
If your gut tells you it's fishy, listen to your gut. Or call out to other people in the mall to accompany you.
If you have an unexplained $30 charge from "Webgroup", don't call Webgroup. They'll just get more credit card information from you. Call your credit card company to resolve the matter.
A number of tools exist for citizens to monitor the whereabouts of sex offenders. Here are some of the sites that can help you find sex offenders in our area:
Highway Watch started as a program for truckers and others who
are on the roads to report accidents, dangerous driving, and other
problematical highway conditions. After 9/11, it was expanded to
include reporting of suspicious activity. The goal is to protect
roads, bridges, tunnels, and key pieces of infrastructure.
Citizens going about their normal routines provide thousands of
eyes to observe any abnormal activity and report it to law
enforcement.
Terrorists go through a
4-step process:
1. TARGET. Select a target that will create mass casualties,
spectacular images, economic impact, and symbolic impact (e.g.,
destroying the Statue of Liberty would strike at the national
image).
2. SURVEY / CASE the target. Learn as much as possible about the
target. E.g., is it fenced? Are there shady or overgrown places
where terrorists can work unobserved? What is the layout of the
building? Who is there and at what times? Recently, several tanker
truckers in the South reported a man who asked an unusual number
of questions. "How much does the tanker hold? Where do you fill
up? What stops do you make? What days do you make the stops?" The
man even took photos of the valves under the tankers. Luckily, the
tanker drivers got suspicious, reported the man, and provided
enough detail (physical description, license plate number) that
law enforcement was able to apprehend him. He is currently being
questioned.
Timothy McVeigh made numerous trips to the Murrah Federal Building
before blowing it up. He even applied for a job there.
3. REHEARSE. Terrorists rehearse the attack until they have the
timing and action to the point where they can execute their game
plan within seconds.
4. EXECUTE the attack. After all the preparation and rehearsal,
the only thing left to do is to carry out the attack.
Any interruption at any point in this process can avert an attack.
For instance, if law enforcement catches onto the casing of a
target, the terrorists will likely abandon it and move on to
another target. The process interruption is what Highway Watch
hopes to achieve.
Participants in Highway
Watch OBSERVE, ASSESS, and REPORT any suspicious activity to the
1-877-USA-SAFE (872-7233) central number. NOTE: If you see any
activity that you think poses an immediate terrorist threat, dial
911 and follow up with a call to the 877-USA-SAFE number.
When reports of suspicious activities all go into a central
database, authorities have a much better chance of connecting the
dots. E.g., the man who asked all the tanker questions operated in
several different states. Because the reported descriptions from
widely separated incidents matched, authorities became interested
in him and decided to find him.
Another example: It might not be unusual to see a car or truck
stalled under a bridge or pulled over to the side of the road due
to mechanical problems. However, it would be unusual to see the
same car or truck there several days in a row.
Nowadays, car and truck bombs are the weapons of choice. They can
pack a lot of explosives. Trucks and buses can get to places where
passenger cars might not be allowed. E.g., school buses might be
allowed to stand in front of a crowded venue such as a sports
arena or theater under the pretense of waiting to pick up
children.
Web sites for more information
www.highwaywatch.com
www.highwayisac.org
www.dhs.gov
Department
of Homeland Security
www.tsa.gov
Transportation Security
Administration
www.rewardsforjustice.net
b. No person shall swim, dive, or snorkel from any boat unless such boat is anchored and has an observer inside the boat and unless the swimmer, diver, or snorkeler stays within 25 feet of the boat.
c. No more than two persons shall be towed behind any one motorboat, and such boats must operate in a counter-clockwise pattern.
d. Motorboats towing a person on water skis, aquaplanes, or similar devices must contain a competent person in addition to the operator to observe the person being towed.
e. No person shall litter either on the water or upon any public or private property.
f. No person shall leave, allow, or permit any boat, pier, raft, or other object in Lily Lake between December 1 and March 1 unless duly authorized and permitted by the specific action of the Town Board.
g. No person shall use a boat in Lily Lake as a place of temporary or permanent residence. No person shall use or allow the use of a boat in Lily Lake for an overnight sleeping facility for more than two consecutive nights or for more than five nights in any calendar month
b. Open burning, with the exception of outdoor cooking or a campfire, is prohibited unless prior authorization is obtained.
c. It is unlawful to keep, store, or dump rubbish, junked automobiles, or junked equipment.
d. Disorderly conduct is prohibited.
e. Public Nuisances ordinance is in force.
f. Dogs must be licensed and are not allowed to run
loose. Dogs must be either leashed or under the direct control
of the owner or some other person at all times. Note: Currently (March,
2005), the fine starts at $74.20 and increases for subsequent
violations.
g. Noxious weeds and tall grass, etc., regulations are in effect.
h. Alcoholic beverages in open containers are prohibited on the beach or public ways.
i. Glass containers are prohibited in the designated beach areas.
j. Dogs are not allowed on the beach at any time.
k. The beach is closed between 10 pm and sunrise.
l. The speed limit is 25 mph in Lily Lake unless posted otherwise.
m. Transfer station stickers are required for recycling drop-off and garbage drop-off at the New Munster site.
n. Waste oil, tire, and hazardous material are not accepted at the transfer station.
o. Curfew for those under the age of 18:
- 10:30 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and
- between 12 midnight and 5:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday and
the day preceding legal holidays.
Does not apply to minors returning home from school, church,
civic organization functions or work as long as they take the
shortest and most direct route home and as fast as reasonably
possible under the circumstances.
or
or